MadiMiller

WorldReligions
April2016

Hinduism,Buddhism,ChristianityComparisonPaper

Areallreligionsthesame?Lookingatareligionasawaytodetermineanafterlifebased
uponactionsdonewhilelivingmaycreatetheideathatallreligionsarethesameintheend,
however,eachreligioncontainssmalldetailsthatmakeituniqueanddifferentthananyother.
MygoalforthispaperistoconnectthesimilaritiesanddifferencesbetweenHinduism,
Buddhism,andChristianity.Theendresultwilldetermineifthesethreereligionsaremore
closelyrelatedthantheyseem,orthecompleteoppositefromoneanother.
RootsofReligion:
Hinduism
doesnothaveaspecificoriginofabook,founder,orlocation(Violatti,
http://www.ancient.eu/hinduism/).However,itisconsideredtheoldestlivingreligion.
ItisdatedbacktothetimesofBrahmictradition,duringtheVedicAge.TheIndusValley
wastheareathatispossiblythoughttobewhereHinduismbegan,withinthecultureof
theDravidianpeople.TeachingsofHinduismarefoundintheearlyteachingsofancient
sages,orrishis,showingthebeliefsandhowoldthisreligionreallyis(Fisher,72).
Buddhism
differsfromotherreligionsbecausethereisntasolidpointinwhichpeople
beganthisreligion,itmorebeganbyfollowingtheideasoftheBuddha.TheBuddhas
namewasSiddharthaGautama.Hewasbornbetweenthe4thand6thcenturynearthe
IndiaNepalborder.Hestartedhisspiritualjourney,andthebeginningofBuddhism,
whenGodsenthimfoursigns.Thesesignspromptedhimtobecomeanascetic(Fisher,
140141).Buddhabecamesomewhatofareformistafterthis,withnewideasabout
enlightenmentandthepathtoyourinnerself.
Christianity
likeBuddhism,wascreatedbyapersonwithnewanddifferentbeliefs
aboutfaith.AlthoughthereisntmanysolidfactsaboutthehistoricalproofofJesus,there

arestoriesintheBiblewhichtellofhimandhisfeatstheGospels.Thesegospelsare
calledMatthew,Mark,LukeandJohn.Jesusbeganhisreligiousquestatayoungage,
andwaseventuallybaptisedattheageof30.Afterthis,itwasrevealedthatJesuswasthe
Messiah,andfromthatpointonChristianityflowered(Fisher,302307).
Conclusion:
Bringingallthreeofthesereligiousoriginstogethershowhowgreatly
similarseeminglyoppositereligionscanbe.Hinduismistheoddoneoutthistime,with
BuddhismandChristianityhavingasomewhatsimilaroriginbythefactthattheywere
bothcreatedbyasortofreformistwithnewideasandthoughts.PerhapsHinduismwas
createdthiswayaswell,howeverthereisnotenoughhistoricalevidenceaboutittoprove
so.
BeliefinaDeity:
Hinduism
isapolytheisticreligion.TherearemultipleGodsthatcontrolvariousaspects
oftheuniverseandeverydaylife.Threemajorgroupswithinthisreligionare:The
ShaiviteswhoholdShivaastheirsupremedeity.Shivaisconsideredtheircreatorgod,
theonlygodworshippedastheOne.However,hedoeshavemanyfemaleshaktis,or
consortsParvatibeinghisequal,orhiswife(Fisher,8489).
Buddhism
isareligionofwisdom.ThereisnoGodthatisworshippednoteventhe
Buddhaisworshipped.Itismoreofapersonalpathtofindenlightenmentwithinoneself.
BuddhahoweverisconsideredonetofollowbecausehereachedhisinnerBuddhaandhe
achievedNirvana.Whenonefollowsthisreligion,onlytheselfcanfindthepathto
enlightenment(Fisher,143).

 Christianity
isamonotheisticreligion,followingonlyonedeity.Jesuswassaidtobethe
sonofGod,yetheisalsoGodhimself.TheOnecanalsobeconsideredastheHoly
TrinityGod,Jesus,andtheHolySpirit.Althoughtherearethreenames,thereisonly
one.ThatoneisGod.Heisresponsibleforsendingdownthemessiah,Jesus,andfor
creatingmankind.
Conclusion:
Inthesenseofadeity,allthreeofthesereligionshaveadifferentpaththey
follow.Hindusbelieveinmanydeities,prayingtowhomeverwillhelpthematthat
moment.InBuddhism,thereisnoGodordeitythatisworshippedonlyBuddhawhois
followedbecauseofhisachievementofenlightenment.Differentfrombothoftheseis
Christianitywhichdelegatesamonotheisticwayofliving.Thesedevoteesonlyworship
onedeityGod.
World/AfterlifeViews:
Hinduism
looksatlifeasacycleuntilmokshaisreached.Mokshaiswhenthesoulhas
reachedfreedomfromtime,space,andmatterbyrealizingtheAbsolute.BeforeMoksha,
thesoulisgoingthroughacycleofreincarnation,orleavingitscurrentdeadbodyand
enteringanewone,yetitsselfstaysthesame.Duringthecycleofsamsara,karmais
holdingactionsforandagainstthesoul,determiningwhatthenextlifewillbe.Whenat
lastmokshaisreached,thesoulisnolongerbeingreincarnated(Fisher,77).
Buddhism
lifeisruledbytheFourNobleTruths.TheseFourNobleTruthsare:suffering
inlifeisinevitable,sufferingiscausedbycravingsomething,whencravingstopsthe
sufferingwillstop,andthewaytorealizeallofthisisthroughtheNobleEightfoldPath.
Thispathcreateswaystopurifythemindandstopnegative,cravingemotion.Lifeis

