Hinduism & Buddhism
SSWH2.B
Founder / Origins
Buddhism
Hinduism
 Not founded by any
one person
 750 – 550 BCE:

First step in development
of Hinduism = Teachers
began to interpret hymns
from the Vedas
 Founded by Siddhartha
 Later called the “Buddha”

“The enlightened one”
 Circa 600 BCE
Key Beliefs
Hinduism
 “Moksha”

A state of perfect
understanding of all things
 Souls are reincarnated
until they reach moksha
 “Karma”


A soul’s good or bad deeds
follow it from one life to the
next.
Good karma = birth into a
good caste, good health, etc.
Buddhism
 Four Noble Truths:
 1 – Life is filled with
suffering
 2 – Suffering is caused by
desire for pleasure
 3 – The way to end
suffering is to end desire
 4 – The way to end desire
is to follow the “middle
path”
Major Gods
Buddhism
Hinduism




Brahma – creator god
Vishnu – protector god
Shiva – destroyer god
Devi – mother goddess
 Many other gods (all
seen as incarnations of
Brahma)

Eventually, Hindus saw
Buddha as an incarnation of
Vishnu
 No “gods”
 Goal is to reach
“Nirvana”

The release from
selfishness and pain
Sacred Writings
Buddhism
Hinduism
 Vedas
 Upanishads
 Writings of teachers who
interpreted hymns from
the Vedas
 There is not a single text
that all Buddhists follow.

The “Vinaya Pitaka” recognized by many
Buddhists as sacred

“Jatakas” – legends about
Buddha’s previous
incarnations
Effect on Society
Buddhism
Hinduism
 Strengthened the
traditional caste system
 Rejected the traditional
caste system

 Only members of the
higher caste levels
could achieve moksha
in their present life
Many people out of the
lower classes followed
Buddha
Modern-Day Traditions
Hinduism
 Followers are free to
choose which gods to
worship or may choose
to follow none of them
 3 paths to moksha:



Right thinking
Right action
Religious devotion
Buddhism
 Buddhism continues to
be practiced by Monks
who swear oaths of
poverty, non-violence,
and celibacy.
 Hinduism absorbed
many Buddhist beliefs
The Spread of Buddhism
SSWH2.B
Buddhist Population by Nation
Hinduism Dominated India
 Hinduism eventually
recognized Buddha as
one of the ten
incarnations of their god
Vishnu.
 As a result Hindus who
liked the Buddha’s
teaching saw no need to
convert to Buddhism.
Buddhism Spreads Through Asia
 The ideas and teachings
of Buddhism spread
from India along the
trade routes developed
during the “golden age”
of the Gupta Empire.

Most important trade
route = The Silk Road