HINDUISM V/S BUDDHISM

There are philosophers/scholars in this world who say religious ideas, God idea have their origins in fear. Belief in God was necessary in order to explain origins of this universe for religious pundits.

     Bertrand Russell----“There is no reason to suppose that world had a beginning at all. The idea that

                                             Things must have a beginning is really due to poverty of our thoughts”.

Giving explanations for creation is not job of religion, showing correct path should be motto of any religion. In the eyes of Buddha, world is nothing but Samsara---“Cycle of births and deaths”.To Him gaining knowledge of origins of this universe is waste of time. There are three schools of thought on origins of this universe:-

1.                   .    World created by God.

2.                        World came in to existence by nature and that nature is not intelligent force.

3.                        Scientific version:- Big bang theory. No need of God in this theory

Classical Buddhism says this world is begin less and endless. It tends to be silent on ultimate reality. Buddhism today is diverse, has two broad categories--- Theravada and Mahayana.

Theravada school is monastic, reserves enlightenment [nirvana] for monks only.

Mahayana school believes in Nirvana for all.

Buddhists believe that Buddha shows the way unlike Christ who said He is the way. Sin for Buddhist is ignorance but for Christian sin is moral error. Nirvana is highest state of being, a state of pure being. Buddhism does not believe in individual souls unlike other religions. For Buddhist individual self is an illusion. There is no systematic argument given in Buddhism to disapprove the existence of God. It tells us attachment, actions in past lives are responsible for our sorrow [Dukh]. It says this universe had not beginning and needs no creator. This universe is a cycle of death and births and as such no need to explain everything. Beings come into existence from nowhere, due to aggregation of things and elements. They happen to fall in place and form universe. No one creates them. Once in existence, desire takes place which makes them to do Karma. Karma leads to delusion and cycle of rebirths. It is just state of beingness which goes through birth cycles. Nirvana to Buddhist means reaching a state of non beingness à nonexistence à to Emptiness [[shunya]. Nirvana is highest state of being, a state of pure being in emptiness [shunya.] Nirvana also means a place of peace and happiness. It also means extinguishing of fires of greed, hatred and delusion. Mind becomes free, radiant and at death is no longer subject to rebirth. In a way Buddhism is middle path between extreme asceticism and overindulgence. Buddhism sees ultimate reality as nothingness unlike Vedas who see ultimate reality as Brahman. For Buddhist there are four truths:--

                           1.To live is to suffer.

                           2. Suffering is caused by attachment [desire]

                           3. Detachment can lessen suffering.

                          4. Detachment can be done by noble 8 fold path – Right, “ view, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, meditation and concentration.”

In Mahayana tradition, highest goal is Buddhahood, in which there is no abiding Nirvana. Buddha continues to take rebirth for welfare of people. One interpretation says luminous Consciousness is identical with Nirvana. In some texts Nirvana is described as purified, nondualist superior mind. Buddhists abandoned the concept of Brahman of Vedas and coined word Nirvana whose scope changed with time. Precanonical Buddhism is close to brahmanical beliefs. Nirvana is a physical place and outer most realm of cosmos in precanonical Buddhism. Once in this place, one cannot slip back. There are many contradictory ideas in different schools of Buddhism. Nagarjuna tried to harmonize them in his write ups with some success. While it discarded samhitas and Brahmana portion of Vedas which is full of rites and rituals, it took some ideas from Upanishads. Buddha himself acknowledged wisdom of Upanishads. Buddha teachings have lot of bearings of Samkhya philosophy. Samkhya philosophy was given by Kapil muni who lived 200 years before Buddha. Infact Kapilvastu is named after Kapil muni.It identifies 23 constituents for making of this universe. These constituents are 5 sense organs, 5 organs of action, 5 elements, 5 senses, Mahat, Ego and Mind. It believes in two realities---Purusha and Prakriti. Purusha is transcendental and is not produced nor produces. It is Prakriti which produces. Prakriti is influenced by Purusha and there are many Purushas. Like Buddhism it does not believe in one God.

In Hindu context Nirvana means, a state of eternal bliss. Hindus do talk of beingness and nonbeingness but interpretation is totally different. They view it as dualities of one eternal principle called Brahman. So for Hindu Nirvana means return to state of pure existence. Vedic civilization evolved over a period of time, did not come in one go unlike other religions. Vedas constitute sublime knowledge revealed to rishi’s while doing penance. They acquired verbal form very late. They are timeless in the sense that they are beyond the confines of time. They reflect all aspects of Existence.

        Louis Jacolliot, French scholar said, “Hindu revelation [Vedas] is of all revelations the only

                                                    Whose ideas are in harmony with modern science.”

      Carl Sagan, Astrophysicist commented,” The Hindu religion is the only one of the great

                                 Faiths, dedicated to the idea that cosmos itself under goes an immense indeed

                                , an infinite number of deaths and births. It is only religion in which time                                           scales  Correspond to those of modern cosmology.”

