Buddhism Vs. Hinduism: The Noble Eightfold Path

Francine Wanjiku

Essay 1

Buddhism vs Hinduism

Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Gautama, who came to be referred to as Buddha and is one of the oldest religions in the world. The original Buddhism does not entail godly figures but the Buddhist sects introduced some gods whereas Hinduism has 300,000 gods. One Buddhism sect, the Tantrayana, is based upon tantric practices which are also practiced in Hinduism especially among worship of the Goddess Kali and Shiva. This similarity makes both religions similar but also different in their way. One of the central beliefs of Buddhism is rebirth. It is believed that people are born many times before their current life and the cycle recurs. We are therefore in a nonstop cycle of death and rebirth and to stop this cycle and escape suffering permanently, nirvana (existence without limitation) must be attained. Therefore, the main goal of Buddhism is to attain nirvana by being released from the cycle of rebirth and death. While this is the case for Buddhism, Hinduism’s goal is to break the cycle of death, birth and reincarnation and to also attain salvation through the Path of Knowledge, Devotion or Good Deeds. Reaching Enlightenment or Nirvana and following the Noble Eightfold Path are ways Buddhists

The Noble Eightfold path outlines eight recommendations that “the Buddha taught will lead us toward liberation from the impermanence and suffering of reality. Together, they describe three main goals: to face life objectively, to live kindly, and to cultivate inner peace” (Molloy, 134). The four Noble Truths are truths about the cause of suffering and ways to attain release from it. Buddhists firmly believe in these teachings of Buddha and do not believe in the Vedas which are ancient scriptures of India. Contrary, Hinduism believes in the teaching of the four Vedas; Rigveda, Samveda, Yajurveda and