Chelsea Thomas

World Religions-003
South Asian Religious Traditions

It seems like Hinduism and Buddhism are cousins in the world of religion. They both

came from the same region, the original founder of Buddhism started out as Hindu, and they

carry some of the same beliefs, such as the circle of rebirth. However it cant be denied that the

two religions went their separate ways for most of their dogma. Whats interesting is how

Buddhism seems to be a response to Hinduism and the culture it created.

Hinduism is a polytheistic religion based on daily worship of gods and goddesses and the

belief that everyday actions will have an affect on the devotees next life1. Reincarnation is a

prominent theme and one of the main goals of Hinduism is to escape from the rebirth cycle

called Samsara. One escapes the cycle of Samsara by living a good life and fulfilling ones

dharma, the moral duty and role Hindus are required to live. Dharma can include the social

duties in the caste system or responsibilities to the family2.

Buddhism is interesting because it is a nontheistic religion, meaning it doesnt really

focus on the worship of gods3. Buddhism is an inward journey for each practitioner. Buddhists

also go through the process of escaping the reincarnation cycle and achieving nirvana by using

dharma, but this type of dharma isnt necessarily involved with ones duty like in Hinduism.

Dharma in the Buddhist tradition is a reflection of what is good and ethical, it refers back to

Buddhas teachings as well4.

1
isher, Mary Pat.
F Living Religions 9th Edition. Boston : Pearson, 2014. Print. Pg. 76-77
2
Fisher. Pg. 77
3
Fisher. Pg. 140
4
Fisher. Pg. 142
 Buddhism came about from a Hindu prince who was kept sheltered from the rest of the

world by his father. The prince, Siddhartha Guatama, was said to have lived a charmed life even

though he remained unfulfilled. He asked to be taken out into the community and what he saw

there shocked him because of how it differed so much from his normal life. Siddhartha saw pain,

suffering, and death, but in reality he saw the lower caste system that had never affected him

before, and it troubled him deeply5.

It seems that the dharma of Buddhism was made in response to Hinduism. To get out of

the cycle of rebirth in Hinduism, one has to live a devoted life of fulfilling their caste duties,

which is okay for the higher castes but for the lower untouchables life can pretty hard and

discriminating. There isnt a caste system in Buddhism, and everyone is free to live their lives

the way they want. Instead of having specific duties to accomplish in life Buddhists practice

living without attachments to reach enlightenment and achieve nirvana.

Buddhism also got rid of the idea of self that Hinduism promoted. Instead of carrying

on the same soul from the previous life, one has the opportunity to start fresh in a new rebirth. In

Buddhism, nothing is permanent not even yourself, and no one seems to have a problem with it;

instead Buddhists are able to shrug off the pain and suffering that comes with life and

attachments and not worry about whats going to happen after death.

Buddhism and Hinduism are related but that doesnt mean they see eye to eye when it

comes to the eternal perspective. They focus on very different ideas that will take you out of the

cycle of samsara, but I think the main point is that they both want liberation or enlightenment.

5
Fisher. Pg. 137-139
One places a bigger focus on the duties you have in life and the other has an emphasis on letting

go of pain and suffering.

Bibliography

Fisher, Mary Pat. Living Religions 9th Edition. Boston : Pearson, 2014. Print.