hinduism vs. buddism?

Question

what are the comparisons and contrasts?

Answer 1

Since there are different paths and cultures within buddhism and hinduism, it's hard to speak for all of them but in general:

Buddhism and Hinduism are very closely related. They both focus on nirvana. They both believe in spirituality greater than what the physical can see and feel. And both talk about non violence and meditation. And both believe we humans need to work on our attachment issue.

As far as differences go, there are lots of Buddhists who would like to call it a path and not a religion. God is not a center of the Buddhist path..while Hinduism has many Gods. Buddhism also isn't that elaborate on rituals while Hinduism has tons and tons of rituals.

And of course they have different religious texts.

Hope that helps

Ana

Answer 2

Firstly, Buddha's teachings are not meant to be taken as Truth but, instead, to be taken as a means to an end. He lived in a time when people were misusing some concept of Hinduism and, therefore, some of this teaching reflect different devices.
That said, Hinduism has the concept of an everlasting soul (Atman) that reincarnates into different forms until its karma is resolved and the soul doesn't incarnate anymore. Buddhism has no permanent self (ego) either in this life or in any other and, therefore, does not have reincarnation. It has rebirth which is very different because it involves non-duality (no self, no separation between you and everything). Both emphasize getting a direct experience.
Note: one person said that Buddhism is expecting a savior-type called Maitreya. That ONLY applies to a certain sect of Buddhism, NOT to buddhism as a whole.

Answer 3

Seeing as you're first couple of answers were fairly poor :p

Hinduism is not actually a religion, it is a group of religions based around similar doctrines which originated in the Indian subcontinent. Basic beliefs - One god (brahma, who is much more like a deist god than a theist god, he is not personified, doesn't get angry, answer prayers etc.), however brahma is too big to be comprehended so is split into thousands of deities all aspects of Brahma. Reincarnation, you have an eternal soul which comes back to earth after you die, your reincarnation is determined by karma (basically saying actions have consequences) so a good person will have a better future life than a bad person. The aim of this is too keep on moving up until you get to Moksha (liberation), which is where you escape the cycle of reincarnation.

Buddhism is also not really a religion, but more of a philosophy. It is based on the doctrine of Siddhartha Gautama, a hindu prince who obtained 'enlightenment' around 2500 years ago. Here are a few Buddhist beliefs:

Dependent origination and emptiness- Everything in the universe, including things such as thoughs and conciousness does not have a true independent reality, but the universe can be thought of as a vast web of causes and effects stretching through time and space (this fits in with the molecular view of life, i.e. a tree is the meerly sum of millions of atoms and the energies joining them).

Impermanence - Everything changes, because of this causality, there is nothing permanent, all life forms are continually changing (via. evolution both physical and spiritual) as is everything else (i.e. static views such as the genesis creation could not be true in buddhist eyes)

Karma - A similarity, however, karma is much less mystical in buddhism than in hinduism.

Rebirth - Different from reincarnation as there is no soul which reincarnates, the conditions that you create in this life give rise to a future life as the effect of those conditions

Nirvana - Liberation from the cycle of rebirth, the buddha taught the way to end suffering, which was to escape the cycle. In the buddha's view, you could be reborn as gods in higher realms, but this is not as good as nirvana, as gods are still subject to causality, and when your karma runs out, you will become a lower life form again, Nirvana is the uncaused reality underlying everything (hard to understand) and to reach nirvana you must become enlightened, then you feel no suffering.

The route from suffering the buddha taught was via the 4 noble truths and the eightfold path, look these up on wiki.

Hope this helps :p

Answer 4

Depends.
Buddhism has 3 main branches (all spelled incorrectly), Thervanya, Mayauna and Vashyana something.

Thervanya is Tibetan Buddhism, and is prevalent in Tibet and Northern India. They believe in the Dali Lama and wear robes & live a life of poverty. This is probably the most similar to original Buddhism (except original Buddhism didn't have the Dali Lama)

Vashyana is prevalent in south east asian nations. They believe in reincarnated saints. This is probably the closest to Hinduism.

