Similarities Between Hinduism And Buddhism

Every religion is different from another in some aspect. Although Hinduism and Buddhism may seem similar in many ways. For example, both religions refer to the cycle of samara. They also have their great differences; one of which is their understanding of God or the gods and divine beings. This paper will compare the way followers of Hinduism and Buddhism understand divine beings, and their importance in escaping samara. To begin, Buddhists, although sometimes atheists, may believe in an array of divine beings. The Buddha discouraged followers from devotion to the gods because he believed that on the path to nirvana they were not helpful in attaining this goal. “Later forms of Buddhism tend to acknowledge the existence of supernatural beings- celestial Buddhas and bodhisattvas- who are objects of devotion and who are believed to bestow benefits on their followers” (Brodd 153). Instead of devotion to the gods, Buddha told his followers to focus on dharma the Buddhist teachings. In Hinduism, one may hear the term Brahman used this may refer to God. Others may use the word God to refer to all the deity’s. “Some Hindus believe that God is a divine person with identifiable attributes. Others say
Buddhists believe that there is nothing such as one’s soul that moves from one life into the next (anatman). Buddha taught the Four Noble Truths, the first is that suffering is inherent in life, the second is that suffering is caused by desire, third is there is a way to end suffering and desire, and fourth the way to end suffering and desire is the Noble Eightfold Path. “In treading the Noble Eightfold Path, one follows in the footsteps of the Buddha in eradicating attachment, aversion, and ignorance, putting an end to desire, and ultimately achieving enlightenment and nirvana, just as the Buddha did” (Brodd151). The result of the Noble Eightfold Path is the end of