The Individual's Role In Buddhist Society

1. Over the course of history, the view of a human’s role in society has been constantly changing. While some societies are very solitary, centered on the individual, other societies are focused on group identity and how the individual can do best to benefit the group. The view of the individual as being important or merely a pawn in the grand scheme of things greatly effects how the society is conducted and how successful the society is. The Buddhist society views humans as on the road to enlightenment, following in the footsteps of their leader, Buddha. The ultimate goal of the process, according to the Buddhists is to achieve an ending to a life of suffering. They value humans as important, but no more important than other living things. Humans are valued differently because of the road they are on, but they are not valued more highly than others. Buddhists believe one ought to do no harm. Because everyone is on this same path to nirvana, one should not interfere with another’s path to enlightenment. Buddhists believe that all living things have been endowed …show more content…
The Hindus believe that individuals are on a journey throughout their lives to reach enlightenment: a disconnection from all negative aspects connected to human life. They believe that humans are on the road to enlightenment throughout their lives; they are continuously going through the process of reincarnation until enlightenment is achieved. This influences how the Hindu live their lives on a day to day basis. They believe they ought to live lives of peace and harmony, doing good to the world and those in it. Hindus treat every being with respect and seek to maintain peace within their society. Civilizations such as the Hindu, Confucians, and Hebrews exemplify how directly religion can affect daily processes and society as a whole. Religion has the capability of molding societies through influencing the politics and culture of the