Globally, different types of religion guide people’s cultures, beliefs, and ethics. Some of the significant known religion in India is Hinduism and Buddhism. Hinduism is an Indian way of life or Dharma. It is ranked number three as a religion with over 1.2 billion followers, equivalent to 16% of the global population. On the contrary, Buddhism is another Indian religion fundamentally based on Gautama Buddha’s original teachings. The religion has spread over Asia and contains over 520 million followers globally, making it the fourth-largest religion. However, Hinduism and Buddhism share similar beliefs on Karma, Dharma, Moksha, and samsara, and they differ in their formal rituals and caste system. Therefore, this paper contrasts and compares different moral principles of Hinduism and Buddhism.
Firstly, it is essential to understand morality in both forms of religion. In Buddhism, the character is centrally based on the enlightened perspective of Gautama Buddha. The moral instructions are recorded in the scriptures and passed down to generations. Buddhism’s central ethics comprises the Five precepts or virtues and three Yoga principles. On the contrary, Hindu ethics is also known as nitisastra and is based on Dharma (Lipner, 213-217). Hindu morality focuses on four major topics: purusurtha, ashramas, varnashrama, and gunas ethics that guide people’s way of living. The examples of Hindu values and attitudes consist of harmlessness, accommodation, being straightforward, and showing compassion to other humans.
A primary similarity between Buddhism and Hinduism is that ethics addresses issues against human beings. Normally, Buddhism is about liberating a person mind. To achieve this Buddhism teaches Silla, Samadhi and panna which refers to morality, concentra5tion an d wisdom. Therefore, the sila is summed up by purifying the mind by doing what is good and abandoning the fear (Phong, 291-293). Besides, the sila developed the five moral precepts that address their followers not to harm fellow human beings, and it encourages abstinence from taking items that are not given freely. Additionally, the five precepts discourage false speech, consumption of intoxicating drugs and drinks, and sexual misconduct.
On the contrary, Hinduism ethics addresses how human beings should interact by relying on Dharma. Hindu ethics focuses more on Dharma, artha, karma, and moksha. This principle encourages people to speak the truth and seek ultimate authority. Unlike the five percepts, the Dharma is selfless. The Dharma in Hinduism states that a person can decide which acts to perform without basing on the outcome. In a way, Dharma focuses on all aspects of life essential to promote individual or societal welfare. It emphasizes the advantages of [performing actions with utmost sincerity. Kama and artha pursue security pleasures. The Kama refers to fulfilling sensual pleasures, whereas artha describes safeguarding individual materials to pursue power and money (Phong, 291-305). The artha and karma fundamentally make the Dharma. However, moksha refers to a total ending from seeking pleasures or freedom gained after seeking any pursuit.
Although both Hindus and Buddhists have Yoga essential in their religious practices, there are similarities and differences in the techniques between the two. In Hinduism, Yoga is necessary since it unites and integrates peace between the citizens. Yoga is a spiritual discipline that helps create a connection between the mind and the body and brings peace. Yoga is both an exercise since it helps in improving the health of a person (MacKenzie, 211). In Hinduism, Yoga is among the six primary schools of thought and is inspired by Vedas and concepts in the Hindu religion. Yoga is from the root word in Sanskrit, “yuj,” which illustrates unity.
Yoga allows the mind to connect with the reason, hence helping preserve and follow religious beliefs in the religion. The three Yoga in Hindu indicates the paths that help people understand the reality of the divine nature and the practices in the faith of the religion. The first Yoga is Janana, which stands for knowledge, where Hindus commit to studying the holy texts and meditating to interpret the Hindu sacred texts (Mazumdar, 470). Bhakti is the second Yoga that defines dedication and devotion in understanding the rituals and upholding prayer.
Karma Yoga is the third one where Hindus help each other selflessly in charitable and responsible ways. However, the different Yoga is Raja, which signifies the physical practices that enable one to develop control over their bodies through breathing that connects the mind and the body of a person. However, Yoga has a different perception in Buddhism. In Buddhism, Jnana Yoga is the Yoga of knowledge that allows for self-discovery (Michelis, 430). Although there is Yoga of expertise in both Buddhism and Hinduism, in Buddhism, the Jnana yoga provides for a person to have self-discovery.
People must show dedication by searching for the truth of the proper inquiries (MacKenzie, 205). The Bhakti Yoga stands for the path that a Buddhist takes, which is selfless and foiled with compassion for the appropriate learning of God both in the mind, heart, and soul. Yoga shows the love that one has for God that helps remove hate and vengeance from a person. The third Yoga is Karma Yoga, similar to Hinduism, where one’s activities bring consequences in the future (MacKenzie, 220). The actions include physical and mental activities that may positively or negatively affect people and those surrounding them. According to this Yoga, doing good brings good to one’s life. The universal law is an opposite reaction for every action and encourages people to do good since it always comes back.
To conclude, Hinduism and Buddhism share similarities and distinctions in their view for distinction. Both religions rely on karma as their primary teaching in that there should be a reaction in every action. Also, both do not believe in a materialistic world. On the other hand, there are several differences in morality. Buddhism abide by sila, while Hinduism relies on dharma teachings. Additionally, they both pursue Yoga to pursue different goals.
Works Cited
Lipner, J. “The truth of dharma and the dharma of truth: Reflections on Hinduism as a Dharmic faith.” International Journal of Hindu Studies, vol. 23, no. 3, 2019, pp. 213-237, doi:10.1007/s11407-019-09262-3.
MacKenzie, Matthew. “Virtue, Self-Transcendence, and Liberation in Yoga and Buddhism.” Self-Transcendence and Virtue, 2018, pp. 203-221.
Mazumdar, Arijit. “INDIA’S SOFT POWER DIPLOMACY UNDER THE MODI ADMINISTRATION: BUDDHISM, DIASPORA AND YOGA.” Asian Affairs, vol. 49, no. 3, 2018, pp. 468-491.
Michelis, Elizabeth D. “The Modern Spirit of Yoga.” The Oxford History of Hinduism, 2020, pp. 425-454.
Phong, Nguyen V. “Mindfulness meditation moderates the relationship between five prohibitions of Buddhism and subjective wellbeing.” Linguistics and Culture Review, vol. 6, 2022, pp. 291-305.
