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Hinduism and Buddhism are two closely related Dharmic religions that are in some ways parallel to each other and in other ways divergent in theology and practice.
Hinduism is the oldest living religion in the world. Hinduism is identified as Sanatana Dharma ( सनातन धर्म ), which translates to the eternal way. Unlike Buddhism, Hinduism has no single founder.
According to the Buddhist tradition, Siddharta Gautama was born as a Kshatriya prince to the Shakya clan, at the beginning of the Magadha period (546–324 BCE), in the plains of Lumbini, modern day Nepal reigon of ancient India. Siddhartha Gautama is known as the Shakyamuni (literally "the sage of the Shakya clan"). Under a fig tree now known as the Bodhi tree, he vowed to meditate until he discovered the truth. At the age of 35, he attained Enlightenment.
Siddhartha Gautama was then known as "Buddha", which translates to "the enlightened one." For the remaining 45 years of his life, he travelled the Gangetic Plain of central India, teaching his doctrine and discipline to a diverse range of people. The Buddha, like Vidyaranya, accepted and incorporated many tenets of Hinduism in his doctrine, but also taught that to achieve salvation one did not have to accept the authority of the scriptures or even the existence of God. Many Hindus converted to Buddhism. Both Buddhism and Jainism influenced Hinduism with their emphasis on compassion for all life.
Similarities between Hinduism and Buddhism
According to the Encarta encyclopedia published by Microsoft Corporation:
Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism share with Hinduism the concept of dharma along with other key concepts, and the four religions may be said to belong to the dharmic tradition.
A partial list of the similarities between the two members of the Dharmic religions is given below:-
Neither religion is monolithic
This article makes generalizations about Hindu and Buddhist beliefs and practices. Nevertheless, it is very important to understand that neither religion is monolithic. Beliefs and practices vary within Hinduism, as they do between Buddhist denominations. There are also individual variations among believers in both religions.
Siddhartha Gautama
Siddhārtha was born in Lumbini, under the full moon of the sixth lunar month, in the spring. His father was Śuddhodana (Pāli Suddhodana), of the Hindu Kṣatriya varṇa, was the chief (rājā, or king) of the Śākya nation, one of several ancient tribes on the margins of the growing state of Kośala (Pāli Kosala). His mother was Māyādevī, King Sudhodhana's wife. Like the founders of all Dharmic schools, Siddhartha Gautama was an influential Hindu who selected a set of principles found in Hinduism to form a newer, relatively limited set of principles.
Idol worship
A murti (also spelled murthi or murthy) typically refers to an image in which the Divine Spirit is 'murta', or expressed. A murti becomes worshippable after the Divine is invoked in it for the purpose of offering worship. Thus the murti is treated as the Deity of the Divine and regarded by Hindus and also by some Mahayana Buddhists during worship as points of devotional and meditational focus.
Karma
Karma (Sanskrit: कर्म from the root kṛ, "to do") is a word of ancient origin meaning action or activity and its subsequent results (also called karma-phala, "the fruits of action"). It is commonly understood as a term to denote the entire cycle of cause and effect as described in the philosophies of a number of Dharmic Religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism. Karma originated in the Vedic system of religion, otherwise known as Hinduism.
Karma is a sum of all that an individual has done, is currently doing and will do. Individuals go through certain processes and accompanying experiences throughout their lives which they have chosen, and those would be based on the results of their own creations. Karma is not about retribution, vengeance, punishment or reward. Karma simply deals with what is. The effects of all deeds actively create past, present and future experiences, thus making one responsible for one's own life, and the pain and joy it brings to others. In religions that incorporate reincarnation, karma extends through one's present life and all past and future lives as well.