consideredacycle,thesoulorkarmathesoulhasattachedtoit,livesinmanydifferent
forms.Thefinalgoalisnirvana,whichisenlightenmentandfreedomofthemind(Fisher,
144149).
Christianity
believesinonlyonegodwhodeterminesthepurityofeachpersonafter
death.Hewill,however,offerforgivenesstothosewhorepent.Onlythosewith
childlikenessareabletoenterthekingdomofheavenwithGod.Heavenisthegoalfor
them,reachedbybeingfaithful,goodhumanbeings(Fisher,312).
Conclusion:
AllthreeofthesereligionsHinduism,Buddhism,andChristianity,have
veryuniquewaysofviewinglifeanddeath.BothHinduismandBuddhismbelievein
karmainlifethatactionshaveconsequenceswhetherthatshapesyourlifenow,oryour
nextone.Thesetworeligionsalsobelieveinthewheeloflifeanddeathreincarnation.
Yet,thegoalisdifferent.Hinduswanttoreachmoksha,theliberationfromtime,space,
andmatterBuddhistswantnirvana,whichisfreedomofthemindandbodyfromcraving
andthereforeceasingsuffering.Alltogether,Christianityisnowherenearthesameas
HinduismorBuddhismbesidethefactthatbeingagood,honestpersonwillleadtoa
rewardinggoal.HeavenisthegoalofaChristian.
SacredText:
Hinduisms
sacredtextsaretheVedas.Thesesacred,ancienthymnswerewrittenbythe
middleofthefirstmillenniumbce.However,theyaremucholder,thewritingsofthese
textsweretransmittedorallybefore.TheVedasaresaidtoberevealedtexts,orshruti
texts.Theyarethebreathoftheeternalheardbytherishis(Fisher,7577).

 Buddhism
,whenbeingaTheravadaBuddhist,followsthePaliCanonwhichisalso
knownastheTripitaka.Thissacredtextcontainsmanydifferentteachings.Sacred
writings,rulesofmonasticdiscipline,Dharmateaching,andscholastictreatises.
Christianity
putsfaithwithinthesacredtextcalledtheBible.TheBibleiscomposedof
theOldTestamentandtheNewTestament.TheNewTestamentholdthegospels,orthe
storiesofJesusandhislifeMatthew,Mark,Luke,andJohn.TheBibleitselfisbased
uponoralstoriestoldaboutJesusandhisteachings.AlthougheveryseparateChristian
religionreadtheBible,manyofthereligionshavedifferentstories,beliefs,andrulesof
worshipandfaith.
Conclusion:
Withineachreligion,thereisasacredtextswhichtheparticipantswill
followandworshipwith.ThedifferencesaremoreprominentwithinHinduism,
Buddhism,andChristianitythanthesimilaritiesare.Yet,ifyoulookdeepwithinthe
rootsofeachreligionyouwillfindsimilarities.Thesacredtextsofallthreebeliefswere
transmittedorallyformanyyearsbeforetheirideasandwordswerewrittendownatall.
Thisleadstothequestion:Whatifthewordswerechangedalongthewayoftheoral
path?
HolyDays/Festivals/Holidays
Hinduism
celebratesmany,manyholidaysduetothefactthattherearemultipledeities
withinthereligion.16ofthesereligionsarehonoredbythegovernment.Holidaysfor
KrishnaandGaneshareheld,afourdaylightfestivalcalledDivalisignalingthereturnof
Rama,andalargeholidaycalledHoliwhichcelebratesthebeginningofspring.Amajor
festivalthathappenseveryfewyearsistheKumbhaMela.Thisfestivalisheldinholy

spotswheresacrednectarhasapparently,bringingmanyHindustogethertodiscuss
religionandtheworld.
Buddhism
doesnotnecessarilyhaveuniformholidaysthroughouttheyear.However,
thereareafewmainholidaysthatarecelebrated,likeVesakandMaghaPujaDay.Vesak
isthedaythatBuddhawasbornonandisconsideredthemostimportantholiday.Magha
Pujadayisonthefullmoonofthethirdlunarmonth.ItcelebratesthedayBuddha
preachedtothekindandover1,000citizens(Fisher,173174).
Christianity
celebratesmanyreligionsthroughouttheyear,eachreligionisontheor
aroundthesamedayeachyear.Christmasisoneofthemostimportantholidayswithin
theChristianfaith.ItmarksthedayofJesusbirthonEarth.Thisholidayiscelebratedon
the25thofDecembereachyear.AnotherveryimportantdayistheResurrectionofJesus
afterhewascrucified.ThisisknownasEaster.
Conclusion:
Allreligionscelebratecertaindaysandtimesoftheyearthatsymbolizeimportant
eventswithinthereligiousroots.So,similarly,Hinduism,Buddhism,andChristianityallhave
holidaysandfestivalsthattheycelebrate.Manyoftheseholidaysarebirthsofdeitiesorthe
leaderoftheirreligiousfocus.Otherdaysrepresentseasonschanging,amazingfeats,ordeaths
ofthebeloved.So,althoughtheholidayscelebrateddiffercompletelyfromonereligiontothe
next,theyaresimilarintheformofhavingholydaystofocusonfaithandworship.

WorksCitedPage
http://www.ancient.eu/hinduism/
MaryPatFisher,
LivingReligions
NinthEdition