Buddhism and Hinduism Comparative Paper

Buddhism and Hinduism
Buddhism and Hinduism are two of the world’s oldest religions. Buddhism developed in India approximately 2500 years ago, during the reign of King Ashoka. The teachings of Buddha were based on the concept of non-violence and the belief that all beings are equal. It is a religion that emphasizes meditation and mindfulness, which allows practitioners to experience a deeper connection to themselves and their spiritual side (Lewin & Ergas, 2018). Buddhism is often referred to as “the path of peace.” Buddhism is a spiritual path that emphasizes the development of mindfulness, compassion, and inner peace. It emphasizes non-attachment to worldly things and helps people achieve nirvana—a state of complete happiness. Hinduism is one of the most widely practiced religions in the world today. It originated in ancient India and has evolved in many forms throughout history, with different sects and schools of thought. Hinduism also has five significant schools: Vaishnavism (theistic), Shaivism (non-theistic), Shaktivism (monotheistic), and Smartism/Adwaita (dualistic). Hinduism centers around worshiping a single god, Brahman, who lives on Mount Kailasa (Kailas) (Lewin & Ergas, 2018). The gods are associated with nature or life itself; for example, Shiva is known for destroying evil spirits but also for his power over death.
The Relationship Between Buddhism and Hinduism
The relationship between Buddhism and Hinduism has been a contentious topic for many years. While the two religions share many similarities, there are also some significant differences. Buddhism and Hinduism are two religions that arose in India and have a long history of interaction. Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Gautama, who was born in 563 BC. He is believed to be the founder of Buddhism. Hinduism is based on the teachings of the Vedas and other ancient texts and is practiced by more than one billion people today (Åženel, 2019). Buddhism originated in India but spread quickly throughout Asia. At the same time, Hinduism developed in India but did not make much headway outside the Indian subcontinent until the 19th century when British colonial rule began to loosen restrictions on religion.
Both religions are monotheistic; they believe in one god above all others (with some exceptions for other gods such as Ganesh and Shiva). Both religions have a pantheon of gods, similar to Christianity has saints and angels (Åženel, 2019). Both religions believe that humans can achieve enlightenment through asceticism and meditation and that this enlightenment can lead to moksha—liberation from rebirth or reincarnation into another body after death. The most notable difference between these two religions is their views on women. While Hinduism has always been more accepting of women’s rights than other religions in India (such as Christianity), Buddhism was traditionally patriarchal until relatively recently, when it began to allow more women into its ranks.
The Metaphysical Differences Between Anatman and Atman
The metaphysical differences between AnatmanAnatman and Atman are similar to the differences between matter and spirit. Anatman means “without a soul,” while Atman means “self.” Both terms refer to the part of a conscious person, but AnatmanAnatman also refers to an individual with no self-awareness. Atman, by contrast, refers to the part of a person that is aware of itself as a separate entity (Astore, 2021). Both AnatmanAnatman and Atman are said to be non-existent in Hinduism. In other words, they do not exist in any way beyond the mind, which can never see them or know about them.
In Hinduism, two different concepts represent the soul: AnatmanAnatman and Atman. Atman is a Sanskrit word meaning “self.” It is used to refer to the soul or spirit within each person. The term is often translated as “soul” or “spirit.” On the other hand, Anatman is a Sanskrit word meaning “not-self.” (Astore, 2021). It can be translated as “non-soul” or “non-spiritual being.” Anatman is commonly used as a synonym for Atman. The difference between these terms comes from their meanings in Hinduism. While they’re similar in some ways, they have very different meanings and applications within the religion. One difference between them lies in whether they are permanent or temporary entities—if something has an anatman quality but is not an anatman itself, it is not considered AnatmanAnatman at all.
The Practical Differences Between Anatman and Atman
Anatman and Atman are two different words for the same concept—the soul. The word “Atman” is used in Hinduism, while AnatmanAnatman is used in Buddhism. A critical difference between these two concepts is that while Atman is the soul of a being, AnatmanAnatman is the absence of a soul. The word “anatman” literally means “without soul.” (Fisher & Rinehart, 2016). In Hinduism, Atman represents the part of us that makes us human and gives us our identity. It keeps us alive and breathing; it is who we are as individuals (Fisher & Rinehart, 2016). In Buddhism, however, there is no concept of an individual soul—only an impersonal essence called Anatman (or AnatmanAnatman). This essence cannot be separated from reality because it is not separate from reality; it simply does not have a separate existence from anything else in this world (except maybe another human being). Anatman refers to the principle of selflessness, which means that a person sees no self or soul in others. A person with this perspective might believe that all people are equal and deserve equal treatment. Atman refers to the principle of individualism, which means that each person has a unique soul within them that cannot be destroyed (Fisher & Rinehart, 2016). A person with this perspective might believe that people should be judged based on their own merits and not based on what they look like or what group they belong to.
The Metaphysical Concept of Atman
The metaphysical concept of Atman, translated as the soul or self, is central to the unique approach to the sacred gods and salvation that Atman takes. Atman is said to be a part of everyone, but it is also a part of no one. In this way, it is said to be both eternal and imperishable (Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia, 2014). As such, it cannot be destroyed by any action or force; it exists outside of time. It can only be destroyed if you believe that it has been destroyed. This makes it an ideal metaphor for overcoming our limitations to become more whole and complete.
In Hinduism, the path to salvation involves recognizing your true Self—the true Atman—and understanding what that means for yourself and others around you. Through meditation and contemplation (methods at the heart of Hinduism), one can realize that they are nothing more than their thoughts and emotions; they have no actual existence outside of themselves or other people’s perceptions. Atman’s Unique approach to the sacred gods is similar to other ancient spiritual traditions such as Hinduism. However, it differs because it focuses specifically on how one can achieve success in meditation by focusing on their breath rather than on external objects (such as flowers or animals) (Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia, 2014). This realization allows us to understand why things happen in life.
The Practical Concept of Atman

