Buddhists hardly ever have faith in any deities. The Buddha believed that since religious beliefs and god ideologies don't have a basis in dread, they don't exist. They contend that humans who were seeking solace developed the concept of God and gods out of fear and frustration. They also contend that there is no hard proof in favor of the theory, and that their faith will only be cemented if a god or gods manifest themselves. The Buddha also argues that the belief in God is not necessary and a person can have a happy and successful life without having to have a close relationship with deity (Buddhism Vs. Hinduism Web). The concept of Buddha strongly disagrees that there exist superior power that throws sinners to hell and saves those that abides by His name. From their point of view, the Buddha claims that there is an enlightened being that saves those that are considered his children from the earthly suffering. Instead of believing in God, the Buddhist believes in humanity.
Unlike the Buddhist, Hindus worship several gods who they believe have the power to change their lives for the better. The followers of Hinduism pray all kinds of natural sources including sun, snakes, and stones. They view that all things on earth are united under a glorious divinity and that it is important for an individual to lead a righteous life that is by Atman the soul failure to which one may end up facing punishment (Buddhism Vs. Hinduism Web). Hindus further state that one can enjoy divine bliss while on earth before seeking reunion with God. Their belief in several gods differs with the Buddhist thought on the lack of gods or God.
Buddhist view of soul or self and the comparison with Hinduism
Buddhism denies the existence of an eternal soul and that there hardly exists the concept of self and salvation involved in the realization of the concept. They reject the spiritual self and claim that the presence of an enlightened being provides them with a reason to lead a fulfilling life. The Buddhas refute the claims of the presence of the soul and Maha Brahmâ and that humans will one day perish (Langley 48). The concept of Anātman is widely embraced by the Buddhist to show that the ideology of self-holds no water. According to the Buddhist, there is no concrete reason to believe that there is an eternal soul that comes from heaven or hell.
Hinduism, on the other hand, is founded on the concept of Atman. According to the Hindus, eternity exists for those that leave by the teachings of the highest and that those that fail to abide by the gods or God end up being punished for their sins (Langley 48). Unlike the Buddhist, the eternity of self is part and parcel of Hinduism, and there are several ways through which humans can seek union with God including karma yoga, the path of knowledge and prayer and devotion.
Buddhist view of Nirvana and its comparison with Hinduism
In Buddhism, one realizes nirvana by leading a disciplined life where he or she moves on and have an understanding that nothing in life is about oneself nor consciousness. The Buddhists believe that humanity is precious and that those persons that the four noble truths to nirvana include acknowledgment of the universal existence of suffering and the sufferings come along as a result of the misleading desires that humans on several occasions follow (Choate Web). It is because of the false desires that humanity is plunged into more suffering and this makes it hard for people to attain nirvana.
The Hindus also believe in Nirvana. According to Hinduism, there exists suffering in the life of humanity, and this is attributed to the previous actions of humanity. The sorrows are also brought by the past karmas, and it calls for an individual to accept oneself, realize the liberating knowledge and embrace the conscious of oneself. Moksha, a Hindu concept on Nirvana commences with the premise that everything on earth is self and that there is no consciousness in nirvana. However, in the state of Moksha, everything is united in what is termed to as One Unified. Hindus can attain divine bliss through the discovery of Atman and Brahman, and this further helps in the washing of their sorrow, suffering, and pain (Choate Web). By attaining nirvana, the Hindus find a place where there are joy and pleasure and the belief in the eternal life is realized.
Buddhist view of the afterlife and its resemblance with Hindus
One of the primary beliefs of Buddhism is rebirth. They believe in life after death, in that humanity is an endless cycle of birth, death, and re-birth and this can only be broken in the event of Nirvana. According to the Buddhists, human beings can only escape the suffering that they experience on earth through nirvana (Langley 45). They further believe that humans have the power to influence what happens to their life after their death.
Just like the Buddhist, the Hindus believe that life is an endless cycle that moves from birth to re-birth and only ends when an individual becomes enlightened or receives nirvana. According to Hinduism, there exists life after death (Buddhism Vs. Hinduism Web). They accept reincarnation, a belief that upon a person’s death, the atman is converted into a new body, thus the start of another life. Life after death is usually dependent on how the individual led his or her previous life. Apparently, a good karma tends to lead to a better afterlife.
Buddhist view of morality and its comparison with Hinduism perspective
The code of conduct in the Buddhist perspective focused on the commitment to harmony, leading a non-violent life and one is supposed to follow the set rules and regulations. According to the Buddhist, moral behavior flows naturally from the mastery of an individual’s ego to the cultivation of love, kindness and compassion (Healey 37). Hindus also believe in the concept of morality in that and individual is supposed to abide by the rule of law and lead a virtuous life. Based on Hinduism, it is evident that by leading a spiritual life, one finds it easy to incorporate morality as a part of his or her life (Healey 38). Ethical conduct, according to Hinduism includes love, care and leading a peaceful life. Kindness and compassion, just like the case of Buddhism are also applicable in Hinduism.
Work Cited
"Buddhism Vs Hinduism - Difference And Comparison | Diffen." Diffen.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 15 Nov. 2017.
Choate, Ambaa. "How Does Hinduism Differ From Buddhism? [Google Questions Answered]." The White Hindu. N.p., 2013. Web. 15 Nov. 2017.
Healey, Justin. Religious Beliefs. Thirroul, N.S.W.: Spinney Press, 2009. Print.
Langley, Myrtle. Religion. London: Dorling Kindersley, 2012. Print.
