Question

What are the similarities and differences in the core beliefs of Hinduism and Buddhism

Answer 1

The Buddha first studied and practiced with Hindu teachers, but ultimately found their teachings and practices didn't suffice to reach the ultimate goal. Broadly speaking, these were some of the most important points where he distanced himself from the Hindu teachings:

1. In the Hindu system, the ultimate goal was that our individual soul, the true self trapped in the material world, should get liberated from the material world and merge with the infinite and unchanging Divine spirit, the Brahman (= God). In Buddhism, both the individual souls and the Divine spirit are rejected. There are no eternally unchanging "true selfs", neither individually, nor all-embracing. Everything is constantly changing, like the water in the river or the atoms in the body.

2. The Buddha rejected any kind of "blind belief". The buddhist texts (that were written down after the death of the Buddha) are not seen as holy because of some purported divine origin or as a divine revelation, but because they are consistent with reason, logic and experience, and because they have been checked and rechecked, tried out and retried to be effective instructions in how to work with your own mind to become a better person and ultimately attain wisdom and liberation from all kinds of suffering.

3. The Buddha rejected the usefulness of ritual as an independent tool. There are lots of rituals in Buddhism, but they are always subsidiary tools, used to aid your own work with your own mind. In and of themselves, they are useless.

4. The Buddha rejected the Indian caste system. In Buddhism, at least religiously kings and outcasts became equals. He also opened the religious paths for both men and women, by founding the monastic orders for both monks and nuns.

There is of course much more if you go into the subtleties of both philosophy and practice techniques, but these points will give at least a superficial picture.

Generally speaking, the philosophical differences are far greater than they seem on the surface. Both religions have a lot of terminology and even names of deities in common, but in almost every single case, the meaning is actually different - both believe in reincarnation/rebirth, but the interpretation is very different; both believe in karma, but the interpretation is slightly different; both believe in samsara (the cycle of rebirth and suffering) and liberation from samsara (moksha/nirvana), but the interpretation is widely different, especially about liberation; both have yoga, tantra, dharma, mantra, and so on, but often mean totally different things with the words; the significance of gods or deities is grossly different - in Hinduism several of them are important objects of veneration, even seen as emanations of the supreme God (Brahman), whereas they are never objects of veneration or prayer in Buddhism, only seen as deluded sentient beings who will eventually die and be reborn in a new body just like you and me.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110327103630AAhhuA9

Answer 2

Hinduism and Buddhism share some of the following similarities:
Both Hinduism and Buddhism emphasize the illusory nature of the world and the role of karma in keeping men bound to this world and the cycle of births and deaths.
According to the Buddha, desire is the root cause of suffering and removal of desire results in the cessation of suffering. Some of the Hindu texts such as the Upanishads (Isa) and the Bhagavadgita consider doing actions prompted by desire and attachment would lead to bondage and suffering and that performing actions without desiring the fruit of action would result in liberation.
Both religions believe in the concept of karma, transmigration of souls and the cycle of births and deaths for each soul
Both emphasize compassion and non violence towards all living beings.
Both believe in the existence of several hells and heavens or higher and lower worlds.
Both believe in the existence of gods or deities on different planes
Both believe in certain spiritual practices like meditation, concentration, cultivation of certain bhavas or states of mind.
Both believe in detachment, renunciation of worldly life as a precondition to enter to spiritual life. Both consider desire as the chief cause of suffering.
The Advaita philosophy of Hinduism is closer to Buddhism in many respects.
Buddhism and Hinduism have their own versions of Tantra
Both originated and evolved on the Indian soil. The founder of Buddhism was a Hindu who became the Buddha. Buddhism is the greatest gift of India to mankind.


They also have some practices in common:
Meditation
Celibacy
Worship of deities
Burning of incense
Vegetarianism
Monastic life
Chanting
Worship of gurus or spiritual leaders
Use of Sanskrit for spiritual purpose
Use of meditation beads.

They both eat, drink, sleep, & believe in things

Second answer

1. Belief in reincarnation
2. Belief in devas and spirits
3. Belief in multiple worlds or levels of existence (ties in to the second one)
4. Belief that the world is situated around a holy mountain
5. Belief in the same ruler of the underworld (Yama).
In both religions, there is belief in rebirth or reincarnation.

Answer 3

u can thank me later