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Compare And Contrast Buddhism And Hinduism

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There are many diverse religions and philosophies that exist around the world. Many of these belief systems have deeply affected both the people and societies where they are practised. Two examples of these religions are Buddhism and Hinduism.

Hinduism is believed to have been the oldest religion that still exists to this day. There is currently no known founder. It is a polytheistic religion that has many major beliefs, such as reincarnation and karma. According to Hindu beliefs, what a person does in a lifetime affects what place in society that person will be in his or her next life. The many gods that Hindus believe in are all the faces and personalities of one god. Moksha [emancipation, liberation and release from life and death] is a worldly understanding that Hindus strive to attain. However, it is believed to occur over many lifetimes and is achieved through reincarnation or rebirth. …show more content…

A man named Siddhartha Gautama, or the Buddha, the enlightened one found it. Like Hindus, Buddhists believe in reincarnation and Nirvana, a concept similar to Moksha. They both deal with the concept of the understanding of life and the end of the cycle of reincarnation. While reaching enlightenment, or wisdom, the Buddha founded the Four Noble Truths that state in order to achieve happiness and stop all suffering, one must give up all worldly attachments and desires by living a life of poverty. Unlike Hinduism, however, Buddhists reject the idea of the caste system, a division of social classes. Thus, the first followers of Buddhism were essentially people who were low socially, such as labourers and

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