Hinduism Vs Buddhism Research Paper

In the 20th Century there has been a renewed sense of interest in religions that provide or embody a sense of love and enlightenment. Go online and you are bound to be inundated by articles that cite the benefits of yoga and meditation. By entering a simple keyword like ‘enlightenment’ you will see the litany of material items for purchase depicting the Buddha or Ganesha, coloring books of mandalas, books and videos designed by yogis to help us relieve stress or attract abundance, or Indian practitioners selling books about Ayurvedic medicine. In modern times, these concepts are being marketed as new age, but historically speaking the religions from which they exist are centuries old. All of these concepts originated in India, the birthplace

Both religions share the same goal of relief from the endless cycle that is life. According to KIiener, both religions “approach the spiritual through many gods.” Interestingly, as Buddhism preceded Hinduism, Buddha himself considered to be one tenth an incarnation of Vishnu (p. 446). While there are similarities, there are quite a few differences as well. Primarily, deities have many forms, as well as many names and surface depicted as different avatars. These mythological events in the lives of these deities, comprise the many idols that make up the religious symbolism seen in Hindu temples (Kleiner, p. 451, 458).

The Hindu temples Akshardam and Chintaman Ganesha portray a great example of a how a newly constructed temple architecture is still in keeping with even the most historic. The religious ideals in both structures encompass the Hindu religion; namely Dharma (Hindu beliefs, 2016) the spiritual belief that everyone is born into a debt to the Gods and others. Repaying the debt, finding prosperity, kama and an end or release from this world are inclusive in Hindu scripture. This religion or system of beliefs requires places for worship, or more over a place for their deities to

The temple pays homage to two Hindu deities, Ganesh and Lord Vishnu. Research on this temple revealed the belief that its existence was “self-manifested” meaning the idol and temple were not created by mortals, but rather it appeared. (CulturalIndia, n.d.) With that in mind, other research pointed the origins of the temple to the Parmara, though it was alleged to have been reconstructed sometime after. The temple features sandstone pillars, a large gathering area, and large dome with a corbeled top (Chintaman Ganesh Temple, n.d; Cartwright, 2015). The construction, or at times self-manifestation of a temple bring us back to the context of the analysis, the religious ideals reflected in the temple. Ultimately, without the Hindu scripture, spiritual deities and dharma, there would be no temple. The realization then is that, its creation then was for that specific purpose, and in that creation through religion, that temple with or without ornamentation is a symbol of Hinduism. Cartwright states that these inner sanctuaries and the deities’ purpose was to be served and honored. Attendants worship the deity like a living person, bathing, clothing and bringing offerings (Kliener, p.458) as well as performing rituals to “offer their thanks and reveal their hopes for a better life” (2015) and ultimately begin or continue to repay their