Paper Assignment On Religion Buddhism

        Religion Name Institutional Affiliation             Religion Buddhism is one of the world’s major religions. It is a spiritual culture whose focus is on the development of one’s spiritual side and the achievement of deep insight into the reality of life. Currently, there are more than three hundred million practitioners of the Buddhist faith worldwide (BDEA, 2018). Buddhists seek to obtain a state known as nirvana. To reach this state, Buddhists align themselves with the path of the Buddha. Buddha, whose real name was Siddhartha Gautama devoted his life in the sixth century to attaining enlightenment. In the same way, believers worldwide, through various practices and following Buddhist teachings devote their lives to attaining the same state of enlightenment achieved by Siddhartha Gautama. Buddhists hold a particular belief regarding one’s soul or self, which is different from the beliefs taught in Hinduism. A more in-depth analysis will clarify these differences and the take that is best suited for one’s life. The history of Buddhism links to Buddha’s journey to spiritual enlightenment. Born over 2500 years ago into a royal family, Buddha experienced a life of luxury and privilege throughout his childhood. One day, he decided to step out of the royal court, and that was when he first met an old man, a dead body and a sick man. Upset by what he saw, he became a monk and later took on Indian asceticism. Neither of these practices fulfilled him, and he chose to follow a neutral path, a life devoid of luxuries but also without poverty. It is believed that one day while meditating under the tree of awakening, the Buddha became so captivated by his meditation that he was able to achieve enlightenment. Hinduism is the faith practiced by most of the people around Nepal and India. Many people outside the Asian continent, with more than eight hundred million people worldwide, also practice it. Some aspects of Hinduism make it the oldest religion worldwide. These are elements in the religion that have been practiced for thousands of years. Hinduism history is however not well defined due to a large number of practices and beliefs contained in the religion. Hinduism is also tied to other religions in India such as Buddhism. Hinduism is different from other religions in that it has no sole founder. It does not adhere to a particular scripture, and there is no group of lessons agreed upon. Different leaders have offered different teachings and a multitude of holy books.  Based on this, writers refer to Hinduism more as a group of religions (Redmond, 2005). Buddhism and Hinduism are both rooted in India. The Buddha came from a family that practiced Hinduism. Suggestions have circulated that Buddha was part of the ten reincarnations of Lord Vishnu, known as the dasavatar. This does not mean that the religions are completely similar. Differences emerge in the teachings of Hinduism and Buddhism. Hinduism centers on the belief of Atman, defined as the soul and Brahman, the greater extension of...