Dbq On Religion

There are several ways in which religion could affect the lives of its’ followers. Hinduism and Buddhism are both good examples of religions that prove this theory. Despite their similarities and differences in beliefs, both religions hold in common the impaction of religion upon their believers’ lives. Hinduism is a belief system that originated in India. Hindus believe in reincarnation, or the rebirth of the soul. This continuing cycle is called samsara, and the only escape from it is when a person reaches Moksha. Moksha is the Hindu resting place for the soul, or when a person is supposed to be united with Brahman, the Hindu God. Document 2 states, “To do that, individuals must free themselves from selfish desires that separates them from Brahman.” What life a person receives when they reincarnate is determined by a person’s karma, the consequences of one’s decisions in a future life. The kind of life people live is determined by caste, as since Hindus believe karma affects your future social status, a person is born into a caste, which is a variation of a social scale or a person’s position in society.

For example, because it is believed karma affects reincarnation, a person is born into a caste and is then forced to stay in that caste for the remainder of their lives. Document 3 states, “Their caste membership determined the work they did, whom they could marry, and the people with whom they could eat.” This could work out well for some people but not as much for others. For example, the untouchable group is the lowest Hindu caste, and they often don’t have any other choice than to work filthy, unsanitary jobs such as cleaning public toilets. Another way Hinduism affected people was by their decisions. Because people wished to achieve Moksha or wanted to receive a better next life, they often obeyed Hindu rules. This made people generally more considerate towards each other and decision less