Three Great Eastern Religions

The Three Great Eastern Religions The three great eastern religions are, Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism that developed at different times, but their places of origin are relatively close geographically. There are some similarities, but also many differences between the three. Hinduism is reported to be the world’s oldest religion while Sikhism is one of the newest. Buddhism and Hinduism believe in reincarnation. Buddhists do not believe in a god while Hindus believe in many gods all based on Brahman. Sikhs believe that men and women are equal Hindus that everyone has a place in society and that one cannot change that place or caste. In the following paragraphs is a look at each religion individually. Buddhism’s start in Northern India …show more content…
Hinduism has no founder, single teacher or any prophets. For Hindus it is not a matter of what they believe, but more what they practice. Hindus believe in a universal soul named Brahman who takes on many forms. Hindus believe that everyone has a little bit of Brahman in them. Hindus also believe in reincarnation, which is the belief that the soul is eternal and is a part of persons, animals or even plant life and that every soul needs to experience life in many forms. Samara is the cycle of repeated births and deaths or reincarnations. They believe that this cycle or Samara is governed by Karma. Karma is the cause of our destiny. Our misfortunes in this life are the result of how we acted in previous lives. Therefore how we act in this life will determine our fate in future lives. Hindus therefore try to live their lives in a way that will make their future lives better. There are four goals in life for many Hindus. One is the release of the soul from the cycles of reincarnation called Moksha. Two is Dharma or the code for living our lives. An example of this would be respect for the elderly. Three is Artha or the gaining of material wealth by lawful means and fourth Karma by your actions you can determine the level you are reincarnated into. The most important Hindu gods, which are all forms of Brahman, are Brahman also known as the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver, and Shiva the Destroyer. Most Hindus have a shrine in their home and they also worship at Temple called Mandir. Water, fruit, flowers and incense are offerings made to the gods. There are three basic practices that are part of Hinduism which are worship, cremation and the caste