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Similarities between Hinduism and Buddhism
Siddhartha Gautama
The birth of Siddhartha, (2nd-3rd century).Siddhārtha was born in Lumbini, under
the full moon of the sixth lunar month, in the spring. His father was Śuddhodana
(Pāli Suddhodana), of the Vedic Kṣatriya varṇa which according to texts such as
the Brihadaranyaka Upanishads, Buddhist and Jain sources, the highest varna, was
the chief (raja, or king) of the Śākya nation, one of several ancient tribes on
the margins of the growing state of Kośala (Pāli Kosala). His mother was
Māyādevī, King Sudhodhana's wife.
Ahimsa
Ahimsa is a religious concept which advocates non-violence and a respect for all
life. Ahimsa (अहिंसा ahiṁsā) is Sanskrit for avoidance of himsa, or injury. It
is most often interpreted as meaning peace and reverence toward all sentient
beings. Ahinsa is an important doctrine of Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism. Its
first mention in Indian philosophy is found in the Vedic scriptures called the
Upanishads, the oldest of which date to about 800 BCE and others dating much
later.
Use of images
A murti (also spelled murthi or murthy) typically refers to an image in which
the Divine Spirit is 'murta', or expressed. A murti becomes worshippable after
the Divine is invoked in it for the purpose of offering worship. Thus the murti
is treated as the Deity of the Divine. Buddhists during view statues of deities
as points of meditational focus as well as a reminder of the ultimate goal,
Buddhahood.
Buddhists venerate many deities which were common to the Indian subcontinent in
Vedic tradition, even deities that Hindus themselves no longer worship,
including that of Indra. Indra is venerated by the Chinese, Korean and Japanese
as Taishakuten while Ganesh is worshipped as Lord Shoten. In "Ganesh, studies of
an Asian God", edited by Robert L. BROWN, State University of New York Press,
1992, page 241-242, he wrote that in the Tibetan Kanjur, it is said that the
Buddha had taught the Ganapati Hridaya Mantra (or Aryaganapatimantra) to
disciple Ananda. However, having taken the vows of refuge, a Buddhist does not
rely on such deities for enlightenment or liberation but simply to aid them in
worldly life for such material things as wealth, food and shelter which provides
conducive conditions for practising. As for Ganesh, the a Tibetan tradition
holds that Chenrezig out of compassion dissolved an emanation of himself into
Ganesh, thereby blessing him to support Buddhist practitioners. It is taken that
this particular Ganesh is the one venerated by Buddhists and is seen to have
gained enlightenment by now. Thus, another Ganesh has taken the former's
position and the new Ganesh is not venerated by Buddhists.[citations needed]
Karma
Karma (Sanskrit: कर्म from the root kṛ, "to do") is a word of ancient origin
meaning action or activity and its subsequent results (also called karma-phala,
"the fruits of action"). It is commonly understood as a term to denote the
entire cycle of cause and effect as described in the philosophies of a number of
Dharmic Religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism. Karma originated in the Vedic
system of religion, which became Hinduism.
Karma is a sum of all that an individual has done, is currently doing and will
do. Individuals go through certain processes and accompanying experiences
throughout their lives which they have chosen, and those would be based on the
results of their own creations. Karma is not about retribution, vengeance,
punishment or reward. Karma simply deals with what is. The effects of all deeds
actively create past, present and future experiences, thus making one
responsible for one's own life, and the pain and joy it brings to others. In
religions that incorporate reincarnation, karma extends through one's present
life and all past and future lives as well.
Dharma
Dharma (Sanskrit: धर्म) or Dhamma (Pāli: धमा) means Natural Law or Reality, and
with respect to its significance for spirituality and religion might be
considered the Way of the Higher Truths. Dharma was first described in Hinduism.
Hinduism is called Sanatana Dharma which translates to "the eternal dharma."
Dharma forms the basis for philosophies, beliefs and practices originating in
India. The four main ones are Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, all of
whom retain the centrality of Dharma in their teachings. In these traditions,
beings that live in harmony with Dharma proceed more quickly toward Dharma Yukam,
Moksha, Nirvana (personal liberation). Dharma also refers to the teachings and
doctrines of the various founders of Dharmic traditions, such as Vidyaranya,
Kumarila Bhatta, Gautama Buddha and Mahavira. As the religious and moral
doctrine of the rights and duties of each individual. Dharma can refer generally
to religious duty, and also mean social order, right conduct, or simply virtue.
Aum
In Buddhism and Hinduism, the term bija is used for mystical "seed syllables"
contained with mantras. These seeds do not have precise meanings, but are
thought to carry connections to spiritual principles. The best-known bija
syllable is Om, which first is seen in the Hindu scriptures known as the
Upanishads.
Mantra
In Tibet, many Buddhists carve mantras into rocks as a form of devotion.A mantra
(मन्त्र) is a religious syllable or poem, typically from the Sanskrit language.
Their use varies according to the school and philosophy associated with the
mantra. They are primarily used as spiritual conduits, words or vibrations that
instill one-pointed concentration in the devotee. Other purposes have included
religious ceremonies to accumulate wealth, avoid danger, or eliminate enemies.
Mantras originated in India with Vedic Hinduism and were later adopted by
Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains, now popular in various modern forms of spiritual
practice which are loosely based on practices of these Eastern religions.
