Far East Religious-Phylosophical Ideas: Differences and Similarities

1139 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Similarities and differences among religions

Question 2: Hindu Vedanta teaches the idea of Atman, by contrast in Buddhism the doctrine of Anatman is taught. Compare and contrast these philosophical ideals.

Despite being similar in many ways, the Hindu and Buddhist religions differ greatly in their ideals about the human soul. On one hand there is the Hindu belief in Atman, or the eternal human soul, and on the other there is the Buddhist belief in Anatman, which rejects the existence of an eternal self. The Buddhist religion contends that a person’s existence is ever changing as they experience the world around them, and for this reason there is no ‘self,’ or more specifically, no permanent ‘person’ or ‘personality’. The concept of Anatman is founded on three fundamental aspects. The first of these concepts is the lack of an essence; this idea stems from the belief in the five skandhas, or parts of existence. Buddhists believe that the five skandhas: the body, sensations, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness, create who we are (Oxtoby & Segal 386). They believe that no one part can represent the whole. Impermanence is the second aspect. Buddhists contend that the universe, and everything contained within it, is constantly changing. They believe that with every moment we are alive, we are influenced and changed by the things we experience. For this reason, it is impossible to have a constant or permanent self. Finally, Buddhism has a central idea of interdependence, or the notion that everything in the world has an effect on everything else. This means that like the ripples of waves created by dropping a stone in water, the slightest change in the world has a far reaching impact on everything else. Consequentially, the self, like all other things in the world,...

... middle of paper ...

... surrender of oneself to God called atmanivedana. By following these steps of worship, Krishna promises forgiveness for all of ones sins.

Word Count: 1303

Works Cited

"Charles Darwin." BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.

"Hindu Concepts." BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.

Hulting, Sarah. "Anatman." Luther College, n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.

"Introduction: Four Main Paths." Heart of Hinduism: Four Main Paths. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.

Osho. "Osho on Dhyana – A Non-thinking Awareness Is What Dhyana Is, a Contentless Consciousness." : Osho on Dhyana – A Non-thinking Awareness Is What Dhyana Is, a Contentless Consciousness. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.

Oxtoby, Willard Gurdon., and Alan F. Segal. A Concise Introduction to World Religions. Don Mills, Ont.: Oxford UP, 2007. Print.

Wilson, Edward O. On Human Nature. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1978. Print.

Show More
Related

  • The Heart of Understanding, by Thich Nhat Hanh

    1111 Words  | 3 Pages

    In The Heart of Understanding, Thich Nhat Hanh’s uses simple but powerful words and real world examples to illustrate the profound Buddhist philosophy from the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra, an important representative of Mahayana Buddhist literature. The Mahayana school of Buddhist teachings emphasizes the doctrine of Sunyata- emptiness. The doctrine of emptiness, one of the most important Mahayana innovations, focuses on the relational aspect of existence. Thich Nhat Hanh coins and introduces a new word- interbeing to explain the state of emptiness. This idea of interbeing not only illustrates emptiness well but also provides understanding of other fundamental Buddhist ideas such as No-Self, impermanence and non-duality.

    Read More

  • Discussion of the four noble truths of Buddhism

    2467 Words  | 5 Pages

    Q2. Outline and discuss the four noble truths: is the Buddhist view of existence optimistic or pessimistic?

    Read More

  • What Is Religion?

    1612 Words  | 4 Pages

    Smith, Huston. World’s Religions: A Guide to our Wisdom Traditions. San Francisco: Harper Collins, 1994.

    Read More

  • Identity In Siddhartha

    1049 Words  | 3 Pages

    As human beings we often pursue truth to undercover deceit. To overcome death and nonexistence, we are born. To understand the future, we look to the past. To accept ourselves we begin to recognize others. As a result of these unavoidable actions our ego is born. Self awareness. The simple plural pronoun “We”, transforms into “Me”, or “I”, the self of our person. The self becomes thinking, feeling, and willing. Able to distinguish itself from the selves of others and from the objects of its thought. It is this self identity that many 6th century Buddhist, including the main protagonist within the novel Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, searched to abolish in the interest of reaching full enlightenment and understanding of the world in which they life. “A man asked Gautama Buddha, "I want happiness." Buddha said, "First remove "I," that's Ego, then remove "want," that's Desire. See now you are left with only "Happiness.” (Boulby 173)

    Read More

  • Comparing Christianity and Buddhism

    2061 Words  | 5 Pages

    This paper is a comparison between two very different religions. Specifically Christianity and Buddhism. Coming from opposite sides of the globe these two religions could not be any farther apart in any aspect. I will discuss who Christ is for Christians and who Buddha is for Buddhists. I will also get into the aspects of charity, love, and compassion in both religions and I will be looking at the individual self and how christians see resurrection where the buddhists feel about the afterlife. One thing to keep in mind is that the two religions are very different but they seem to have a very similar underlying pattern. Both believe that there was a savior of their people, Buddha and Christ, and both believe that there is something good that happens to us when our time is done here on earth. This is a very generalized summarization but in order to go in to depth I need to explain the two religions more to fully convey this theory.