Mahyana is China, Japan, Korea, and parts of Mongolia. This Buddhism is usually refered to as Zen/Chan Buddhism. Mahayana Zen Buddhism is actually 45% traditional Buddhism, 50% Daoism, and 5% Confucism...elements such as Zen gardens, peace & harmony, and spirituality are derived from Daoism, while focusing less on aspects such as reincarnation. Zen Buddhism also has the concept of Bodhavistas...which are the image of fat Buddhas and female Buddhas...they are not the original Buddha, only those that have reached enlightenment.

Hinduism, on the other hand believes in incarnation, karma, one God (Brahaman) that takes on the form of many dieties, and believes cows are sacred. Hinduism also greatly influenced original Buddhism. (Buddhism was originally created based on Hinduism for the lower castes because early Hinduism favored higher castes)

Answer 5

Hinduism:
Roots go back 3500 years to India.
Concentration: India

Beliefs:
1. many gods/goddesses, but one ultimate, divine, impersonal reality called Brahman
2. reincarnation - nearly endless number of lives
3. Karma- one moves ahead or backward in their next life form based on good or bad Karma (behavior)
4. Nirvana - to escape cycle of reincarnation and be absorbed into Brahman
5. Hindus are born into a hierarchy of castes that reveal past Karma


Buddhism:
Offshoot of Hinduism
Founder: Siddhartha Guatama (Buddha) - 500 B.C.
Concentration: Far East and SE Asia

Beliefs:
1. 4 Noble Truths (discovered by Buddha while meditating under a tree for 40 days)
a. Life consists of suffering
b. The cause of suffering is desire
c. The cure is to eliminate desire
d. The path to eliminate desire is right thinking, acting and meditating.
2. Buddha rejected the notion of God
3. The path to Nirvana is an internal path discovered by each person


Christianity:
Read Acts 17: 24-28
Psalm 145: 8-17,
John 3:16

Answer 6

They are both revealed by God.

Hinduism came before Buddhism.
They both practice meditation.
They both have moral teachings.
They both believe in a series of Divine Teachers.
Hinduism calls them Avatars.
Buddhism calls them Buddhas.
They are both expecting the advent of a Promised One. Hinduism calls this person Kalki Avatar.
Buddhism calls Him Maitreya.

Personally, I believe Buddhism is the fulfilment of Hinduism, just as Christianity is the fulfilment of Judaism or Islam the fulfilment of Christianity and just as the Baha'i Faith is the fulfilment of all religions.

PS. In response to the previous answer, Buddha was NOT Chinese. He was Indian and descended from the royal line of Rama, an early Hindu Avatar and king.

Answer 7

Buddism is nonthiest (do not believe in a"creator" or all omnipresent being.) It's based on the "Buddha" or enlightened one. This isn't one person but a state of self-awareness that can be achieved by anyone. They don't believe in A (singular) heaven and hell, but many. A sole does not stay in any heaven or hell forever and can rise from hell or descend too it. (i.e. reincarnation)


Hinduism is not just religious but social. On the religious side it is polythiestic, believing in 3 gods Brahman, Vishnu and Shiva (also the wives of Shiva or any of Vishnu's 10 incarnations)
On its Social side it is a "caste" or class system, with 4 distinct classes. Priest, warrior, merchant/farmer, laborer, and untouchables.

Answer 8

I believe you must mean Buddhism, and Hinduism is a religion and Buddhism is a philosophy. You can follow any religion and still follow the Buddhist concept.

Answer 9

Both Buddhism and Hinduism
meditate in the presence of the Spirit
But personal religious experience
is not dependent upon a system
of religious beliefs or practices.

The Spirit of God indwells the
human mind, and if you listen
with sincerity and determination
you will eventually come to know
that is TRUE.

Answer 10

Hinduism is a beleive that ons ancessors come back as cows and cows are hornored as such.
Buddism is a way of lif ein which one lives with nature, and a simple lifestyle..
Buddist forllow the teachings of budda, an early chinese who taught the principles of self healing though honor, cleanliness in body and soul.