Dharma
Dharma (Sanskrit: धर्म) or Dhamma (Pāli: धमा) means Natural Law or Reality, and with respect to its significance for spirituality and religion might be considered the Way of the Higher Truths. Dharma was first described in Hinduism. Hinduism is called Sanatana Dharma which translates to "the eternal dharma." Dharma forms the basis for philosophies, beliefs and practices originating in India. The four main ones are Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, all of whom retain the centrality of Dharma in their teachings. In these traditions, beings that live in harmony with Dharma proceed more quickly toward Dharma Yukam, Moksha, Nirvana (personal liberation). Dharma also refers to the teachings and doctrines of the various founders of Dharmic traditions, such as Vidyaranya, Kumarila Bhatta, Gautama Buddha and Mahavira. As the religious and moral doctrine of the rights and duties of each individual. Dharma can refer generally to religious duty, and also mean social order, right conduct, or simply virtue.
Aum
In Buddhism and Hinduism, the term bija is used for mystical "seed syllables" contained with mantras. These seeds do not have precise meanings, but are thought to carry connections to spiritual principles. The best-known bija syllable is Om, which first is seen in the Hindu scriptures known as the Upanishads.
Mantra
A mantra (मन्त्र) is a religious syllable or poem, typically from the Sanskrit language. Their use varies according to the school and philosophy associated with the mantra. They are primarily used as spiritual conduits, words or vibrations that instill one-pointed concentration in the devotee. Other purposes have included religious ceremonies to accumulate wealth, avoid danger, or eliminate enemies. Mantras originated in India with Vedic Hinduism and were later adopted by Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains, now popular in various modern forms of spiritual practice which are loosely based on practices of these Eastern religions.
Yogic traditions
Yoga, meaning 'yoke' in Sanskrit, is a family of ancient spiritual practices originating in India. It is one of the six schools of Hindu Philosophy, in which it is often paired with Samkhya, and they are referred together as the Samkhya-Yoga school. The diversity within Yoga philosophy itself is traditionally classified into four main braches: Karma Yoga (yoga of action), Jnana Yoga (yoga of knowledge), Bhakti Yoga (yoga of devotion), and Raja Yoga (yoga of meditation), but other classifications do exist. It remains a vibrant living tradition in which the common goal of all branches is liberation from suffering by attainment of enlightenment.
There is a considerable overlap between Yoga and Buddhism. Of particular interest is a comparison of the Buddhist eight-fold path and the eight limbs of Patanjali's Yoga. Their moral precepts (the sila of Buddhism, the yama and niyama of yoga) share the Hindu principle of non-violence (ahimsa); their final steps point towards a common goal - 6. Buddhist Samma Vayama (Effort) vs Yogic Dharana (Concentration), 7. Buddhist Samma Sati (Mindfulness) vs Yogic Dhyana (Meditation) and 8. Buddhist Samma Samadhi vs Yogic Samadhi. An in relation to views of the Self, yoga's asmita-samapatti is designed to eradicate the wrong views on the Self much in the same way Buddha did it in Anatta-lakkhana-sutta.
The correlation between Yoga and Buddhism seems to be particularly strong in Tibetan Buddhism, due to various historical events including the influence of Tantra on Tibetan traditions. For example, a system of 108 bodily postures practiced with breath and heart rhythm timing in movement exercises is known as Trul khor or union of moon and sun (channel) prajna energies, and the body postures of Tibetan ancient yogis are depicted on the walls of the Dalai Lama's summer temple of Lukhang.
Prominent Tibetan Buddhist Yoga schools Six yogas of Naropa, Tumo and Tsa lung Trul khor.
In addition Yogācāra (Sanskrit: "yoga practice"), also spelled yogāchāra, is an influential school of philosophy and psychology that developed in Indian Mahayana Buddhism starting sometime in the fourth to fifth centuries C.E., also commonly known as Consciousness-only.
Dhyana
Dhyāna's beginings are traced to Hinduism, where it is considered to be an instrument to gain self knowledge, thereby seperating maya from reality and helping attain the ultimate goal of Moksha. Depictions of hindu yogis performing dhyāna are found in ancient texts and in statues and frescoes of ancient India temples. Siddhartha Gautama studied dhyāna during his early years away from his kingdom.
