Similarities Between Hinduism And Buddhism

Both Hinduism and Buddhism are well-known religions. They are thought to share common beliefs, but that is entirely not true. In fact, many people would be surprised to see how many differences there are between these two religions. One belief that is completely different within these two religions is the concept of reincarnation.
Reincarnation is the idea that once we die, we will come back to earth, having been reborn in a different form. According to Hinduism, significant actions in your current life determine your physical form and your social status in your next life. In order to achieve a higher existence, you must fulfill your ethical duty. The duties that people must fulfill vary from social statuses but are mainly personal. Ethical duty mainly focuses on eliminating sin and impurities in an attempt to reach a greater goodness. When the time comes to die and the soul leaves behind its physical form, the soul begins samsara, the continuous cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, once again. All beings travel this path in an attempt to reach the ultimate artha, enlightenment. …show more content…
The ultimate artha is to reach moksha. Moksha is liberation from the continuous cycle of birth, death, and rebirth that is impelled by your actions. It is the end of samsara and is achieved by overcoming greed and desire. When moksha is finally achieved, your atman returns to its source, Brahman. Atman is loosely translated to soul. Each living thing has an eternal soul that came from Brahman, the cosmic soul and the source of life. When you reach enlightenment your eternal essence becomes one with Brahman once more and you are liberated from the suffering and impurities of the