A Comparison of the Notion of Deities in the Foundation Periods of Hinduism and Buddhism - Coursework Example

Running Head: COMPARISON OF THE NOTION OF DEITY/DEITIES A Comparison of the Notion of Deity/Deities in the Foundation Periods of Hinduism and Buddhism Name Course Tutor’s Name Date Introduction Hinduism and Buddhism are said to be similar in some ways, but very different in many other ways. As a splinter of Hinduism, Buddhism is bound to have taken some of Hinduism traditions. By Buddhism having come from Hinduism, one of the two religions’ point of difference is their foundation periods. Hinduism is cited as potentially the world’s oldest religion having been founded in 1500 BC. It was created from different pre-existing religions, one of which is thought to be Brahmanism of Aryans (Chin, 2011). Buddhism on the other hand is a more recent religion having been founded approximately about 563 and 483 BC. This paper investigates the notion of deity/deities in the two religions during their foundation periods and notes that Hinduism deities were considered as supernatural beings that could be prayed to, venerated and negotiated with in order to improve the circumstances of human beings, while Buddhism does not consider deities to have major powers in the destiny of human beings; instead, Buddhism teaches that attaining enlightenment is the responsibility of individual Buddhists. The notion of deity/deities The notion of gods during the foundation period of Hinduism is perhaps best portrayed in the Rigveda. The Rigveda is a collection of ritual hymns, which are indicated as the most ancient religious texts that are thought to have been used by the Aryans who invaded the northwest part of the Indian continent from about 1500 BC (Gascoigne, 2001). In the Rigveda, gods are classified as terrestrial gods, atmospheric gods and celestial gods (Ranganath, 1998). Terrestrial gods include Agni, Soma, Prithvi and Brihaspati. The atmospheric gods on the other hand include Indra, Maruts, Rudra and Parjanya. Of these, Indra appears to be the greatest of them with 350 hymns dedicated to him. The celestial gods in the Rigveda include Varuna, Pusan, Vishnu and Savitr (Ranganath, 1998). Of these gods, some are relatives (e.g. Agni, Indra and Pusan are said to be brothers); some are killers (e.g. Indra is the warrior god who protected good men by killing wicked demons); while most are indicated to have some kind of contribution to believers (e.g. Parjanya is a rescuer; Rudra is the punisher, whereas Maruts gives rain). Deities in Buddhism during its foundation period are related to the religion’s interaction with Hinduism. According to LaRocca (1996), Buddhist pantheon of gods experienced rapid growth especially among the Vajrayana and the Mahayana although this was against the original teachings of Buddha. However, there is also a different school of thought by the Theravada Buddhists who argue that there are no deities, nor material or spiritual substance beyond what they regard as the ultimate reality (Valea, 2011). Specifically, the Theravada Buddhists argue that Buddha did not pray or meditate to a higher being; nor did he claim to have a divine origin. Buddha is even cited as having said that the notion of a deity or deities was a rumour that Brahma had invented (Keown & Prebish, 2013). Brahma is one of the Hindu gods. According to Le and Phuoc (2010), though Buddha was against the notion of deities, Vedic Hinduism was deeply entrenched in the society he was trying to convert by the time he preached his first sermon in 532 BC. Consequently, and for purposes of gaining acceptance among the local populations, Buddhism had to incorporate some Vedic gods popular in Hinduism. Among the common deities in Buddhism include Indra, Brahma and Surya. Contrast and similarities One important distinction between the notion of deity/deities between Hinduism and Buddhism is that the notion was part of Hinduism from the very start, while in Buddhism, it was only entrenched as a way of religion finding a way to resonate with people whose faith in the deities had already been established owing to their association with Hinduism. Even though Buddhists testify to some authority, which they have since accepted as deities, the Buddha discouraged them from seeking help for what they did in life from the same deities. Instead, Buddha argued that every Buddhist should consider themselves responsible for their own enlightenment (Keown & Prebish, 2013). The foregoing is contrary to Hinduism, which in the foundation period, established the concept that the thousands gods and goddesses could intervene in the natural situations and help people. In other words, adherents of Hinduism were made to understand that they can seek help through veneration to the gods. Buddhism however discouraged such an approach to life and living. Even after the acceptance of the deities’ notion, Buddhists did not inculcate Buddhist deities into their religion; rather, the Buddha taught that deities had different aspects, which could be meditated about in order to provide a spiritual traveller with the guidance he/she needs to access an inner world during meditation (Le & Phuoc, 2010). The Hindu gods that were adopted into Buddhism did not come with their Hindu religion spirit; rather, they were given new characteristics and new spirits that would conform to the Buddhist religion. To Buddhists, the deities have multiple sides of enlightenment such that a deity can be vengeful and wrathful, but still have a beneficent and peaceful side (Le & Phuoc, 2010). From the foundation period of Buddhism, it became quite clear that the relationship between man and the deities was not to placate, flatter or negotiate some sort of contracts. In other words, they could ask for favours in return for keeping within set religious rules. In contrast, Hindus believe that although their god does not have one true form, he is everywhere and in everything and that people (human beings) cannot comprehend him. Foundational Hinduism (as reflected in the Rigveda) indicates that adherents of Hinduism can pray to an almighty power who is represented by different forms of deities, but who is “one true main form” (Mullangi, 2006, n.pag.). The deities of Buddhism also were not considered real. Buddha himself indicated that gods were the imaginary creation of Brahma (Zaun, 2002). Rather, the deities were regarded as the expression of emptiness. The foregoing is mainly because Buddha and his followers during the foundation period (and even now) did not believe in an all-powerful god. Buddha taught that people can attain their own enlightenment hence downplaying any role that an all-powerful god could play. In contrast, Hinduism deities from the foundation period, as reflected in the Rigveda indicate that a person’s wellbeing is affected by the gods they pray to and the deeds that one does. While Buddha taught his followers that human beings do not have a soul, Hinduism from its foundation period taught its adherents that reincarnation is a law that