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...

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…