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HINDUISM AND
BUDDHISM
What are the major
characteristics of
Hinduism and Buddhism?
HINDUISM
PLACE/TIME PERIOD OF ORIGIN
The exact place and time period that Hinduism
was founded is not known. It is believed that
Hinduism may have emerged somewhere near
India, possibly 5,000 years ago (around 3,000
B.C.E).
Because of this approximate
date of origin, Hinduism is
considered the oldest
organized religion in the
world.
Monotheistic or Polytheistic?
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Although there are
multiple gods in
Hinduism, Hindus do
not consider
themselves polytheistic.
All Hindus gods are
seen as a manifestation
of 1 all- powerful spirit
known as Brahman.
Brahma- Creator god
Shiva- Destroyer god
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/episodes/aug
ust-22-2008/janmashtami/25/
(Krishna)
http://my.discoveryeducation.com/
Legend of Ganesha
Vishnu- Preserver god
Major Beliefs of Hinduism
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The ultimate goal of existence is to attain union
with Brahman (the all-powerful universal spirit).
This union with Brahman is known as Moksha.
Hindus believe Moksha takes multiple lifetimes
to attain.
Hindus believe that after death a soul is reborn
into a new body. This rebirth of the soul is
known as reincarnation.
Hindus believe that each person has specific
moral and religious duties in life. These duties
are known as dharma.
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Hindus believe that how one acts upon their
duties influences how close they are to moksha
in their next life. These actions in life are
known as karma.
Hindus also believe they must live their lives
according to a philosophy of nonviolence. This
is known as ahimsa.
The caste system, the pattern of rigid,
hereditary, social classes in Hinduism, is no
longer legal in India. Although many Hindus
living in India still follow the guidelines of the
caste system.
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There is no 1 single holy book in
Hinduism. Hindu holy books include the
Vedas, Upanishads, and the Bhagavad
Gita.
BUDDHISM
PLACE/TIME PERIOD OF ORIGIN
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Buddhism was founded in the mid 500’s B.C.E
in northern India.
The religion is named for its founder, Siddhartha
Gautama (who became known as Buddha).
Siddhartha was a prince from India. Most of his
life his mother and father kept him sheltered
from the “evils” of the world. One day
Siddhartha ventured outside the palace walls and
saw human suffering.
Discovery Education video
(Reincarnation, Enlightenment, and Dharma )
Monotheistic or Polytheistic?
Just as in Hinduism, Buddhists believe in
the all-powerful spirit known as Brahman.
 But unlike Hindus, Buddhists do not
represent Brahman with gods.
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He wondered why people
suffered.
In order to find out, Siddhartha
meditated under a tree until he
reached enlightenment
(understanding). When he
reached enlightenment he
became known as Buddha (“the
enlightened one”).
Buddha then began to spread his
understanding of why humans
suffer.
Buddhism quickly spread from
India to China.
Major Beliefs of Buddhism
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Just as in Hinduism, Buddhists believe the
ultimate goal of existence is to attain union with
Brahman (the all-powerful universal spirit). In
Buddhism, this union with Brahman is known as
Nirvana.
Buddhists also believe Nirvana takes multiple
lifetimes to attain.
Buddhists believe that after death a soul is
reborn into a new body. This rebirth of the soul
is known as reincarnation.
Just as Hindus, Buddhists believe in
dharma, karma, and ahimsa.
 Unlike Hindus, Buddhists never followed
the guidelines of the caste system.
 Buddhism emphasizes meditation and
discipline in order to reach enlightenment.
 Holy books include the Tripitaka, the
compilation of Buddha’s teachings.
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Buddhists also believe the way to reach
enlightenment is to follow the 4 Noble Truths
and the Eightfold Path.
The Four Noble Truths
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Sorrow and suffering are part of life.
People suffer because they try to get things they
cannot have.
The way to escape suffering is to overcome
these frustrating desires and reach a state of
nirvana.
To reach this state, you must follow the Eightfold Path.
Eight-fold Path (Dharma Wheel)
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Know the truth
Say nothing to hurt others
Practice meditation
Control your thoughts
Resist evil
Free your mind of evil
Work for the good of others
Respect life