THERAVADA BUDDHISM

a. Founder
SIDDHARTA GAUTAMA
b. Sacred Text
TRIPITAKA or PALI CANON
c. Doctrines
 THE SUPERNATURAL: Many faiths offer supernatural solutions to the spiritual
problems of human beings.
 Supernatural powers are not disregarded but they are incidental and the Buddha
warned against them as fetters on the path.
 THE BUDDHA: Siddharta Gautama was a man who became Buddha, The Awakened
One- much in the same way as Jesus became Christ.
 GOD: There is no omnipotent creator God of the sort found in Judaism, Islam and
Christianity.
 The Path to Enlightenment: Each being has to make their own way to enlightenment
without the help of God or gods. Buddha's teachings show the way, but making the
journey is up to us.
 The eight fold paths
 4 noble truths
 Non theistic
d. God/s
Non- theism (they don’t have God)
e. Issue/s
 Gender equality
 Abortion
 Vegetarianism
 Moderate use of alcohol
 Birth control
 Sexual orientation

MAHAYANA BUDDHISM

a. Founder
BUDDHA
b. Sacred text
SUTRAS (sacred text)- 2184 sacred writings. Popular:
1. Lotus Sutra- a sermon by the Buddha on Bodhisattva, Buddha- nature, etc.
2. Perfection of Wisdom Sutra (prajna- paramita)- describes emptiness and others.
3. Heart Sutra- describes nirvana, emptiness, and ultimate reality.
 4. “Land of Bliss” Sutra- describes the Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha.
c. Doctrines
Integral to the new Buddhology that distinguishes the Mahayana is the doctrine of the
"three bodies" or "three forms" (rupa s) of the Buddha.
1. “Transformation Body” (nirmana kaya)- refers to the physical emanations the
Buddha sends out to this and other worlds.
2. “Enjoyment Body” (sambhoga kaya)- a subtle body of light that appears in the
Buddha’s heaven or pure land, a paradisiacal world populated with advanced
practitioners and Bodhisattvas.
3. “Dharma Body”- refers to the ultimate nature of the Buddha’s mind and to reality
itself in its ultimate form.
 6 perfections to become Buddha
 4 noble truths
 8 fold paths

d. God/s
They don’t have God
e. Issue/s
 Birth control
 Divorce
 Abortion
 Women and religion
 Sexual orientation
 Engage activism
 Universality

HINDUISM

a. Founder
GADADHAR CHATTERJI
b. Sacred text
VEDAS
c. Doctrine
 Truth is eternal
 Brahman is truth and reality
 The Vedas are the ultimate authority
 Everyone should strive to achieve Dharma
 Individual souls are immortal
 The goal of individual soul is moksha
d. God/s
 Brahma, the creator
  Vishnu, the preserver
 Shiva, the destroyer
 Ganapati, the remover of obstacles
 Avatars of Vishnu – the word avatar is descent
 Saraswati, the Goddess of learning
 Lakshmi, goddess of good fortune
 Durga Devi
 Indra, the king of heaven and Lord of the Gods
 Surya, the sun
 Agni, the fire God
 Hanuman, the monkey king and devoted servant

e. Issue/s
 Caste system
 Sati practice
 Dowry system

1. Origin
Theravada originated in India around 500 B.C. and has been practiced in numerous,
mostly south Asian, countries. Today it is practiced primarily in Burma, Cambodia, Laos,
Sri Lanka, and Thailand. The precise origin of Mahayana Buddhism is unknown. It
appeared sometime between 150 BCE and 100 CE in India and quickly spread throughout
Asia. It came about with the introduction of new sutras, or authoritative teachings of the
Buddha. These teachings drew on but modified earlier Buddhist thought. Most scholars
believe Hinduism started somewhere between 2300 B.C. and 1500 B.C. in the Indus
Valley, near modern-day Pakistan. But many Hindus argue that their faith is timeless and
has always existed. Unlike other religions, Hinduism has no one founder but is instead a
fusion of various beliefs.
2. Morality
Theravada Buddhism is the first period in the Buddhism history. And the morality of
Theravada Buddhism is about the salvation, and taking refuge to “Buddha–
Dharma and Sangha”. Before discovering about each Buddhism sect, it is vital to
understand its ultimate root of Buddhism theory. Karma is at the center of all discussions
of morality and ethics in the Mahayana, along with the idea of selfless compassion
(karuna). It is the bodhisattvas' selfless compassion, coupled with wisdom (prajna) and
skillful means (upaya), that compels them to remain in the world to aid other beings.
Virtue, right conduct, ethics and morality are part of the complex concept Hindus call
Dharma - everything that is essential for people, the world and nature to exist and prosper
together, in harmony. ... Ethics that constitute a dharmic life - that is a moral, ethical,
virtuous life - evolve in vedas and upanishads.
3. Purpose
 The goal of Theravada teachings is to lead practitioner to become an Arhat (or
sage, who can escape the cycle of rebirth). The goal of a Mahayana Buddhist may be to
become a Bodhisattva and this is achieved through the Six Perfections. According
to Hinduism, the meaning (purpose) of life is four-fold: to achieve Dharma, Artha, Kama,
and Moksha. The first, dharma, means to act virtuously and righteously. That is, it means
to act morally and ethically throughout one's life.
4. Destiny
The destiny of Theravada Buddhism or Nirvana means to "blow out". This was the last
way to strive in humanity. This is explain that it has no pain, no desire and no rebirth but
it is transcendental. They call it "Final Destiny or Liberation." It's consist of three Jewels :
Triratna of sîla, Samâdhi and Pannâ. Mahayana Buddhist believe that the right path of a
follower will lead to the redemption of all human beings. The Hinayana believe that each
person is responsible for his own fate. Along with these doctrines there are
other Buddhist beliefs like 'Zen Buddhism' from Japan and the 'Hindu Tantric Buddhism'
from Tibet. The destiny of Hinduism is to lead a life according to your Dharma. Your
Dharma is your purpose of life. To find your purpose in this life there are rules set
in Hinduism. Once you find that purpose then you have to fulfill that purpose in this life
time.
5. Views on Women
According to Miranda Shaw, "this belief had negative implications for women insofar as
it communicated the insufficiency of the female but never a woman body as a locus of
enlightenment". Some Theravada sutras state that it is impossible for a woman to be a
bodhisattva, which is someone on their way to Buddhahood. Western Buddhists tend to
come from highly educated and socially liberal backgrounds, which means that they tend
to feel that men and women are equal and should be given equal opportunities in all
endeavors. Women are also associated with sensuality and seductiveness
in Mahayana texts. Mahayana scriptures often talk of spiritual attainments by nuns
and lay women, and they also portray women in all of the roles more commonly
assigned to men, such as laity, as monks, as bodhisattvas, and as gods.
Hindu texts present diverse and conflicting views on the position of women,
ranging from feminine leadership as the highest goddess, to limiting her role to an
obedient daughter, housewife and mother.