Atman’s Unique approach to the sacred gods and the path to salvation can be understood through the practical concept of duality. The concept of duality is helpful because it helps us understand the natural world in terms of its opposites, or what we might call its yin and yang. In this way, Atman’s Unique approach to the sacred gods and the path to salvation can be understood as a way of understanding how two things can be accurate simultaneously ( Jayaram). For example, for something to be good and bad simultaneously, it must have both qualities. Similarly, for something to be accurate and false simultaneously, it must also have both qualities if we apply these same principles to Atman’s Unique approach to the sacred gods and the path to salvation. The principle suggests that Shiva is both good (like a father figure) and bad (like a demon) or that Vishnu is both true (like a god) and false (like an alien). We can see that Atman’s Unique approach to these things is not only possible but also necessary if we are ever going to understand them truly. Atman’s unique approach to the sacred gods emphasizes the importance of having a personal connection with them( Jayaram). In other words, he believes it is not enough to believe in them as a concept or a philosophy; instead, we must cultivate a personal relationship with them. This can be accomplished by meditating on their names and visualizing their forms.
The Practical Concept of Anatman
The practical concept tie into Anatman’s Unique approach to the sacred gods and the path to salvation. The practical concept is understanding the nature of a person’s consciousness and their relationship with it, as well as how that consciousness is affected by external factors and how it can be changed. The practical concept is that there are two ways to understand the sacred gods and their path: through the same lens of transgression or salvation (Bauer, 2019). The former is an approach that makes all beings guilty, while the latter holds that all beings are innocent. They are correct, but they must take different positions to understand them.
In the traditional teachings of Hinduism, there is a belief that there are many different levels of reality or Brahman. According to this belief, we can see reality through many different perspectives, and perspectives are not limited to just one point of view. To experience this for yourself, imagine an object from afar and then imagine that same object from up close. This process allows you to see things from two different angles without having to look at two different things simultaneously. Anatman also believes in this idea, but instead of seeing it in terms of a physical object like an article of clothing or a piece of furniture, he sees it as something more abstract: consciousness itself (Bauer, 2019). He sees consciousness as something that exists within us all and makes us unique individuals, even if we do not realize it ourselves until later in life when we begin to understand ourselves better than before; thanks.
The Practical Concept of Anatman
In the Bhagavad Gita, the metaphysical concept of AnatmanAnatman is used to explain the path to salvation. The Bhagavad Gita uses the concept of AnatmanAnatman to explain how a person can achieve moksha or salvation. Moksha refers to liberation from the cycle of reincarnation and rebirth into a new life. It is typically considered an ideal goal for all Hindu worshipers, but it is only sometimes attainable (Fisher & Rinehart, 2016). In order to achieve moksha, one must first understand that there are two kinds of souls: those who are godly (sattva) and those who are demonic (rajas). The sattva souls are characterized by purity and goodness; they seek liberation from material desires and attachment to worldly things (like wealth) (Fisher & Rinehart, 2016). The demonic souls are characterized by ignorance and anger; they seek liberation from material desires but do not seek spiritual fulfillment.
The Bhagavad Gita explains that there is only one path to achieving liberation: if you want to become godly yourself, then you have to become like a god; if you want to become demonic yourself, then you have to become like an animal. AnatmanAnatman is a philosophical concept that deals with the idea that there are no separate entities or beings, only a single undivided whole. The idea of AnatmanAnatman is central to the teachings of the Buddha. This philosophy is also known as “no self” or “no soul.” (Fisher & Rinehart, 2016). It is believed that all things are connected and interdependent, so when one thing dies, all things also die.
Conclusion
Buddhism teaches that all beings have Buddha-nature or buddha-atman. Those who recognize this nature and work to live under it are called Buddhas. For those who do not recognize their true nature and instead believe that they are separate from the universe, Buddhism teaches that there is no way to know whether they are genuinely enlightened or not. Hinduism shares many of the same ideas as Buddhism but has unique beliefs related to Atman and AnatmanAnatman. Hinduism teaches that all beings have a divine soul (AnatmanAnatman), which is eternal and indestructible; this soul is not identical to the person’s physical body but can be reborn into another body if its physical form dies. Hindus believe that when one dies, the divine soul goes on to another life, which may be reborn in different forms (human or animal). Buddhism and Hinduism are both religions that believe in the same concept: that there is an eternal self (Atman) within each of us. The difference between the two systems of thought lies in how they view and treat this self.

References
Jayaram, V. (n.d.). The Concept of Atman or Eternal Soul in Hinduism. Retrieved from https://www.hinduwebsite.com/atman.asp
Şenel, E. (2019). Dharmic religions and health: A holistic analysis of global health literature related to Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism. Journal of religion and health, 58(4), 1161–1171.
Fisher, M. P., & Rinehart, R. (2016). Living religions (p. 576). New York, NY: Pearson.
Bauer, R. (2019). The Absence of Self: An Existential Phenomenological View of the Anatman Experience. Journal of Philosophical Investigations, 13(28), 171–179.
Lewin, D., & Ergas, O. (2018). Eastern philosophies of education: Buddhist, Hindu, Daoist, and Confucian readings of Plato’s cave. In International handbook of philosophy of education (pp. 479–497). Springer, Cham.
Astore, R. A. (2021). With or Without the Self? Arguments in Favor of the Hindu Concept of the Atman over the Buddhist Understanding of the Anatman. Conatus-Journal of Philosophy, 6(1), 9–17.
Fisher, M. P., & Rinehart, R. (2016). Living religions (p. 576). New York, NY: Pearson.
Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2014, November 25). atman. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/atman