Hinduism and Buddhism: Beliefs, History, and Practices

Introduction to Hinduism

Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance identify several ways in which Hinduism differs from more monotheistic religions. According to this source, Hinduism does not have a single founder, a central religious authority, a single concept of deity, a specific theological system, a single system of morality, or the concept of a prophet. They further explain that Hinduism should not be considered a religion in the same way that Christianity is; it is more correctly understood as an all-encompassing way of life, in much the same way as Native American spirituality (Hinduism, 2011).

Hinduism is generally considered to be the world's oldest organized religion, consisting of numerous different religious groups that evolved in India since around 1500 BCE. It ranks as the world's third largest religion, following Christianity and Islam. Hinduism's followers make up approximately 14% of the world's population, or about 950 million as of 2004. It is the dominant religion in India, Nepal, and parts of Sri Lanka (Hinduism, 2011).

The early history of Hinduism is open to debate for several reasons. For one, Hinduism is not a single religion but rather embraces many traditions. The sources of these traditions are very ancient, yet in a strict sense, Hinduism did not exist before modern times. While the traditions that make up Hinduism go back several thousand years, some practitioners understand the Hindu revelation to be eternal. The main historical periods of Hinduism are as follows:

Major Beliefs and Practices of Hinduism

Categorizing Hindu beliefs and practices is somewhat challenging. While Westerners have commonly viewed Hinduism as polytheistic — that is, as a religion that worships multiple deities — that view is not fully accurate. Others view Hinduism as monotheistic, because it recognizes only one supreme God: the panentheistic principle of Brahman, the idea that all reality is a unity. Still others view Hinduism as Trinitarian, because Brahman is simultaneously viewed as a triad — one God with three persons: Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver, and Shiva the Destroyer. In a stricter sense, most forms of Hinduism are henotheistic; they recognize a single deity, while other gods and goddesses are seen as facets, forms, manifestations, or aspects of that supreme God (Hinduism, 2011).

There are two major divisions that most urban Hindus follow: Vaishnavism, which recognizes Vishnu as the ultimate deity, and Shaivism, which recognizes Shiva as the ultimate deity. Hindus also believe in the repetitious transmigration of the soul, which involves the transfer of one's soul after death into another body. This transfer, called samsara, produces a continuing cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth across many lifetimes. Another basic Hindu belief is karma — the accumulated sum of one's good and bad deeds — which determines how one will live in one's next life. Through pure acts, thoughts, and devotion, one can be reborn at a higher level and eventually escape samsara and achieve enlightenment. Conversely, bad deeds can cause a person to be reborn at a lower level, or even as an animal. Hinduism regards the unequal distribution of wealth, prestige, and suffering as the natural consequences of one's previous acts, both in this life and in previous lives (Hinduism, 2011).

Hindus organize their lives around certain religious goals. The pravritti — those who remain engaged with the world — pursue three goals:

The nivritti — those who renounce the world — seek liberation from samsara, which is considered the supreme goal of humanity (Hinduism, 2011).

Hindus frequently practice meditation, with yoga being the most common form. Other activities include daily devotions, public rituals, and puja, a ceremonial offering made to a deity (Hinduism, 2011).

Personal Appraisal of Hinduism

There are two aspects of Hinduism that I find particularly compelling. The first is that Hinduism is widely considered to be highly tolerant of other religions. In a world full of strident and intolerant religious denunciations, it is gratifying to encounter expressions of tolerance. Hindus reflect this spirit in a saying translated as: "The truth is One, but different Sages call it by Different Names" (Hinduism, 2011).

The other appealing aspect of Hinduism is the principle of transmigration of the soul. While I do not personally embrace the Hindu interpretation of karma, I find the progression through the cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth to be a highly organized and systematic explanation for the seemingly random occurrences of life.

Historical Context of Buddhism

For centuries, Buddhism has been known as the dominant religion of the Eastern world. Today it continues to be the predominant religion in China, Japan, Korea, and much of Southeast Asia, and ranks as the world's fourth largest religion with 360 million adherents (Fast Facts, 2007).

Buddhism, founded by Siddhartha Gautama, began as an offshoot of Hinduism in India. Providing an accurate historical account of Gautama's life is challenging because no biography was recorded until hundreds of years after his death; much of his life story is therefore intertwined with myths and legends (Zukeran, 2009).

Siddhartha Gautama was born in northern India around 560 BCE. His father, Suddhodana, ruled over a district near the Himalayas in what is today Nepal. Suddhodana reportedly sheltered his son from the outside world by confining him to the palace and surrounding him with wealth and pleasure. Despite these efforts, Gautama encountered four sights during a journey outside the palace walls that would forever change his life: an old man, a sick man, a dead man, and a beggar. Deeply distressed by the suffering he witnessed, Gautama began a quest to find an answer to the problem of pain and human suffering (Zukeran, 2009).

Gautama left his family to travel the country in search of wisdom, eventually turning to a life of meditation. While in deep meditation under the Bodhi tree — the tree of wisdom — Gautama experienced the highest degree of God-consciousness, known as Nirvana. Thereafter he was known as the Buddha, meaning "the enlightened one." Buddha believed he had found answers to the questions of pain and suffering, and devoted the remainder of his life to proclaiming his message to the world (Zukeran, 2009).

References

Hinduism: The world's third largest religion. (2011). Religious Tolerance.org Web site. Retrieved June 18, 2011 from http://www.religioustolerance.org/hinduism.htm

Fast Facts on Buddhism. (2007). Religion Facts Web site. Retrieved June 18, 2011 from

Flood, G. (2009). History of Hinduism. BBC Web site. Retrieved June 18, 2011 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/history/history_1.shtml

Gill, N.S. (2011). Siddhartha Gautama's 8-fold path: The rules of Buddhism. Retrieved June 18, 2011 from

Zukeran, P. (2002). Buddhism. Leadership University Web site. Retrieved June 18, 2011 from http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/buddhism.html