Yogic traditions
Yoga, meaning 'yoke' in Sanskrit, is a family of ancient spiritual practices
originating in India. It is one of the six schools of Hindu Philosophy, in which
it is often paired with Samkhya, and they are referred together as the Samkhya-Yoga
school. The diversity within Yoga philosophy itself is traditionally classified
into four main braches: Karma Yoga (yoga of action), Jnana Yoga (yoga of
knowledge), Bhakti Yoga (yoga of devotion), and Raja Yoga (yoga of meditation),
but other classifications do exist. It remains a vibrant living tradition in
which the common goal of all branches is liberation from suffering by attainment
of enlightenment.
There is a considerable overlap between Yoga and Buddhism. Of particular
interest is a comparison of the Buddhist eight-fold path and the eight limbs of
Patanjali's Yoga. Their moral precepts (the sila of Buddhism, the yama and
niyama of yoga) share the Hindu principle of non-violence (ahimsa); their final
steps point towards a common goal - 6. Buddhist Samma Vayama (Effort) vs Yogic
Dharana (Concentration), 7. Buddhist Samma Sati (Mindfulness) vs Yogic Dhyana
(Meditation) and 8. Buddhist Samma Samadhi vs Yogic Samadhi. An in relation to
views of the Self, yoga's asmita-samapatti is designed to eradicate the wrong
views on the Self much in the same way Buddha did it in Anatta-lakkhana-sutta.
The correlation between Yoga and Buddhism seems to be particularly strong in
Tibetan Buddhism, due to various historical events including the influence of
Tantra on Tibetan traditions. For example, a system of 108 bodily postures
practiced with breath and heart rhythm timing in movement exercises is known as
Trul khor or union of moon and sun (channel) prajna energies, and the body
postures of Tibetan ancient yogis are depicted on the walls of the Dalai Lama's
summer temple of Lukhang.
Prominent Tibetan Buddhist Yoga schools Six yogas of Naropa, Tumo and Tsa lung
Trul khor.
In addition Yogācāra (Sanskrit: "yoga practice"), also spelled yogāchāra, is an
influential school of philosophy and psychology that developed in Indian
Mahayana Buddhism starting sometime in the fourth to fifth centuries C.E., also
commonly known as Consciousness-only.
Dhyana
Dhyāna's beginnings are traced to Hinduism, where it is considered to be an
instrument to gain self knowledge, thereby separating maya from reality and
helping attain the ultimate goal of Moksha. Depictions of Hindu yogis performing
dhyāna are found in ancient texts and in statues and frescoes of ancient India
temples. Siddhartha Gautama studied dhyāna during his early years away from his
kingdom.
Reincarnation
In India the concept of reincarnation is first recorded in the Upanishads (c.
800 BCE), which are philosophical and religious texts composed in Sanskrit.
According to Hinduism, the soul (atman) is immortal, while the body is subject
to birth and death. The Bhagavad Gita states that:
Worn-out garments are shed by the body; Worn-out bodies are shed by the dweller
within the body. New bodies are donned by the dweller, like garments.
The idea that the soul (of any living being - including animals, humans and
plants) reincarnates is intricately linked to karma, another concept first
introduced in the Upanishads. Karma (literally: action) is the sum of one's
actions, and the force that determines one's next reincarnation. The cycle of
death and rebirth, governed by karma, is referred to as samsara.
The Samsara Chakra as portrayed within Buddhism, showing the cycle of Samsara,
or reincarnation.Buddhism believes in the anatta. Buddhists also believe that a
new-born child may be the reincarnation of some important departed lama. In
Tibetan Buddhism, the substance that make up the impermanent "self" (skandha) of
an important lama (like the Dalai Lama) is said to be reborn into an infant born
nine months after his decease. This process is said to occurs after years of
crystallization of the skandhas through mental cultivation. And when the body
dies, some of the crystallized skandhas (which normally dissolves at death), is
said to attach itself to the consciousness. So that when the next rebirth
occurs, the new person will have some of the old characters. This belief,
however, does not contradict with Buddha's teaching on the impermanent nature of
the self.
Nirvana
The Sanskrit term "Nirvana" was nothing a the time of Buddha, as Hindu
scriptures concentrated on this principle. Parinirvana, in Hinduism is known as
Mahasamadhi. Although in modern-day terms, Buddhism is different from Hinduism,
in which the Nirvana is Brahma-Nirvana. Buddhists today argue whether the Buddha
has eternally remained a Buddha, come down as humans only to show humans that
this eternal bliss is achievable by anyone. This form of Buddha in Buddhism is
known as Dharmakaya Buddha. It was Buddha who is remembered for saying, "You are
a Buddha, I am the Buddha."
The
Four Noble Truths
Noble Eightfold Path
Bodhi
Refuge in the Three Jewels
Sila
Samadhi,
Vipassana, and Buddhist meditation
Prajñā
Wisdom
Early
Buddhism
Rise of Mahayana Buddhism
Emergence of
the Vajrayāna
Decline of Buddhism in India and
Central Asia
Southern Buddhism
Eastern Buddhism
Northern Buddhism
Buddhist
Texts
Hinduism and Buddhism
Similarities between Hinduism and
Buddhism
Buddhism and Eastern Teaching
God in
Buddhism
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Buddisim
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