| Gautama was born, brought up, and lived his entire | | | | principle of oneness. |
| life as a Hindu. His stated purpose for teaching what | | | | That way, in life, his disciples could shift their |
| he did was to alleviate suffering. He never intended | | | | attention from their personal hells, their empty |
| to drive a wedge between his countrymen, and I | | | | stomachs, sickness, tooth aches, desperate poverty, |
| think he'd be greatly saddened to see what some | | | | etc., and place it instead on the beauty of nature and |
| people are doing today in his name -- just as he | | | | life around them. Similarly, they'd look forward to an |
| would be to see that caretakers of the ancient Hindu | | | | after life where they blended into the great oneness, |
| religion choosing dogma over humanity. | | | | without any need to do anything. |
| Hinduism and Buddhism are more alike than they are | | | | The thought that they would eventually pop out of |
| different. The same is true incidentally of Christianity | | | | that oneness with an individual perspective again was |
| and Islam, or Judaism and Islam. While it's noble to | | | | irrelevant to their immediate need to alleviate their |
| stand up for what you believe, it's very sad when | | | | anguish. Like a surgeon on a battlefield, Buddha took |
| good people are manipulated into that position by | | | | the practical approach and healed what he could by |
| purely emotional arguments from those who stand to | | | | giving people a simple, workable philosophy. |
| gain politically and economically from the conflict they | | | | It grew into a religion, which also streamlined the |
| instigate. So let's look closely at the differences | | | | Hindu trinity out of the chela's (student/disciple's) |
| between Hinduism and Buddhism to see if we can | | | | necessary contemplations. Here again, Gautama was |
| find anything really worth fighting over. | | | | a Hindu and never denied the existence of the trinity |
| First, however, let's look at their similarities. Both | | | | forces of destruction, maintenance and rebirth. Still, |
| religions teach an appreciation for the illusory nature | | | | that trinity simply wasn't important in the fulfillment |
| of life and the karmic consequences of falling prey to | | | | of his mission to make life bearable for the suffering |
| that illusion. Both teach that a soul can transmigrate | | | | masses. |
| into a lower life form, and probably an equal | | | | While Hindus rightly acknowledge four arhtas (goals) |
| proportion of adherents to both religions | | | | in life: dharma (doing what's right), artha (prosperity), |
| misunderstand how and why this happens - but we | | | | kama (inclinations and desires) and moksha |
| won't go into that right now. | | | | (salvation); followers of the Buddha were just trying |
| They both have a respect for all life forms on earth | | | | to get by with as little pain as possible. Similarly, |
| and believe in deities on higher planes of existence. | | | | Hindus acknowledge four stages or ashramas in life. |
| They both believe in seven hells and heavens and the | | | | Buddhists simplified the stages of life into the eternal |
| power of detachment from reaction to the world to | | | | Now, and tried not to think of anything else. Again, |
| keep them moving up that latter. They also both | | | | this was originally intended more as a survival |
| practice meditation to help keep their minds clear and | | | | technique than a religious statement, but it has grown |
| focused. | | | | into a profoundly practical life philosophy for many. |
| These are the basic religious precepts that Buddha | | | | One more difference is that Buddhists organize |
| never challenged. However, in his mission to alleviate | | | | together for group support, and they have monks to |
| the suffering of his people, he tried to simplify some | | | | help remind them of the teachings. Hindus don't seem |
| things. He played down the importance of the ancient | | | | to need that sort of group support. Still, is that any |
| Vedas. He never denied their truth or the value of | | | | reason to persecute those who do? |
| their recitation for many. Yet, to make life easier for | | | | Today, conflict between Hindus and Buddhists is |
| his disciples, he had them simply focus on their own | | | | fierce in places like Sri Lanka. Still, when you look at all |
| completeness. | | | | the similarities between the religions you have to |
| He taught that we don't need anything! That | | | | wonder why... |
| ultimately included the ancient, sacred Vedas. As | | | | The cosmological simplifications that Lord Gautama |
| those of that time knew, it wasn't an assault on that | | | | promoted were simply to help his countrymen deal a |
| practice or those who found it useful. It was simply a | | | | little better with the hardships of their very hard lives. |
| refocus of attention on what would bring the most | | | | Realizing this, I think that any spiritually minded Hindu |
| peace to his disciples as quickly as possible. | | | | would at least extend tolerance, if not empathy, to |
| That's also the reason Gautama streamlined ego out | | | | their Buddhist brothers and sisters today. |
| of his cosmology. We've already discussed | | | | Also, although what Hindus believe may not seem |
| detachment from worldly affairs, but what most | | | | relevant to what's really important to Buddhists, it's |
| don't understand is that such a detachment is very | | | | also obviously not a justification for war. Power and |
| difficult when you ultimately think of yourself as an | | | | control, or surviving invading forces seeking those |
| entity that needs to make progress, if not in this | | | | things are the only reasons to go to war. Luckily, |
| lifetime, then in the next. | | | | both Buddhist and Hindu greatly value their |
| I honestly believe that the Buddha knew of the | | | | detachment from power and the things of the world. |
| existence of the Atman or soul. Since he never | | | | Still, given the ongoing conflicts, maybe it's time for |
| denied the seven heavens and hells, I'm sure this | | | | both Buddhist and Hindu to stand up against political |
| great soul understood about the evolution of soul. | | | | pressure and get a little more religious about that |
| Yet, he made the decision to teach the higher | | | | core belief. |