Hinduism and Buddhism are both religions, which have similarities and differences as well. For starters, both originated in India. Hinduism was brought about first, perhaps about a thousand years before Buddhism came into play. There is still a controversy about if Buddhism has stemmed off from Hinduism, but many Buddhists deny such accusations.
I will go further with this essay by explaining three key ideas, which I feel to be representative of the goal or message that the traditions wish to express to others. The three subjects which I will be touching up on will be about their stand on a god, or gods, their belief on what they believe to be life’s goal or purpose, and I will also talk about how they view or what they believe to happen after one dies. Buddhism and Hinduism have different takes on gods, with one believing in multiple, and the other not believing in a god. In the Buddhism religion, they do not necessarily believe in a god who has created all. They do not have a god to believe in, but hey do not deny one being there either. Buddhism is a non-theistic religion. On the other hand, in Hinduism, they have multiple gods whom they believe in. Similar to the faith of Christianity, Hinduism there is a trinity so that their god is three gods who make up one. There is Brahma, who is the creator of all that is, Vishnu, is the preserver of all that Brahma has created, and Shiva is the destroyer. Hinduism and Buddhism also have different purposes in life, which they hope to achieve. When it comes to Hinduism, they do not have just one goal in life, they happen to have four goals. There is Dharma, which means that you fulfill your own purpose. There is also Artha, which is the goal for prosperity. Kama is another goal, which is the goal for enjoyment. And Moksha, and this is to achieve enlightenment. I believe the main focus is on Moksha because at the end of your life, you wish to receive that enlightenment. Moksha means liberation, it gives you freedom from the cycle of death and rebirth, which is known as samsara. Nirvana is known as the ultimate goal in which all Buddhists wish to reach. It is the greatest state, a state in which you are free from suffering. Buddhists primarily want to end suffering. The Buddha said that us humans suffer because we have a never-ending desire to obtain things, which do not give us eternal happiness in return. We have a habit of trying to keep things like materialistic things and our health. These things do not last, and once they fade, this causes us sadness. The way we are able to overcome this, and try to fulfill life’s purpose of overcoming suffering is to acknowledge the Four Noble Truths, from there you must then follow the Eight-Fold Path. Both Hinduism and Buddhism have beliefs about the after-life, which have a central idea on reincarnation. In Buddhism, one might go through several reincarnations throughout their lives. Some reincarnation sessions may be presented to one as a punishment, and some may be rewarded for their good doings by reaching Nirvana. In Buddhism, it is believed that we are go through a process of living, dying, and rebirth, they believe that this continues and never