The fundamental diffrence between Bhuddism and Hinduism.

[Quark23]

Hi friends,

Someone asked me today - "If you had to explain the fundamental difference between a Buddhist and a Hindu to an 8 year old - how would you do it?"

I have to admit this completely trumped me!

Anyone care to have a go?

It has to be a dead simple explanation.

Looking forward to your enlightened responses.

- Rahasya :Cool:

[Mana]

Namasté Quark23

A Buddhist is a Hindu in a cave.

He knows that there is light out side but does not make great heed of it.


praNAms.

mana

[Shivasati]

hello,

this question sent me straight to Google:)

I think this site will do the trick. I have an 8 year old, and I found that sometimes she would want more than a simple explanation. So, what I do now, is just what I'm suggesting.......visit the site with her......its tailored for kids.

http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/Homework/religion/buddhism.htm

Shivasati

[wundermonk]

The idea that transitory things bring displeasure [which is a common discourse that runs through Buddhism] was already there in the Upanishads which pre-date the Buddha.

Apart from that post-Buddha Buddhism is an atheistic philosophy. As a result, it cannot account for a first cause. Theistic schools of Hindu philosophy [Dvaita/Visishtadvaita] posit a first uncaused cause, God or Brahman. So, nearly all points of difference between general atheism and theism differentiate Buddhism from theistic schools of Hinduism - teleological argument, cosmological argument, etc.

Post-Buddha Buddhism defines "reality" as something that is eternal and unchanging. Consciousness of Advaita Vedanta is this reality. But modern Buddhists will not admit to this.

Apart from this there are issues related to cosmogony which Buddhism cannot answer. Right or wrong, ALL Hindu schools of philosophy posit their version of cosmogony.

In addition, to deny the existence of a soul, post-Buddha Buddhism had to resort to theories like the theory of momentariness, dependent origination, etc. which, IMO, cannot stand up to logical scrutiny. The post-Buddha Buddhism also doesnt seem to be able to account for memory and recollection.

I take pains to differentiate Buddha's teachings and post-Buddha Buddhism because Buddha himself was probably an agnostic. He would NOT deny the existence of an immutable thing called soul or the self, but post-Buddha Buddhists, in order to differentiate themselves from Vedantins ended up denying the self.

[devotee]

Namaste Quark,



Someone asked me today - "If you had to explain the fundamental difference between a Buddhist and a Hindu to an 8 year old - how would you do it?"


The differences are :

i) A Hindu thinks that the Buddhist is a Hindu whereas the Buddhist vehemently denies it.

ii) Hindu sees Buddhism as one of the paths like many other paths within Sanatan Dharma but Buddhist thinks that his Path is the only path to enlightenment while others are towards bondage and delusion.

iii) Hindu doesn't denies individual self but considers that this individual self has no separate existence & is born out of delusion ... and this individual self loses its existence into the Cosmic Self.

Buddhist denies any existence of individual self and also Cosmic Self. However he still does everything to be released from the cycles of death and births ... when logically "he" doesn't exist at all if there is no individual self to start with ... and therefore, by that logic, there is no need to make any effort for "Nirvana" ? He gets angry if you ask, "Nirvana for who, if you/individual-self don't exist ?".

iv) Hindu believes that the fourth state of Self is similar to Buddha-state but Buddhist doesn't accept it.

v) A Hindu believes that Buddha was an incarnation of God but Buddhist denies that .... but at the same time, he also keeps praying to Buddha for everything he wants !

etc. etc. ... but that would suffice for the child ! :)

OM

[wundermonk]

He gets angry if you ask, "Nirvana for who, if you/individual-self don't exist ?".

This is absolutely true...:)

I was on a different forum engaging a Buddhist and I asked him if no self exists, who exactly is the beneficiary of Nibbana? He wouldnt answer and as you said, got angry with me.

[PARAM]

Buddha was himself born Hindu in a Kshatriya Clan of Shakyas, his birth, education and marriage all were Hindu events. It was a Brahmin whose life made Siddharth to become Buddha, Buddist texts themselves claims his important teacher were two brahmins -Alar Klam and Rudrak Ramputra, Buddha's important friends were Brahmins- Aanj, Assaji, Vapp, Mahanaam, Bhavdiya. In his own life Budhha remained faithful to them in different way as a religious leader. Buddhism becomes separate from Hinduism many centuries later.