Reincarnation
In India the concept of reincarnation is first recorded in the Upanishads (c. 800 BCE), which are philosophical and religious texts composed in Sanskrit.
According to Hinduism, the soul (atman) is immortal, while the body is subject to birth and death. The Bhagavad Gita states that:
Worn-out garments are shed by the body;
Worn-out bodies are shed by the dweller within the body. New bodies are donned
by the dweller, like garments.
The idea that the soul (of any living being - including animals, humans and plants) reincarnates is intricately linked to karma, another concept first introduced in the Upanishads. Karma (literally: action) is the sum of one's actions, and the force that determines one's next reincarnation. The cycle of death and rebirth, governed by karma, is referred to as samsara.
Buddhism believes in the anatta. Buddhists also believe that a new-born child may be the reincarnation of some important departed lama. In Tibetan Buddhism, the substance that make up the impermanent "self" (skandha) of an important lama (like the Dalai Lama) is said to be reborn into an infant born nine months after his decease. This process is said to occurs after years of crystallization of the skandhas through mental cultivation. And when the body dies, some of the crystallized skandhas (which normally dissolves at death), is said to attach itself to the consciousness. So that when the next rebirth occurs, the new person will have some of the old characters. This belief, however, does not contradict with Buddha's teaching on the impermanent nature of the self.
Differences between the two religions
Despite the similarities there exist differences between the two religions. The major differences are mentioned below.
God
Like other schools of Dharmic religions, including Vaisheṣhika and Lokāyata, Buddhism selects a set of beliefs (marga) and teaches to follow a certain dharma. The Buddhist philosophy does not emphasise on either God or a class of priests to perform rituals.
Gautama Buddha (as portrayed in the Pali scriptures/ the agamas) set an important trend in nontheism in Buddhism in the sense of denying the existence of an omnipotent God. Nevertheless, in many passages in the Tripitaka Gautama Buddha spoke about Gods and gave specific examples of individuals who were reborn as a God, or Gods who were reborn as humans. Buddhist cosmology recognizes various levels and types of Gods, but none of these Gods is considered the creator of the world or of the human race.
Buddhist canonical views about God and the priests are mentioned below:-
13. 'Well then, Vasettha, those ancient sages versed in ancient scriptures, the authors of the verses, the utterers of the verses, whose, ancient form of words so chanted, uttered, or composed, the priests of to-day chant over again or repeat; intoning or reciting exactly as has been intoned or recited-to wit, Atthaka, Vamaka, Vamadeva, Vessamitta, Yamataggi, Angirasa, Bharadvaja, Vasettha, Kassapa, and Bhagu -- did even they speak thus, saying: " We know it, we have seen it", where the creator is whence the creator is, whither the creator is?
15. O Vasettha, those priests who know the scriptures are just like a line of blind men tied together where the first sees nothing, the middle man nothing, and the last sees nothing- Tevijja-Sutta, Dighanikaya, 13:15.
Hinduism, on the other hand believes in the Creator God. This is one of the major differences between Hinduism and Buddhism.
Nastika and Pasanda
In Buddhism, non-Buddhist Dharmas are classified as heretical known as "Pasanda",
They are called pasanda because they lay out a snare (Be: pasam denti; Ce: pasam oddenti); the meaning is that they throw out the snare of views among the minds of beings. But the Buddha's dispensation frees one from the snare, so it is not called pasanda; the pasanda are found only outside the dispensation.
In Hinduism, different philosophies within Indic traditions are classified by Brahmin priests either as Astika or Nastika, that is, philosophies which either affirm the existence of god or else regarded them as fallible human inventions. According to this tradition, Buddhism is one of Nastika schools by priests since it does not confirm the existence of god.
Conversion
Since the Hindu scriptures are essentially silent on the issue of religious conversion, the issue of whether Hindus evangelize is open to interpretations. Those who view Hinduism as an ethnicity more than as a religion tend to believe that to be a Hindu, one must be born a Hindu. However, those who see Hinduism primarily as a philosophy, a set of beliefs, or a way of life generally believe that one can convert to Hinduism by incorporating Hindu beliefs into one's life and by considering oneself a Hindu. The Supreme Court of India has taken the latter view, holding that the question of whether a person is a Hindu should be determined by the person's belief system, not by their ethnic or racial heritage.
