Buddhism And Comparative Religions Similarities

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Recommended: Test on ancient world religions

Kristen Knopf
Comparative Religions
Thursday 8:30-11:15
March 6th, 2014
Ancient Religions
Buddhism and Hinduism share many similar beliefs. The idea of being reborn after death until one reaches a certain point to which they reach their Nirvana, or Moksha as they refer to the action of being set free of the life, death, rebirth cycle. Both of these religions share a belief in karma being one of the defining factors of a person’s place in the world. Similarly, both religions advocate for nonviolence against all living beings. In Hinduism and Buddhism there are many different levels of heaven and hell and higher or lower worlds. Each of these religions practice spiritual meditation, concentration, and cultivations of special states of mind. The idea of detachment, or the renunciation of worldly life being a precondition to enter the Nirvana or spiritual life is shared by both religions as well. Desire is considered to be the main cause of suffering of people and each religion aims to teach their followers to shed the want and desire out of their lives in order to get closer to attaining Nirvana. While there are many similarities in both religions, they each contrast each other in many ways as well.
Buddhism is a nontheistic religion, meaning that practitioners of the Buddhist religion do not recognize or worship a God. Instead, practicing Buddhists follow the teachings of a man named Siddhartha Gautama, who is more commonly known as Buddha. The term “Buddha” can be translated to mean “the awakened one”. Buddha’s followers recognize his as the enlightened teacher who would be able to help them let go of human wants, desires and ignorance to the goal of reaching a state of nirvana. The two different major branches of Buddhism are ...

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...the hearts of all beings and knowing that, recognizing that as fact will set one free.
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” or the Golden Rule written in the Bible seems to have a universal meaning to many religions. Hinduism and Buddhism follow this rule as a way of life. Not harming any living creature and in doing so having the same respect returned to you by the way of Karma is part of the foundation that both religions share with many others though maybe not by the same definitions. For both a Hindu and a Buddhist attaining Karma by following this rule is key to make it to Nirvana. Though they do no study and worship in the same ways, Hindus typically tend to strictly follow the religious worship of the Vedas whereas Buddhists follow the teachings of Buddha and life and do not recognize any deities their end goal is the same: to reach Nirvana.

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