Hinduism and Buddhism

A Brief Introduction

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Scriptures

• Hundreds of scriptures

• oldest scriptures: the four Vedas

• all scriptures divided into two broad categories: shruti and smriti

• Most popular scripture: Bhagavad Gita

Hindu Trinity

• Brahma - the Creator

• Vishnu - the Preserver

• Shiva - the Destroyer

• Three aspects/powers of the same divine being

Basic Beliefs

• Karma - the law of cause and effect; “you reap what you sow”

• Reincarnation - eternal soul traverses through different bodies till it finds liberation

Holy Cow!

• Hindus have always had great respect for Mother Nature and its creatures

• Cow is especially significant because it symbolizes gentleness

5 Common Hinduism Questions1. Why does Hinduism have so many Gods?

– Hindus all believe in one Supreme God who created many Gods, highly advanced spiritual beings, to be His helpers

2. Do Hindus believe in reincarnation? – Yes, they believe the soul (without body) is immortal and takes birth

again and again.

3. What is Karma?– Karma is the universal principal of cause and effect. Both good and bad

karma not only decide our fate (sorrow and happiness) in the present life, but also in future life.

4. Do Hindus have a Bible? – Our “Bible” is called the Vedas which means “wisdom” and which

reveals the word of God.

5. Why do many Hindus wear a dot near the middle of their forehead? – It represents a divine sight and shows that one is a Hindu.

Buddhism…

Buddhism emphasizes the development of wisdom rather than faith.

• A 2500 year old tradition that began in India and spread and diversified throughout the Far East

• A philosophy, religion, and spiritual practice followed by more than 300 million people

• Based on the teachings of the Buddha

Who was the Buddha?

• Born Siddhartha Gautama – of noble caste in India, 563 B.C.E.

• Raised in great luxury to be a king• Empathy for the suffering of others; at age

29 rejected the life of luxury to seek enlightenment and the solution to suffering

• Through meditation, achieved Nirvana – an awakening to the truth about life, becoming a Buddha, the “Awakened One”at the age of 35

• Spent the remaining 45 years of his life teaching others how to achieve the peace of mind he had achieved

What did the Buddha teach?The Four Noble Truths:

• To live is to suffer• The cause of suffering is

self-centered desire & attachments

• The solution is to eliminate desire and attachment, thus achieving Nirvana (“extinction”)

• The way to Nirvana is through the “Eight-Fold Path”

How does Buddhism differ from Hinduism?Buddhism rejects…• Authority of the ancient Vedic

texts• The Vedic caste system• The Vedic and Hindu deities• The efficacy of Vedic worship and

ritual• The concept of BrahmanDoes a Buddhist believe in god(s)?

What do Buddhists believe?• Rebirth (reincarnation) results from

attachments (karma)• Nirvana is a peaceful, detached state of

mind• Achieving Nirvana means escape from the

cycle of rebirth

Once Gautama Buddha died, after 80 years of life in this world, having achieved Nirvana and teaching multitudes his way of life, he ceased to exist as a distinct being

• Buddhism is non-theistic: Buddha is not the Buddhist God – he is just a revered teacher