involves the dying of the body, with the true self in a person being reborn in different forms. The true self is the soul, which can be reborn many times until it reaches a point where it cannot be reborn anymore. It is at that point that the relevance of deities is indicated because a soul either becomes one with god, or it stays close to god (Gowans, 2004). The ultimate reason for living in Hinduism therefore is to reach god. In Buddhism however, gaining enlightenment through one’s efforts is the main undertaking which the early followers of Buddha were taught to live by. Buddha however taught that such enlightenment did not require human reasoning but meditation (Gowans, 2004). It was during meditation that one required the guidance of one of the Buddhist deities into the inner worlds. Notably, the deity in Hinduism has the role of enforcing Karma, which is something that Buddha did not teach his followers when he founded Buddhism. As the earliest documented evidence of Hinduism, the Rigveda indicates that a deity by the name Varuna is not only omnipotent but also omniscient. The same deity punishes sins by inflicting diseases on people. Through punishment, people repent and mend their ways (Gascoigne, 2001). On its part, Buddhism, though not rejecting the notion of deities entirely, indicates that gods are temporary beings which became what they are for upholding certain virtues. However, them being gods does not call for people to worship them; after all, they cannot punish those who do not abide by the teachings of Buddha. However, they can convince people (through specific actions such as the denial of rain) to attain higher levels of enlightenment by meditating and realising the good and the bad things they do in life. Buddha’s downplay of the powers that deities wield is captured in the Sutta-Nipata (654, cited by Valea, 2011) where he indicates that ‘The world exists because of causal actions, all things are produced by causal actions and all beings are governed and bound by causal actions. They are fixed like the rolling wheel of a cart, fixed by the pin of its axle shift’ (n.pag.). Buddha taught his followers that deities are not to be worshipped since they are neither the givers of happiness, nor do they represent morality. Instead, they were just an example of what attaining enlightenment would lead people into. A commonality of deities in Hinduism and Buddhism in the foundation periods of both religions is that they (deities) express specific aspects of the never-ending force that is responsible for life and other unexplainable things in the world. Both religions also modelled deities into images which they use in devotions in order to help adherents visualise, concentrate on and attain some aspects of infinity for them. The Buddhist pantheon, just like the Hindu pantheon, has hundreds of deities that serve specific purposes. There are gods of fertility, mercy and riches among other things. In both religions, some deities have humanlike appearance while others have monster-like appearances. Danielou (1991) indicates that whenever Hindus imagine gods, personify them, and even picture them, nothing really changes to the position of the deities’ divinity. Danielou argues that even in the foundation period of Hinduism, the gods were “representations of the causal energies from which each aspect of the subtle and the visible worlds are derived” (p. 8). Each of the deities in both Buddhism and Hinduism is an entity that presides over specific functions of the universe. Due to their polytheistic nature, both religions right from the foundation periods acknowledge the non-manifest and formless aspects of deities. Although Hinduism worships its gods and goddesses as indicated by Fuller (2004), Buddhism does not advocate for the worship of deities. Consequently therefore, though both religions acknowledged different roles played by deities in the foundation period, their understanding of the same roles is different. As a result, their ‘dependence’ on deities is not similar. Some authors (e.g. Keown & Prebish, 2013) even argue that all people who have become Buddha have at some point while cultivating the ultimate enlightenment lived as gods. Conclusion The analysis of deities in Buddhism and Hinduism reveals more differences than similarities. The foregoing is despite the fact that some of the concepts of deities in Buddhism were borrowed from Hinduism. The major difference between the two religions during their respective foundation periods was that while deities were perceived as higher beings that could be prayed to, bargained with and even persuaded to help human beings accomplish certain things in Hinduism, Buddhism was opposed to the relevance of deities. Even when Buddha accepted the notion of deities (ostensibly in an effort to make Buddhism relevant among the population where he was delivering his sermons), he made it clear that deities were not to be worshipped; rather, they were to be used in meditation in a manner that would lead Buddhists into an inner world. Both religions shared similarities in their foundation periods in that they were polytheistic in nature. Additionally, both religions acknowledge the non-manifest and formless aspects of deities. Another similarity between the two during the foundation period is that they have pantheons that have hundreds of deities and which serve specific purposes. Both sides of the divide include gods of fertility, mercy and riches among other things. In both religions, some deities have a humanlike appearance, while others have monster-like appearances. Overall, traces of similarities and differences between both religions during their foundation times (which are hundreds of years apart) persist to date. References Chin, J. (2011). A guide to religions, religious information and help in search for God. Retrieved May 20, 2014, from http://www.religion-info.com/hinduism.html Danielou, A. (1991). The myths and gods of India: The classic work on Hindu polytheism from the Princeton Bollingen series. NY: Inner Traditions/Bear & Co. Fuller, C. J. (2004). The camphor flame: Popular Hinduism and Society in India. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Gascoigne, B. (2001). A guide to religion, religious information and help in search for God. Retrieved May 20, 2014, from http://www.religion-info.com/hinduism.html Gowans, C. (2004). Philosophy of the Buddha: An introduction. New York: Routledge. Keown, D., & Prebish, C.S. (2013). Encyclopaedia of Buddhism. New York: Routledge. LaRocca, D. (1996). The gods of war: sacred imagery and the decoration of arms and amour. NY: Metropolitan Museum of Art. Le, H. & Phuoc, L. (2010). Buddhist architecture. London: Grafikol. Mullangi, S. (2005). Hinduism. Retrieved May 20, 2014, from http://www.umich.edu/~aamuhist/smullang/pubspeak.htm Valea, E. (2011). The ultimate reality in the world religions. Retrieved May 20, 2014, from, http://www.comparativereligion.com/god.html#07 Zaun, K. (2002). Inside Buddhism. New Delhi: Lorenz Educational Press. Read More

