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Religion is a fundamental part of our development as human beings. Many things that one does throughout a lifetime are based on religious practices and teachings. One might say that these teachings don’t entirely determine our actions. However, some aspects of our personality do act according to these. Two of the most popular religions around the world are Hinduism and Buddhism. The two religions are similar in many ways, yet they are very different from one another.
Having more than 300 million followers, Buddhism is a strong religion with deep-rooted beliefs. It was founded by Prince Siddhartha in around the sixth century B.C. The religion only has one specific founder, but Hinduism is distinguishable in this aspect because it does not have a single founder. It focuses on many teachings coming from different parts of the religion. Furthermore, Hinduism teaches endless variations in Gods and Goddesses, and there are a set of different teachings associated with each form of their gods. Each figure represents a different attribute.
On the other hand, Buddhism focuses only on the teaching of Buddha, and there are no variations in the form of Buddha. The true form of Buddhism has no god or goddess to worship. There are no prostrations and ways to worship any god in Buddhism, nor does it require any priests to connect people to god; instead, they have senior monastics. Hinduism, however, brings many priests into the lives of people who practice the religion. None of their important religious ceremonies are complete without the presence of promising priests. But when we consider the Hinduism vs Buddhism debate, it is important to note that many beliefs are quite similar; maybe these act as the diluting factors and trick people into believing that the two religions are the same. These beliefs are around the subject of reincarnation, a cycle of birth, one’s actions, and intentions determine their new status and gender after the reincarnation, and the final belief that the worldly attachments such as places, people, and ideas can cause one to suffer beyond measures.
When we talk about the difference between Buddhism vs Hinduism, we can’t leave out the fundamental difference of the caste system. Hinduism is a religion that strongly focuses on caste systems and divides people into multiple sects. It is mainly because there are multiple gods to worship. There are four primary castes; Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and the Shudras. If we put it into simple words, the hierarchy tells us that there are priests, rulers, tradesmen and framers, and finally, the manual laborers. Below all these come the Dalits who are street cleaners. These castes further divide into 3000 castes and 25000 sub-castes. All these groups come from the god Brahma, the god of creation according to Hindu belief.
On the contrary, Buddhism focuses on all forms of equality amongst people. There is no caste system in traditional Buddhism, even though it doesn’t condemn the Hindu version of the caste system in any way. But the similarities still shine through. Both religions are highly in favor of meditation and immensely promote the practice. The teachings behind it are that the real truth and spirituality reside within a person; that is where peace comes from. Any outward benefit or happiness can’t give a person inner strength and peace to deal with mundane life issues.
Hinduism vs Buddhism compare and contrast remains incomplete without mentioning the similarity of practices in both religions. Indeed, Buddhists don’t believe in prostration or prayers like Hindus, and the temples of Buddhists only have the statue of the Buddha. In contrast, Hindu temples have many statues, but some other practices are quite similar. For example, both religions use mantras are a core part of their auspicious activities. Furthermore, these mantras are harmonious and are regarded as words that can elevate a person’s spiritual status and enhance spiritual power. Hindus use these to worship their gods and goddesses, while Buddhists use these to avoid attachments and allow the mind to focus and relax during meditation. However, one must note that similar practices don’t equate to similar morality. Buddhism is centered around the eightfold path to achieve enlightenment and escape the cycle of rebirth and find peace. These eight factors are rightness of mind, speech, effort, conduct, livelihood, view, resolve, and Samadhi. But Hinduism goes beyond simple moral practices and beliefs; it emphasizes the completion and fulfillment of all rituals and duties of people according to their social class and the lifestyle they have.
Religious festivals are the most enjoyable traditional events that one can experience. They teach a lot about the religion and the reasons behind the celebration too. Hinduism vs Buddhism is about festivals and events to which help explain the differences better. Hindu festivities are mainly around the idea of worship and combine ceremonies like sacrifice, prayer, and processions. Some of the main festivals are Diwali, Holi, Maha Shivratri, and Ganesh Chaturthi. Buddhist festivals are different because people go to temples and offer food to the monks; they focus on honoring the Buddha and stay away from precepts like theft, murder, abusive speech, drugs, and sensuality. In addition, the festivals include Buddhist chants and meditation. These festivals are Nirvana Day, Vesak, Dharma Day, and Magha Puja. However, we can’t deny that the food served during these practices is mainly vegetarian. Both religions similarly condemn the consumption of meat from animals to promote nonviolence towards any being.
When we focus on the difference between Hinduism and Buddhism, we are flooded with similar concepts and vocabulary. You will come across similar words like samsara, karma, or dharma. All these are the concepts of rebirth, cause and effect, and morality. Both religions focus on life as a continuous cycle until a soul achieves enlightenment. Although the main goal is the same, the pathway to get to it is very different. In Hinduism, dharma means to fulfill one’s duties and act according to one’s caste system; however, Buddhists believe that dharma is more about the teachings of Buddha and living life according to these teachings, which are the same for everyone.
To conclude, it is safe to say that both religions are quite similar in terms of practices, concepts, and the end goal, which is enlightenment and breaking the cycle of life and death to find peace. Nevertheless, there are inevitable differences that give both religions an independent status, like how each of the two came into existence. Moreover, there are observable cultural differences as well if we consider the caste systems and festivals. So, one cannot consider them to be entirely parallel to one another.