Answer:
Hinduism: Origins and Development
- The religion had no clear starting point or founder, however. It developed over the centuries by drawing from India's many religious and cultural traditions.
- The Vedas, to which Hinduism traces its early roots, remain sacred to many Hindus today.
- They used the Vedas—a form of sacred oral literature—to address the gods and sing their praise.
- Vedic religion called for the division of society into four main social classes.
- Sometime after 1000 B.C.E., religious seekers in India began to take Vedic religion in a new direction.
- In addition, two epic poems, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, also appeared around this time.
The Beliefs of Hinduism
- One element is polytheism. Hindus believe in multiple gods and goddesses that control different aspects of the universe.
- Many Hindus believe that the various gods and goddesses are forms of a single, supreme, and divine force called Brahman.
- This cycle of rebirth, called reincarnation, is a key feature of Hindu belief.
- The ultimate goal of Hindu belief is to escape reincarnation entirely.
Buddhism: Origins and Development
- Buddhism arose from the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama (si-DAHR-tuh GOW-tuh-muh), who became the Buddha, or “enlightened one.”
- Like many Indian mystics at the time, Siddhartha sought to achieve a higher consciousness through meditation and ascetic practices.
- He decided to seek a “middle way” to enlightenment between the extremes of pleasure and pain.
- By morning, he had attained nirvana—a state of happiness and peace—and had become the Buddha.
The Beliefs of Buddhism
- The basic teachings of Buddhism are known as the Four Noble Truths
- The Eightfold Path is a set of guidelines to achieve enlightenment.
These are the eight guidelines:
1. Right understanding: Deeply understand the Four Noble Truths.
2. Right purpose: Live a life of selflessness, love, and nonviolence.
3. Right speech: Be careful and truthful in what you say.
4. Right action: Do not kill, steal, lie, or hurt others.
5. Right livelihood: Earn a living in ways that do no harm.
6. Right effort: Promote good actions and prevent evil actions.
7. Right mindfulness: Be aware of but not attached to your emotions, thoughts, or feelings.
8. Right concentration: Focus your mind with practices such as meditation.
- At the heart of Buddhist teachings is the idea that all things change.
(Compare/Contrast)
- Although Hinduism remained dominant in India, Buddhism became the leading faith of Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and China. From China, it spread to Korea and Japan.
- Today, there are around 900 million followers of Hinduism, most of them in South Asia. Buddhism is the fourth largest religion in the world, with 350 million followers.
