Buddism Vs. Hinduism

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Buddhism vs. Hinduism The people of the world practice many different religions. Asia has had many religions spring up, but out of these, Buddhism and Hinduism are the most widely held beliefs in the general population. Hinduism is the oldest known religion and is rich with literally hundreds of gods, symbolistic rituals and beliefs. It is believed to have been established around 1500 B.C. but not by a single individual. Hinduism evolved over a long period of time. Buddhism on the other hand has a definite founder, Siddhartha Gautama who is otherwise known as the Buddha or Enlightened One who lived from 565 to 483 B.C. Both these religions originated in India. Siddhartha Gautama was a Hindu who found Hindu theology lacking and after years of searching for truth created a religion now known as Buddhism. Because of these basic similarities, the two religions have much in common, but in the same light they differ immensely. Hinduism and Buddhism both have numerous gods and both follow the same paths to ultimately achieve Nirvana. "He set himself forty-eight vows to fulfill, which, he proclaimed, would allow him to reach Nirvana." This is about one man who makes rules for himself so that he can get achieve Nirvana. Hindus have many gods governing different aspects of Hindu life. Their three main gods in Hinduism are Vishnu who is the sustainer; Brahma is the creator and Shiva the destroyer. They are referred as Trimuti. Most Hindu gods are associated with animals and therefore Hindus feel that living as a vegetarian is vital. Cows are sacred in Hinduism and are worshipped as the divine mother, which make the eating beef taboo. Buddhism focuses on meditation and prayer. In Buddhism, one must understand the four noble truths which are the truth of suffering, the truth of the origin of suffering, the truth of cessation, and the truth of the path. These all

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