Buddhism allows conversion, a Buddhist is someone who takes refuge in the Three Jewels of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Refuge should be given by a monk or preceptor. In some traditions monks have the authority to do so by their own teacher. Usually the convert takes the 5 Lay Precepts (of morality) together with the refuges and receives a new Dharma name. Sometimes it is believed that if they break any of the precepts in a significant way later on, their refuge has been lost, but some schools do not follow this interpratation.
Hindu views
Many Hindu scholars are of the opinion that Buddhism should be regarded as "reformed Hinduism", and many Hindus believe that Buddhism, like Vaisheṣhika and Lokāyata, is one of the sects of Sanatana Dharma. According to Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Buddha did not look upon himself as an innovator, but only a restorer of the way of the Upanishads.
Hindus revere the Buddha for his utter renunciation (tyaga). In fact, the Bhagavata Purana, considers the Buddha an incarnation of Vishnu. In Hinduism, there can be no higher testament to the Buddha's holiness then this.
Buddha Purnima, a festival celebrating the birth of Gautama Buddha, is one of the most popular Hindu festivals.
In Japan, the Shingon Fire Ritual is derived from Hindu traditions. Hindu political parties like the BJP have also Buddhist members. The Dalai Lama has also visited Hindu events, like for example the VHP's second World Hindu Conference in Allahabad in 1979.
Hindu philosopher Swami Vivekananda wrote in glowing terms about Buddha, and visited Bodh Gaya several times.
Ananda Coomaraswamy said:-
Hinduism is a religion both of Eternity and Time, while Gautama looks upon Eternity alone. it is not really fair to Gautama or to the Brahmans to contrast their Dharma; for they do not seek to cover the same ground. We must compare the Buddhist ethical ideal with the identical standard of Brahmanhood expected of the Brahman born; we must contrast the Buddhist monastic system with the Brahmanical orders; the doctrine of Anatta with the doctrine of Atman, and here we shall find identity. Buddhism stands for a restricted ideal, which contrasts with Brahmanism as a pars contrasts with the whole.
The systems of Buddhism and Hinduism must not be considered to be either contradictory to one another or completely self contained. Ananda Coomaraswamy wrote:
The more supreficially one studies Buddhism, the more it seems to differ from Brahmanism in which it originated; the more profound our study, the more difficult it becomes to distinguish Buddhism from Brahmanism, or to say in what respects, if any, Buddhism is really unorthodox.
Hindus scholars have also accepted Buddhism as a a fulfillment of Sanatana Dharma philosophy :-
The relation between Hinduism (by Hinduism, I mean the religion of the Vedas) and what is called Buddhism at the present day, is nearly the same as between Judaism and Christianity. Jesus Christ was a Jew, and Shakya Muni was a Hindu. The Jews rejected Jesus Christ, nay, crucified him, and the Hindus have accepted Shakya Muni as God and worship him. But the real difference that we Hindus want to show between modern Buddhism and what we should understand as the teachings of Lord Buddha, lies principally in this: Shakya Muni came to preach nothing new. He also, like Jesus, came to fulfill and not to destroy.
Buddhist scholars such as, Rahula Vipola wrote that the Buddha was trying to shed the true meaning of the Vedas. Buddha is said to be a knower of the Veda (vedajña) or of the Vedanta (vedântajña) (Sa.myutta, i. 168) and (Sutta Nipâta, 463).
In addition, Indians such as Ashoka the great, Buddhabhadra, Bodhidharma and B.R. Ambedkar took to Buddhism. India also is home to the government of Tibet in exile under Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama.
Further reading
- N.N Bhattacharyya: Buddhism in the History of Indian Ideas.
