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“If I were asked to define the Hindu creed, I should simply say: Search after truth through non-violent means. A man may not believe in God and still call himself a Hindu. Hinduism is a relentless pursuit after truth... Hinduism is the religion of truth. Truth is God.” -- Mahatma Gandhi "I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else." -- C. S. Lewis Hinduism and Christianity are two religions that have been around for thousands of years. These religions have developed philosophies on certain subjects that can be compared in order to show their similarities and differences. Some of the main subjects that can be reflected upon are the paths to enlightenment or salvation, the religions' treatment of women, and the concept of the afterlife. This paper will give an analytic comparison of these religions through the discussion of these topics. One of the most important elements of these religions is their history. The Hindu religion disputably began around 2500 years before the Common Era (B.C.E.) in India. It was geographically based along the Indus River, which was called “Hindu” by the Persians who had migrated there. They also called the land Hindustan and it’s inhabitants, Hindus. After that, the religion that followed was called Hinduism. Today, almost 800 million people practice the Hindu religion (Spodek, 261) More than a religion, Hinduism is a way of life and a philosophy that is most concerned with spirituality and enlightenment. The idealism of the Hindu religion comes from the Vedas, which are the Hindu religion's oldest scriptures and are considered to be a direct revelation of God. The Upanishads are writings that take their themes from the Vedas. The Upanishads, however, seem to be more along the lines of allegories that give a fleshy quality to the religion rather than a very dry and out of touch feel that can be found in other religious texts. Lastly, the Bhagavad-Gita is a collection of teachings that are based on the conversation between Arjuna, a soldier for one of two warring families, and Lord Krishna, who appears as Arjuna's charioteer. In these conversations the two discuss everything from the purpose of life to the basis of reality. Much like Christian proverbs, the teachings of Lord Krishna give advice and general good sense and... ... middle of paper ... ... to the physical realm. The Christian version only allows for one life to determine the fate of one's eternity. It seems that the only way to miss the trip to heaven would be to denounce Jesus and not give for forgiveness, but who is going to do that if given the option in eternity. The comparison of these two religions is one that is full of differences with the occasional similarity. Mainly, I find Hinduism to be a religion full of positive aspects that give meaning and importance to any of its follower's lives. Conversely, Christianity is a religion that is steeped in contradiction and confusion. It uses guilt and dire consequences to push people into it arms. Where Hinduism allows for personal choice at a personal price, Christianity allows for personal freedom with almost no responsibility for personal action. Works Cited Spodek, Howard. The World's History. Second Edition. Calmann & King Ltd. London. 2001. Eastman, Roger. The Ways of Religion: An Introduction to the Major Traditions. Third Edition. Oxford University Press. N.Y. 1999 Jayaram, V. "Traditional Status of Women in Hinduism." Web. 15 May 2015. http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/h_women.asp
Hinduism first started in India around 1500 BC. The word Hindu comes from the Sanskrit word sindhu, or river. The Hindu community define themselves as "those who believe in the Vedas", or also "those who follow the way, or dharma, of the four classes and the stages of life. The four classes being the varnas and the stages of life being the ashramas.
Other than a religion, Hinduism is a way of life through philosophy that is mostly concerned with spirituality and enlightenment. The impracticality of the Hindu religion comes from the Vedas. Vedas are the oldest scriptures in the Hindu religion that are considered to be a straight ...
The teachings of Hinduism derive directly from the Vedic religion of India, which explains why Hinduism focuses so much on sacrifice and pleasing the many gods (Bulliet 186-187). Hinduism gives four different goals a person should accomplish to achieve spiritual fulfillment and Moksha. These paths, known as the four yogas, include Karma-yoga, Jhana-yoga, Raja-yoga, and Bhakti-yoga (Smith). Karma-yoga is the way of action that a person can attain by following the discipline of action that comes from the Brahman (Bhagavad- Gita 1292-1293). The second path known as Jnana-yoga is the way of knowledge, which a person attains through the discipline of knowledge (Bhagavad-Gita 1292). The third path of Raja-yoga is the way of asceticism, which a person attains when they do not have desires or possessions (Bhagavad-Gita 1295-1296). The final path of Bhakti-yoga is the way of devotion that a person can achieve by having undisturbed devotion to Krishna (Bhagavad-Gita 1300-1301). Overall, Hinduism teaches people to rely heavily on each other, the scriptures, and on the
Hinduism, also known by the name Sanatana-Dharma, is often referred to as the “oldest religion” in the world, is generally considered to be an ethnic religion and is fundamentally based on the religion of the original Aryan settlers. “Hinduism, from the Persian Hindi (Sanskrit sindhu), literally "river." Means "of the Indus Valley" or simply "Indian." Hindus call their religion sanatama dharma,"eternal religion" or "eternal truth” (“Facts on Hinduism”). It was founded around 3000 BCE, and is now considered to be the third largest religion in the world. Followers of Hinduism, which is estimated to be anywhere around 900 million, are especially concentrated in India, Nepal, and other countries throughout Asia. The broader world contact that has occurred since World War II allowed various forms of Hinduism to become more widely known and accepted. The multiple Hindu sects, including the Krishna Consciousness, have been particularly successful among young American and Europeans and claims to be adherent around the world. Hinduism is dissimilar compared to other religions, in the fact that it has no founders. This religion is considered to be permissive in creed or code as it is not necessarily coordinated in any way, even though various sects and cults are formulated. This religion is especially known for its tolerance because it is willing to accommodate those who are exceptionally religious; whether it be a Jew, Christian, or Muslim as a part of their religion. Hinduism is very transformable and accepts elements of different religion. Overtime it has even developed different aspects of both Christianity and Buddhism and incorporated them into the religion of Hinduism. Hinduism worships a multiplicity of gods; the most important in...
