Buddhism Directly Evolved From the Vedic Aryan

Buddhism directly evolved from the Vedic Aryan religions. The Gautama Buddha was born into a Brahmin caste family that practiced Vedic ritual and tradition. Siddhartha Gautama's teachings strongly reflect Vedic teachings regarding cosmology, morality, and culture. Although there are significant and widespread differences between the Vedic Aryan religious traditions, Buddhism reflects its roots. Some key differences between Buddhism and its Vedic counterparts include the espousal of the caste system; asceticism; theology; and forms of worship. The legend of Gautama Buddha's enlightenment reflects the ways that Buddhism diverged from its Hindu origins. According to the story, the young prince Gautama became severely disillusioned with his father's Brahmanism. His focus shifted toward a study of the human mind: Buddhism remains more solidly grounded in an individualistic, almost scientific pursuit of enlightenment while Hinduism retains its bhakti, or devotional elements. The Buddhist pantheon, or lack thereof, also reflects its branching away from the Vedic traditions. While some forms of Buddhism include a myriad of spiritual deities and entities, the cosmological and theological significance of deities differs between Hinduism and Buddhism in that Buddhism promotes a more symbolic view of deity.

Although he was a wealthy prince, Gautama disagreed with the caste system and as a result, Buddhism espouses a more egalitarian social structure than Hinduism does. Buddhist culture reflects the essential egalitarianism of Buddhist social thought, especially through the elimination of the caste system. Buddhism also does not include the rigid social and religious hierarchies that Vedic traditions do. Buddhism also differs from its Vedic origins because of its espousal of the "Middle Path" toward enlightenment, which contrasts sharply with the Hindu preference for self-abnegation and asceticism. Buddhism embraces self-discipline but advocates a practice that cultivates mental acuity within the aspirant's daily life. The object of Buddhist religious practice is not to remove oneself from the mundane world, but to be more present within it. Buddhist worship, prayer, and meditation practices reflect this core difference between Hinduism and Buddhism, although both sects of both religions advocate similar types of meditation practices. The Buddhist Middle Path also includes different dietary practices from Vedic ones, and vegetarianism is more integral to the Vedic religious and cultural traditions than Buddhist ones.

Enlightenment is the goal of both Hinduism and Buddhism, but Hindus think of enlightenment in terms of a union between the Atman and the Brahman: the personal and individual souls. Mahayana Buddhism especially does not so much promote a belief in the human soul but rather defines enlightenment in terms of a loss of personal ego. Hinduism, on the other hand, does include a belief in the individual soul, the Atman. Concepts of heaven, hell and the afterlife are similar in that both Vedic and Buddhist texts describe different layers or levels of supernatural realities and different dimensions of consciousness. Buddhism also originated the concept of the Bodhisattva, which is not present in Vedic belief.

In spite of these differences, Buddhism is in many ways an extension of the Vedic traditions from which it arose geographically and philosophically. For example, the notion of ahimsa is present in both Hindu and Buddhist philosophy; both religions advocate non-violence and teach sensitivity toward sentient beings. The status of women in Buddhist and Vedic cultures are similarly low, and views on sexuality and marriage are also similar between Buddhism and Hinduism. The concept of karma and personal responsibility is shared by both Buddhism and Hinduism, and morality is filtered through a consciousness of the law of karma in both Hinduism and Buddhism. Reincarnation is also a shared metaphysical philosophy, and the cycle of rebirth is a common concept to both Vedic and Buddhist traditions. However, specific beliefs regarding reincarnation may differ and varies considerably from sect to sect in both religions.

In both the Vedic and Buddhist traditions, enlightenment implies the end of the cycle of death and rebirth. Upon obtaining enlightenment, aspirants have cleansed themselves from personal karma. Both Vedic and Buddhist traditions promote meditation as the practice by which the aspirant can obtain enlightenment. However, the Vedic traditions also include devotional elements that Buddhism generally does not. Except for Pure Land Buddhism, most schools of Buddhist thought do not include a devotional element to worship. Emphasis is on meditation over prayers. Buddhism and Hinduism also have similar cosmologies that include multiple realms or layers of reality and a very long timeline of human and earthly history. Although the Middle Path denies total asceticism, the monastic practices of Buddhism and Hinduism are similarly strict.