How Did Buddhism Spread

In the present day and throughout history there have been several religions that have Buddhism are the third and fourth largest religions in the world but are not as night and day as most religions are. There are many similarities and differences between Buddhism and Hinduism as seen throughout the origins of both, how they spread, and their overall belief systems.
To begin, there are many similarities and differences between the origins of Hinduism and Buddhism. A few similarities both share are the fact that they were created in the great civilization of ancient India and were both based on two pre-existing religions, for Buddhism this was Hinduism and for Hinduism this was the Vedic religion and Indus river valley culture. However, there are also many differences. This fact is shown clearly by the fact that Buddhism had an original founder whereas Hinduism was a complex blend of different cultures with no clear starting point. This is shown in the text “Buddhism” …show more content…
Some of the key differences between both are that Hinduism was not actively trying to spread and did so mostly by trade and migration. However, Buddhism was spread by Emperor Ashoka by making it the Mauryan state religion and sending missionaries to distant lands like Syria, Greece, and Egypt. But, one extremely important similarity is that both religions blended with local customs and traditions. This is shown in two different texts, which state,”[Hinduism] developed over the centuries by drawing from India’s many religions and cultural traditions”(Hinduism text, page 1). And also shown for Buddhism in the text “Buddhism text” which states,”As it expanded, Buddhism took on new forms by adapting to local customs and traditions.” These two evidences show that both Hinduism and Buddhism were adapting to local customs. In conclusion, Hinduism and Buddhism have many similarities and differences in respect their