To begin with, Hinduism is one of the oldest religions in the world. Hinduism has no known founder, prophet, or primary set of beliefs. According to the Idaho State Journal, “Hinduism has many deities. The primary three are Brahma, the creator; Vishnu, the preserver; and Shiva, the destroyer” (Jenkins, “What is Hinduism?”) Hinduism is an ex...
Hinduism is unlike many other religions in that it does not have a single founder or text, but is more like an umbrella in ways of life. In death and life for the Hindu, “The ultimate goal of the soul is liberation from the wheel of rebirth, through reabsorption into our identity with the Oversoul (Brahma)-- the essence of the universe, immaterial, uncreated, limitless, and timeless” (Leming & Dickinson, 2011, p. 134).
Both Buddhism and Hinduism are well known religions. They are two of the most popular polytheistic faiths in the world. Some people believe them to be sects of the same religion, but they are mistaken. Buddhism and Hinduism have some similarities, but many things set them apart from each other as well. They are each their own religion in many aspects.
Smart, Ninian. "Blackboard, Religion 100." 6 March 2014. Seven Dimensions of Religion. Electronic Document. 6 March 2014.
Hinduism And Buddhism Hinduism and Buddhism both try to offer a theory of why people would suffer from temptation, drudgery and pain, and how to attain enlightenment and self-awakening in order to obtain freedom from the tempting and arduous world. Hinduism believes that all beings and existence of the universe are one, but Buddhism thinks that no body has self. Buddhism produced more workable and fairer views in terms of metaphysics and institutional requirements for individuals than Hinduism. The fundamental core of Hindu metaphysics is that Atman is Brahman. Atman refers to the conscious core of one’s being, as well as other sentient beings, and it is an eternal, pure spirit (Bresnan, p.54).
Hinduism is the 3rd most popular religion in the world followed by Buddhism, together they are followed by 22 percent of the world’s population. These two religions are alike in many ways, and are tied together by Asia, where they have deep roots in its culture and history. Although Hinduism and Buddhism are similar in many ways, very important and large differences separate the two. No one and nothing can ever truly prove either religion is better than the other because that is up to personal beliefs and opinions, but many more people around the world prefer Buddhism over Hinduism because of its beliefs and practices.
Hinduism is an ancient religion. It has no known founder. It has several holy books. The most important of these is the Vedas, a collection of hymns. Hinduism like buddism believes in reincarnation. The goal of this religion is also to escape the birth-death cycle. Through Hinduism the entire Indian social structure was formed by creating the caste system. The major difference between Buddism and Hinduism is that Hindus believe in a god. Brahman is the spirit that encompasses all living things. There are several lesser gods who are believed to be incarnates of Brahman.
Out of all the different beliefs in the world today, Hinduism is a religion that seems different and interesting. Hinduism is one of the oldest living religions in the world. The religion is over 4,000 years old. Hinduism was originated in India and the religion’s first known believers were known as the ancient people, the Aryans (Hinduism). Like most religions in the universe, Hinduism is unique in its own way. Hinduism is unique because it did not start off as a religion. Hinduism was actually a culture for people in India and then later turned into a religion (Hinduism on Fun Facts).
In many ways, Christianity and Hinduism have similar ideas about the afterlife. They both ...
Hinduism believes in the teachings of one human man, the Buddha, the “Enlightened One”. The ultimate objective of a Buddhist is to reach nirvana which is a state of enlightenment where a person no longer desires or suffers and is at peace. The Buddha taught the Four Noble Truths. Fiero lists the Four Noble Truths as “pain is universal, desire causes pain, ceasing to desire relieves pain, and right conduct leads to release from pain” (11). The Buddha believed and taught that insight and knowledge come from following the Eightfold Path (Middle Way). Fiero states that the Eightfold Path includes “right views, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration” (11). If a person follows the Eightfold Path which leads to insight and knowledge then they could ultimately achieve nirvana. A Buddhist that avoids suffering and gains enlightenment is then released from what Fiero calls the “endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth” (11). Only then has a person accomplished extinction of the Self or salvation. The aspect of the release from the cycle of rebirth is similar to the goal of a Hindu and like Hinduism; Buddhism encourages moral behavior in order to attain inner
Organ, Troy Wilson. Eerdmans' Handbook to The World Religions. Woodbury, NY: Barron's Educational Series, 1974. Print.