An Intertwining Of Hinduism And Buddhism Essay

, Research Paper

Religion, what is religion. Religion is a way of life, a life style, it should

dictate how you live your life. However why follow a religious belief, to go to

heaven, avoid the condemnation to hell, to live forever. We in western society

consider ourselves a not so religious society, we say “I am Christian” or “I am

Jew” or “I am an Atheist I don’t believe”. Keep in mind religion is a life style, it

should dictate how you live your life. Sadly in western society, money and our

compulsive cravings for material objects dictate our life. We are far from the

highly evolved forms of religions of Hinduism and Buddhism over in the east.

What are these religions. Buddhism is offshoot/reform of Hinduism. They

are looked at in the same way as Judaism and Christianity are looked at (very far

apart). Through this essay, I will prove – by using some of their differences as

similarities – that they are very much – if not essentially the same – alike.

“As an off shoot of Hinduism, Buddhism accepted the notions of karma,

dharma, samsara, and moksha. It differed in its understanding ot these terms and

how to achieve spiritual liberation. As Buddhism spread through south and east

Asia, these differences became greater.”

Samsara, the “upholstered hell” , it is known in Hinduism as the endless

cycle of death and rebirth, and Moksha being the supreme enlightenment, the

realization of Atman the one’s true self, and the liberation from samsara. Despite

the fact that Moksha means Something different in Buddhism, words are

meaningless but their meanings aren’t. Explanation: “The ultimate goal of the

Buddhist path is release from the round of phenomenal existence with its inherent

suffering. To achieve this goal is to attain nirvana an enlightened state in which the

fires of greed, hatred, and ignorance have been quenched.” This is the essence of

both religions, freedom from the ignorance of what I call “Blam”..

The central core of Buddhist teachings is the Four Noble Truths, which are:

1. All life is suffering and pain.

This is more than a mere recognition of the presence of suffering in existence. It is a statement that, in its very nature, human existence is essentially painful from the moment of birth to the moment of death. Even death brings no relief.

1. Desire is the root of suffering.

“People become attached to relationships or things they have, and suffer when they experience their impermanence. This impermanence leads to disappointment, which in turn leads to new cravings.”

My interpretation of this Noble Truth is that we suffer not because we desire but because we desire the wrong things. Meaning that what we should desire is enlightenment.

2. “Suffering and desire can be extinguished with enlightenment.

The noble truth of cessation of suffering is this: It is the complete cessation of that very thirst , giving it up, renouncing it, emancipating oneself from it detaching oneself from it.

3. The way to enlightenment is to follow the Noble Eightfold Path.

The Noble Truth of the path leading to the cessation of suffering is this: it is simply the Noble Eightfold path, namely right view; right thought; right speech; right action; right livelihood; right effort; right mindfulness; right concentration.”

These concepts are nothing pertaining to Buddhism alone, maybe they

haven’t listed and categorized as four noble truths but all the idea’s are

encompassed in Hinduism’s philosophy.

“Buddhism analyzes human existence as made up of five aggregates or

“bundles” (skandhas): the material body, feelings, perceptions, predispositions or

karmic tendencies, and consciousness. A person is only a temporary combination

of these aggregates, which are subject to continual change. No one remains the

same for any two consecutive moments. Buddhists deny that the aggregates

individually or in combination may be considered a permanent, independently

existing self or soul (atman). Indeed, they regard it as a mistake to conceive of any

lasting unity behind the elements that constitute an individual. The Buddha held

that belief in such a self results in egoism, craving, and hence in suffering. Thus he

taught the doctrine of anatman, or the denial of a permanent soul. He felt that all

existence is characterized by the three marks of anatman (no soul), anitya

(impermanence), and dukkha (suffering). The doctrine of anatman made it

necessary for the Buddha to reinterpret the Indian idea of repeated rebirth in the

cycle of phenomenal existence known as samsara.” “Atman: the one’s true self,

“the individual self, held by upanisic and Vedatin thought to be identical to

Brahman, the world soul”

After reading the above paragraph one could concur that the two terms

atman and anatman are two very different things – actually opposites. However

one must keep in mind they are different interpretations of one’s true self. Every

thing we do every thought or sight or t

Внимание, отключите Adblock

Вы посетили наш сайт со включенным блокировщиком рекламы!
Ссылка для скачивания станет доступной сразу после отключения Adblock!

Скачать