One of the other beliefs associated with Buddhism which made people more inclined to take part in it was the belief that humans are reborn after dying. Karma is the force which determines samsara, which is the cycle of rebirth (Harvey 1990,-page 40)
Karma is the force which determines samsara, which is the cycle of rebirth (Harvey 1990,-page 40). In this life, they should do good things so that the person could have a better life after they are reborn, a process called sila; people who do bad things are reborn as lower beings while those who do good deeds are reborn as higher life forms (Manishini 2013)
Since they cannot be taken to the next stage of existence which is eternal as opposed to the present life, then they are not worth suffering over. According to the Buddha, it is only through meditation that a person can reach nirvana, and this is done only by following the Noble Eightfold Path (Sucitto 2010,-page 87)
This would allow for the mind to escape from the confines of the physical form and reach a higher plain of consciousness. Other intentions for meditation are developing mindfulness, developing better concentration skills, obtaining supramundane powers which are the powers of knowing or obtaining higher knowledge, feeling tranquility and peace, and gaining insight (Thanissaro 1994)
According to the fundamental teachings of Buddhism, it is a polytheistic religion because the followers do not have a belief in Supreme Creator or a Godly figure. This aspect makes differentiate Buddhism to Christians, who have firm belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and hence the values and fundamental characteristics of Christians evolve around the life and teachings of Jesus Christ (Cornish, Schreier, Nadkarni, Metzger & Rodolfa, p
Besides, religion has always been integral in the human society. In fact, it is inseparable from one another in a way that it strongly unites and connects the nation and the group of individuals under one roof (Hastings, p
In this regard, Christian's doctrine teaches its followers a proactive path and trail of living, which is to follow the concepts of self-denial of physical desire, morality, and justice. Moreover, the Christian principle undoubtedly affirms the fundamental and vital concept of life that it is relatively painful, where the worldly desires and aspirations are the prime cause that only leads to sorrows, agony and pain (Jones, p
When they pray, it is a way of connecting with their God. The most prominent similarities and contrasts between Buddhism and Christianity Similarities Among the similarities between the two religions is that, in both religions, the founders births' are mysterious (Netland & Keith 67)
They both emphasize on charity towards the poor and aspire for greater spiritual perfection. Differences The differences are irrefutable, as Buddhism does not talk of a Creator, God while Christianity believes in a divine creator of Universe (Wallace 26)
They do not practice preaching with passion and noise, but rather do it quietly and calmly, although they do not have a book of religion. They rely on literary books written by the Buddha or other spiritual leaders (Edelglass & Jay 43)
Buddhism and Christianity Buddhism "Religion is not some dry rational idea but rather a fundamental viewpoint of life: a person hears a teaching that makes sense, finds via familiarity that it relates to their psychological composition positively, gets a real taste of the same via practice and adopts it as their spiritual path" (Faure 11)
The Christian religion has its foundation on the belief of a loving God. In essence, God is Love as Christians believe (Wright 65)
It is either divine or human. The religion originated from the Abrahamic faith (Hanegraaff 41)
Among other of divinity beliefs, is the belief on reincarnation and the afterlife. Buddha once said, "Life is a journey, and that death is a return to the earth" (Conner 76)
The proceedings of the Third Council, refuted the allegedly heretical, and false views held by some Buddhist sects and adopted "Pali Canon" -- believed to be the earliest record of oral teachings of Buddha -- as the only scripture of Theravada Buddhism. (Akira 256-258) Mahayana Buddhism: Origins and Basic Doctrine The seeds of evolution of Mahayana Buddhism were sown when the Mahasanghikas, a liberal branch of the Buddhist community, broke away from the more conservative mainstream some time before the reign of Indian king Ashoka in the 3rd century BC
" This is reminiscent of the Protestant reform movement of sixteenth century Europe that claimed to be restoring the original form of Christianity rather than creating a new Christianity. (Hooker) Another important difference between the two doctrines is in their concept of Buddha himself
Buddhism Japanese vs. Chinese Buddha Comparison According to Mark Schumacher, "simplicity, emptiness, directness, and naturalness" are the hallmarks of Japanese artistic depictions of the Buddha (Schumacher, 2006)
The first tenant is Perfect Vision, which means the right view or understanding of nature's realities and the "path of transformation." (Allen)
These two religions (Buddhism and Jainism) are extremely similar in that they both accept all people and reject authority and the caste system, but Buddhism differs greatly from Jainism in that Buddists are taught to follow a path through the middle of "worldliness and extreme asceticism." (Hopfe, and Woodward 127) The creator of the Buddhist religion is attributed to a man named Siddhartha, who live between the years 560-480 B
Buddhism and Christianity As a system of belief, Zen Buddhism arrived in Japan in the 14th century as the result of liberalization of trade relationships between Japan and China after finding it entry into the far eastern cultures through India. (Kitagawa, 1966) Buddhism is a system of belief with many sects that follow individual masters who are said to have achieved a new revelation on how to apply the Four Noble Laws