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Relationship Between Hinduism And Buddhism

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The religious history of India is long and complex. Hinduism was the first known religion to permeat India and the surrounding area. A couple thousand years later, Buddhism originated as a reformation of Hinduism–rejecting its caste system and deities–and began to rearrange the religious status of India. Today, Eastern Asia is divided between Buddhism and Hinduism. Only Nepal employs both religions, considering them inextricably linked. The history and current situation of the relationship between Hinduism and Buddhism begs the question: Can Buddhism exist in a Hindu society in a way that fulfills each religion? Huston Smith’s The World’s Religions and the Buddhist Scriptures each contribute to this controversial conversation. Despite strong arguments for the conjunction of the two religions and the similarities they share, the philosophical and categorical difference between the two demonstrates a tension better than it does a cohesion.
Since Buddhism arose from Hinduism, they share many values and goals. One mutual goal of the two religions is the concept of Nirvana or moksha. Since each religion places this sort of enlightenment as the paramount objective of its congregations, the efforts to reach it would be doubled and individuals would be more inclined to and more capable of reaching enlightenment. Some other features that Hinduism and Buddhism have in common include the significance of karma and dharma. In each practice, improving one’s karma is one of the goals of

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