- Chitrarekha V. Kher: Buddhism as Presented by the Brahmanical Systems.
- Coomaraswamy, Ananda Kentish: Buddha and the Gospel of Buddhism. Citadel Press, Secaucus NJ, 1988 (1916). -: (with Sister Nivedita): Hindus and Buddhists. Mystic Press, London 1987 (ca. 1911).
- Elst, Koenraad: Who is a Hindu, 2001. Delhi: Voice of India. ISBN 81-85990-74-4
- GOEL, Sita Ram: Samyak Sambuddha. Bhârata-Bhâratî, Delhi 1997 (1957).
- Ram Swarup: Buddhism vis-à-vis Hinduism. Voice of India, Delhi 1983 (1958).
- V. Subramaniam, ed.: Buddhist-Hindu Interactions.
- Gurusevak Upadhyaya: Buddhism and Hinduism.
See also
References
- From the River of Heaven: Hindu and Vedic Knowledge for the Modern Age by David Frawley
- Pagan Theology: paganism as a world religion by Michael York
- An Introduction to Hinduism, "The Origin of Hinduism" on About.com
- Hinduism and the Clash of Civilizations by David Frawley (Vamadeva Shastri)
- Osborne, E: "Accessing R.E. Founders & Leaders, Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism Teacher's Book Mainstream.", page 9. Folens Limited, 2005
- Klostermaier, K:"A Survey of Hinduism", page 1. SUNY Press, 1994.
- A.L. Basham, Ed., A Cultural History of India (Oxford 1999) ISBN 0195639219
- Sir Charles Eliot, Hinduism and Buddhism,Vol. I (London 1954)
- MSN Encarta: The Dharmic Tradition
- Buddhism: A fullfillment of Hinduism
- Deity worship site, ISKCON, Gaudiya Vaishnava Sampradaya
- Bhakti Dayita Madhava Gosvami Maharaja
- Karma
- Yogananda, Paramahansa, Autobiography of a Yogi, Chapter 21 ISBN 1565892127
- Swami Krishnananda on the Guru mitigating the karma of the disciple
- Understanding Hinduism
- Dharma, Vocation and Your Life’s Purpose by Dennis Flaherty
- Sanatana-dharma by Suhotra Swami
- Bija Mantra The Bija mantra
- Bhagavad Gita II.22, ISBN 1-56619-670-1
- Discourses of the Ancient Nuns (Bhikkhuni-samyutta) Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi
- Broughton, Jeffrey L. (1999). The Bodhidharma Anthology: The Earliest Records of Zen. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-21972-4. p. 2.
- ^ "Does Hinduism Accept Newcomers?"
- Brahmachari Siddheshwar Shai v. State of West Bengal (Supreme Court of India), available at
- e.g., John Woodroffe (Arthur Avalon): Shakti and Shakta. Koenraad Elst: Who is a Hindu (2001). Christian Lindtner: “From Brahmanism to Buddhism”, Asian Philosophy, 1999
- Radhakrishnan: Indian Philosophy, vol.2, p.469.
- R.K. Payne: The Tantric Ritual of Japan. Feeding the Gods: the Shingon Fire Ritual., and Koenraad Elst: Who is a Hindu. 2001
- “Zanskar youth to join BJP”, Organiser, 12-2-1995.
- McKean, Lise: Divine Enterprise. Gurus and the Hindu Nationalist Movement. Chicago University Press, 1996. Elst, Koenraad: Who is a Hindu (2001)
- Sister Nivedita: The Master as I Saw Him. Koenraad Elst 2001: Who is a Hindu
- COOMARASWAMY, Ananda Kentish: Buddha and the Gospel of Buddhism. Citadel Press, Secaucus NJ, 1988 (1916).
- Ellora Concept and Style by Carmel Berkson
- Speech delivered in Colombo in 1927, quoted by Gurusevak Upadhyaya: Buddhism and Hinduism, p. iii., and Koenraad Elst: Who is a Hindu (2001)
- Buddhism: A fullfillment of Hinduism