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How Does Hinduism Affect Buddhism

Decent Essays

I believe that Hinduism, being a much older religion, has affected Buddhism in many different ways, leading to numerous similarities between the two religions. Both Hinduism and Buddhism originated in the country of India and share the same principle that it is necessary to live a peaceful and spiritual life. To achieve inner peace, along with maintaining peace with others, both religions believe in the ideas of meditation and ahimsa, the thought that one should never physically or emotionally harm another living being. Since this concept dates back to ancient times, it is likely that this idea, which was incorporated into the Buddhist religion, was influenced by Hinduism’s practices of meditation and ahimsa. Another similarity between …show more content…

In Buddhism, “the Dharma means the sum total of Buddhist teachings about how to view the world and how to live properly” (129). It slightly differs from the Hinduism dharma, which is one of the three goals of life that guides one’s religion and morality, because the religion of Buddhism looks up to the Buddha, while Hinduism does not. Although, both versions of the meaning of Dharma are nearly the same. Another way I believe Hinduism may have affected Buddhism is through the term samsara and the beliefs of moksha and nirvana. In Hinduism, moksha is the freedom from samsara and the cycle of life and death. In Buddhism, “many people in the West associate nirvana with a psychological state, because it is described as evoking joy and peace; but perhaps it is better to see nirvana as being indescribable and beyond all psychological states” (137). So, the concepts of moksha, in Hinduism, and nirvana, in Buddhism, are very similar. Although, moksha somewhat differs from nirvana because it is when the individual’s soul becomes one with Brahman by achieving peace within oneself and being free from limitations. On the other hand, Buddhism does not believe in a soul or God; so, when an individual reaches nirvana, it is the end of

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