However, there is also a different school of thought by the Theravada Buddhists who argue that there are no deities, nor material or spiritual substance beyond what they regard as the ultimate reality (Valea, 2011). Specifically, the Theravada Buddhists argue that Buddha did not pray or meditate to a higher being; nor did he claim to have a divine origin. Buddha is even cited as having said that the notion of a deity or deities was a rumour that Brahma had invented (Keown & Prebish, 2013).

Brahma is one of the Hindu gods. According to Le and Phuoc (2010), though Buddha was against the notion of deities, Vedic Hinduism was deeply entrenched in the society he was trying to convert by the time he preached his first sermon in 532 BC. Consequently, and for purposes of gaining acceptance among the local populations, Buddhism had to incorporate some Vedic gods popular in Hinduism. Among the common deities in Buddhism include Indra, Brahma and Surya. Contrast and similarities One important distinction between the notion of deity/deities between Hinduism and Buddhism is that the notion was part of Hinduism from the very start, while in Buddhism, it was only entrenched as a way of religion finding a way to resonate with people whose faith in the deities had already been established owing to their association with Hinduism.

Even though Buddhists testify to some authority, which they have since accepted as deities, the Buddha discouraged them from seeking help for what they did in life from the same deities. Instead, Buddha argued that every Buddhist should consider themselves responsible for their own enlightenment (Keown & Prebish, 2013). The foregoing is contrary to Hinduism, which in the foundation period, established the concept that the thousands gods and goddesses could intervene in the natural situations and help people.

In other words, adherents of Hinduism were made to understand that they can seek help through veneration to the gods. Buddhism however discouraged such an approach to life and living. Even after the acceptance of the deities’ notion, Buddhists did not inculcate Buddhist deities into their religion; rather, the Buddha taught that deities had different aspects, which could be meditated about in order to provide a spiritual traveller with the guidance he/she needs to access an inner world during meditation (Le & Phuoc, 2010).

The Hindu gods that were adopted into Buddhism did not come with their Hindu religion spirit; rather, they were given new characteristics and new spirits that would conform to the Buddhist religion. To Buddhists, the deities have multiple sides of enlightenment such that a deity can be vengeful and wrathful, but still have a beneficent and peaceful side (Le & Phuoc, 2010). From the foundation period of Buddhism, it became quite clear that the relationship between man and the deities was not to placate, flatter or negotiate some sort of contracts.

In other words, they could ask for favours in return for keeping within set religious rules. In contrast, Hindus believe that although their god does not have one true form, he is everywhere and in everything and that people (human beings) cannot comprehend him. Foundational Hinduism (as reflected in the Rigveda) indicates that adherents of Hinduism can pray to an almighty power who is represented by different forms of deities, but who is “one true main form” (Mullangi, 2006, n.pag.). The deities of Buddhism also were not considered real.

Buddha himself indicated that gods were the imaginary creation of Brahma (Zaun, 2002). Rather, the deities were regarded as the expression of emptiness. The foregoing is mainly because Buddha and his followers during the foundation period (and even now) did not believe in an all-powerful god. Buddha taught that people can attain their own enlightenment hence downplaying any role that an all-powerful god could play. In contrast, Hinduism deities from the foundation period, as reflected in the Rigveda indicate that a person’s wellbeing is affected by the gods they pray to and the deeds that one does.

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