    Read More

  • Hinduism and Christianity

    1059 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hinduism and Christianity are two religions that have been around for thousands of years. Both of these religions have developed many philosophies on different aspects that can be compared to show their similarities and differences. The Hindu and Christian religion agree on many things. Based on humanity, our society follows some of the rules also because of the religion and laws. From the holy literature, there have been many different concepts that have been pledged but they all are supposed to lead you to the same effects such as a happy, healthy life, contribution to the world around us humans, and some kind of freedom after death. Some of the main subjects that can be reflected upon after learning of the history and fundamentals of these religions are the paths to enlightenment and/or salvation, the style of treating women through religions aspects, and the afterlife. This paper will give an analytic comparison of these two religions relating to the topics.

    Read More

  • Jewish And Buddhist Culture And Religion

    949 Words  | 2 Pages

    Mindfulness: In meditation, one overcomes their delusions and becomes familiar with virtuous minds. The mind is considered to be a formless, separate entity from the body.

    Read More

  • Monism Essay

    1795 Words  | 4 Pages

    The major Eastern religious traditions have had a shaping effect on their societies by the way they look at the world and the “hope” they offer their followers. Their traditions and beliefs are different than those in the West. The four major religious traditions in the East are all older than Western religions. Each religious tradition can be examined for common concepts and differences. Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism have several common concepts and several differences: their worldviews, their views on the nature of reality as a whole, the nature of persons, the perspectives on the “human dilemma,” human spiritual goals, the significance of moral values and the hope each offers its followers for their lives.

    Read More

  • History of Religion in India

    1115 Words  | 3 Pages

    In conclusion I’ve discussed the beginnings of Jainism, Buddhism and Hinduism; there similarities and differences. All three played important roles in the evolution of India’s religious foundation. From Jainism which is considered the toughest religion to follow because of the strict rules to Buddhism and Hinduism with a more relaxed approach of spiritual enlightenment. The devote following them has spread worldwide. I now have a better understanding of these religions.

    Read More

  • Buddhism - Every Moment We Live is an Opportunity (for understanding)

    862 Words  | 2 Pages

    me that Buddhists can sometimes say that there is no self, as if it was a proclamation that they

    Read More

  • Asceticism in Buddhism and Hinduism

    1799 Words  | 4 Pages

    Eliot, Sir Charles. HINDUISM AND BUDDHISM. 1921. Vol. 1. London: ROUTLEDGE & KEGAN PAUL LTD, 1954. 3 vols. wisdom library. Web. 9 Dec. 2013. .

    Read More

  • Buddhism: The Doctrine Of No Self In Buddhism

    1324 Words  | 3 Pages

    According to the Buddhist doctrine, there is no self. Buddhists believe that the body is impermanent and behaves as a covering for what is permanent— your soul. What is focused on in Buddhist beliefs the doctrine of the “non-self”. In this paper, I will support the idea of the “non-self”. The doctrine of having no self means that the parts of who you are as a person is not you. All things on earth are not static, including people. First, I will go over what a Buddhist’s view of the self is and state reasons why one may be convinced that there is no self. Then, I will explain some objections of why other non-Buddhists would believe otherwise. Lastly, I will draw to a close of how the principle of no self is plausible.

    Read More

  • Atman Research Paper

    355 Words  | 1 Pages

    Atman is the core within a person, it is the ultimate thing or soul inside an individual and this Atman goes from lifetime to lifetime, meaning it will be reborn, in another life, as something else. Brahman is above everything; it is the ultimate essence. The reason Atman equals Brahman is because they both connect to become one when an individual achieves Moksha (liberation). The goal is for the Atman to return to the Brahman, which means the soul reaches liberation. The individual reaches liberation when its karma is balanced off. Atman equaling Brahman is distinct from the Buddha’s understanding of Anatman because in Buddhism, Anatman has no self or soul. Every individual is made up of five skandhas and Anatman is the result of the skandhas.

    Read More

  • Judaism Vs Buddhism Essay

    791 Words  | 2 Pages

    The differences of Judaism and Buddhism there are many different things about them such as holidays, areas, beliefs, and expectations. I will be showing and telling you about these unique and different religions. Buddhism is a pragmatic religion. Judaism is a fast growing religion. Judaism is among the oldest of the world's major living religions.This short essay is intended to give a brief introduction to Buddhism. I will be discussing the way Buddhists the world, the four main teachings of the Buddha.The amazing achievement of Judaism is that it has developed the concept of God from that of a primitive tribal deity to the God. I will also being showing the four major teachings for Buddha and the. Judaism I’ll be showing you the intricate

    Read More

  • Buddhist Consciousness

    1108 Words  | 3 Pages

    This era had a very strong influence on Buddhist thought and it was during this time that the concept of ālaya-vijñāna developed. One of the most problematic concepts to come out of this time was the concept of dharmas. Dharmas are what influence each moment experienced by the mind. Buddhists aim to discern dharmas that cause affliction. A dharmic analysis of experiences is characterized by which each element of a given experience is distinguished from others. It suggests that reality is made up exclusively of what we are consciously aware. However, problems arose from this type of analysis of the

    Read More

More about Far East Religious-Phylosophical Ideas: Differences and Similarities

Open Document