Buddhism, and Hinduism

Hinduism: Svetasvatara Upanishad

This it a Hindu source because it deals with the class system.  “master and servant- both have existed from beginningless time.” (WoH 201) It develops the ideas of Hinduism by elaborating on the death to life cycle.  “Round and round it turns, and never stops.” (WoH 201)

 

Buddhism: Gotama’s Discovery

This is a Buddhist source in view of the fact that it looks to self mediation for enlighten.  “he had gone to his place and was meditating in seclusion,”  (WoH 206)

 

Buddhism and Caste

This is a Buddhist source since it talks about equality in all classes.  “First Assalayana, you bases your claim on birth, then you gave them up for learning, and finally you have come round to my was of thinking, that all four classes are equally pure!”  (WoH 209)

 

Mahayana Buddhist: The Lotus Sutra

This source is from the Buddhist belief.  You can tell this because in the Buddhist religion people often wonder the land for self enlightenment.  “Before that Buddha had left home” (WoH 210)

 

One of the differences between the Buddhist and the Hindu is that the Buddhist believed all four castes were equal, where as the Hindu believed that the castes were very distinct. “First Assalayana, you bases your claim on birth, then you gave them up for learning, and finally you have come round to my was of thinking, that all four classes are equally pure!”  (WoH 209)

One of the main similarities between the two religions was that both believed in continuous reincarnation, until one with Brahman was achieved.  “Hearing of the Buddha’s entry into Nirvana” (WoH 212), Nirvana was the peace one found in Brahman “This vast universe is a wheel.  Upon it are all creatures that are subject to birth, death, and rebirth.  Round and round it turns, and never stops.  It is the wheel of Brahman.  As long as the individual self thinks it is separate from Brahman, it revolves upon the wheel in bondage to the laws of birth, death, and rebirth.  But when though the grace of Brahman it realizes its identity with him, it revolves upon the wheel no longer.  It achieves immortality.”  (WoH 201)