Vedas throw light on Creation, Atman and all other related issues of spiritualism. They are laconic in form and hardly intelligible without interpretation. No dogma is allowed to come in way. Upanishads which are concluding part of Vedas contain nothing but Gyan. Main message of Upanishads is to get awareness of Atman, which can be got by meditation. It states Atman is real, immortal and is veiled by Karma. By knowledge one can transcend this physical world and death. By attaining knowledge of Brahman man gets liberated from life and death cycle. While Buddhists acknowledge meditation as a means to get rid of death/ birth cycle, it does not accept existence of individual Soul. Both religions acknowledge austerity and meditation as methods of spiritual enhancement.

It is obvious that both Upanishadic teachings and Buddha teachings are spiritual and other worldly. They did not improve lot of common man but shed light on unknown. For both world of senses and intellect is merely a world of names and forms having no reality. Hindus believe universe is projection on ultimate reality, Brahman, which is cause of this universe but for Buddhist whole universe ends in nothingness [shunya].

         Another point which needs clarification ,is vegetarianism v/s nonvegetarianism. In Buddhism views on vegetarianism vary. According to Theravada school, the Buddha allowed his monks to eat meat, while on contrary Mahayana school believe in vegetarianism. In Pali canon, Buddha once explicitly refused suggestion by Devadatta to institute strict vegetarianism in monks. Vajrayana sect both drink alcohol and eat meat. In china, Korea, Vietnam and Taiwan Buddhists abstain from meat but in Japan meat is taken especially of birds and fish. Even in Tibet, Dalai Lamas place meat is taken. It is in Jainism vegetarianism is mandatory. Around 30% Hindus are vegetarian [vaishnavite nearly 100%].  Similarities/ dissimilarities in brief between Hinduism and Buddhism are as under:-
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    1. Both believe in endless cycles of birth and death. Both seek release from this cycle.

2.  2 .For Buddhists there is no soul but a collection of feelings, perceptions and senses and with other intangibles that made up all living. But HINDU believes in individual soul which gets veiled by karma and there is an eternal soul also [Brahman]
3.   3. Goal----- For Buddhist Nirvana—To escape rebirth and rest in peace in Shunya.But for   Hindu Nirvana is Moksha. Not only relief from birth cycle but to get eternal bliss, merger in Brahman.

4.   4. Both religions acknowledge Karma, Maya and Samsara [cycle of reincarnation].

5.   5. God----While Hindus believe in cosmic soul—Brahman, cause for this universe, Buddhists are silent on ultimate reality. For Buddhist ultimate resting place of this universe is Shunya.

6.   6. Meditation----Both believe meditation is way to salvation.

7.   7. Hindus go to temple for prayers and use idols as means for concentration of mind. Buddhist goes to monastery for meditation. They keep sculpture of Buddha there for Marg darshan.
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Conclusion:-

Buddhism in its origins at least, is an offshoot of Hinduism. Buddha was brought up in a Hindu family. His teachings have lot common with Hinduism. He remained silent on God, discounted existence of Souls. He said, it is our destiny to shuttle between unrealistic and realistic world till the state of enlightenment is reached. For a Buddhist this enlightenment is Nirvana---a state of nonbeingness, an emptiness [shunya].

For a Hindu Nirvana means Moksha from cycle of rebirth and eventual union of individual soul with cosmic soul-Brahman. It is wrong to say Buddha denounced Vedas. What he denounced is Samhita and Brahmana portions of Vedas which contain mantras for rituals and rites. He himself said, “Vedas were spoken truthfully by sages”.in fact his teachings have lot of similarities with Advaita philosophy. Buddhism itself has various schools with diverse views. It has components of Atheism, Pantheism and Theism. Though there is denial/silence on God, yet goal is to get rid of birth/death cycle, an important pillar of Hindu philosophy. Buddhist sees ultimate reality as nothingness but Hindu sees ultimate reality as pure consciousness---Brahman.

    Science though not believing in Creator acknowledges from nothing something cannot come out. It is against all physical laws. That is why science now is talking of some intelligence behind this creation. Religions invented Creator concept and advocated rules for living good and purposeful life. Buddhism negates God concept and advocates Nirvana for purposeful life. A question comes to our mind, if we are here by accident and not by design,  there is no creator , no individual souls what is the role of Nirvana and prayer? Yes, if we are here by design and there is creator prayers and meditation make sense. Buddhist teachings are mainly other worldly and unrealistic in day to day life of man. This is the main reason for decline of Buddhism around globe. Rites and rituals condemned by Buddhists are necessary to keep culture/society alive. It is Puranas which have kept religion of antiquity [Hinduism] alive till today and will continue to do so in future also. Puranas preserved the nectar of Upanishadic wisdom which would otherwise would have been lost to posterity.