...A Deeper Look into the Similarities and Differences of the Belief in Karma and Reincarnation in Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism “All of the religions in the world, while they may differ in other respects, unitedly proclaim that nothing lives in this world but Truth” –Mohandas Gandhi. Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism are three major world religions that differ on many different levels, but they all collectively provide hope and meaning to the lives of people all over the world. The Marriam-Webster dictionary defines karma as the force generated by a person’s actions held in Hinduism and Buddhism to perpetuate transmigration and in its ethical consequences to determine the nature of the person’s next existence. Reincarnation is defined by the Marriam-Webster dictionary as rebirth in new bodies or forms of life; especially: a rebirth of a soul in a new human body. Karma and reincarnation are core concepts in the Indian religions, although their specific views on each vary. The Hindu’s view of karma is causality in which good deeds, words, thoughts and commands lead to beneficial effects for a person, and bad deeds, words, thoughts and commands lead to harmful effects. Hinduism beliefs say that karma is the force of punitive justice that Brock 2 encourages believers to behave according to Dharma, the moral order of the universe. Karma is an essential portion of the Hindu worldview because Hinduism governs not only individuals but society as a whole. Karma sustains active worship...
Words: 1466 - Pages: 6
...Critical Thinking Assignment Sarah Brown L25205543 APOL 104 I.) In Hinduism, the Question of Origin asks how life began. Not a single specific person can be linked to the Hinduisms origin. The word “Hinduism” is not in the scriptures and this makes it difficult for researchers to determine when Hinduism actually began. Hinduism is a system that “attempts to maintain a complex polytheism on the one hand, and an earth-based worship of nature on the other.” (Hindson & Caner, pg 263) At some point in between Hinduism was born. The Question of Identity is answered by the Hinduism worldview as everything is spiritual/sacred in life. Some believe “that a man’s soul is eternal and when he reaches a state of Nirvana, their soul (Atman) will become one with Brahman (Hinduism’s concept of eternal soul).” (Weidler & Gutierrez, 2011) Hinduism believes in reincarnation, which is determined by karma. The Question of Meaning or Purpose is answered by the Hinduism’s worldview as they view everything as an illusion. People usually believe that is a person doesn’t learn to understand this concept that they will stay in the lifecycle of birth, death, and rebirth. “Like a dream or a mirage, our life and everything around us does not really exist as we know it.” (Weidler & Gutierrez, 2011). The Question of Morality is answered by how they strive to be in a state of perfection, also known as moksha. To get there, they must release all wrong and evil doings. They do this by doing...
Words: 590 - Pages: 3
...Assignment: Hinduism Paper Write a 700- to 1000-word paper answering the following questions: o Considering that Hinduism lacks a uniting belief system, what makes up the Hindu religion? o What are the cultural and societal influences that have made Hinduism vital to the region in which it originated? o Explain the desire for liberation from earthly existence. Format your paper according to APA standards. Hinduism Hinduism Sanatana Dharma makes up the Hindu religion, which is also known as Hinduism. “The spiritual expressions of Sanatana Dharma range from extreme asceticism to the extreme sensuality, from the heights of personal devotion to a deity to the heights of abstract philosophy and the oneness behind the worship of a multiple of deities.” (Fisher, 2005, pg 69). Hindu’s do not view Hinduism as a religion but as a way of life. A person is a Hindu either by birth or chooses this form of worship. Hinduism is made up of beliefs that have changed through the centuries and the new additions to the belief system can be one of many reasons for its lacking a uniting belief system. According to Fisher (2005), there are “extreme variations within the Hinduism system of Santana Dharma which has been shown throughout time. Some scholars argue that there are no central traditions that can be called Hinduism proper” (pg 69). Forms of worship can be diverse depending on the village visited in India...
Words: 1219 - Pages: 5
...Buddhism and Hinduism are two very comparable religions. One way that Buddhism and Hinduism are similar is that they both believe in a type of reincarnation. In Buddhism, reincarnation centers around their idea of Karma, which is the sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence, and is ultimately viewed as deciding their fate in future existences. This means that their actions have consequences. Every good thing a person does affects them in a positive way, and every bad thing a person does affects them in a negative way. As a person continues their lives making these choices, their Karma is always changing. According to Buddhism religion, followers of Buddhism continue to make these better choices, which in turn makes their Karma better, until they have reached the point that their mind becomes free and pure. This is when Buddhist reach the state of Nirvana, which is the ultimate happiness, and Buddhists lose their sense of self and become released from the cycle of rebirth. Nirvana is the ultimate goal of Buddhism, as their fluctuating Karma is their idea of rebirth or reincarnating, until they have reached their ultimate happiness in the state of Nirvana In Hinduism, the idea of reincarnation is more of the traditional cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Hindus believe that their souls are pure and everlasting, and what they do in one life directly correlates with what there next life will hold. A Hindu’s soul will reincarnate into a being repeatedly...
Words: 649 - Pages: 3
...whether it be Christianity, Judaism, or even Hinduism, everyone has their faith. I view religion as a way for societies to bond over a common belief of life and the way life should be. When it comes to extremely spiritual and religious countries such as India, I view religion as a way to become a part of something much bigger than human existence. In India religion is a way of life. Although Hinduism is extremely complex, the three elements that intrigue me the most are the 330 million deities, the idea of reincarnation, and lastly the ways karma can affect the lives of people. Technically in Hinduism there is only one god named Brahman, however, Hinduism has a large number of 330 million gods all representing different aspects of Brahman. The reason for having such a large amount of gods is to embody every key element Brahman has. The three main gods of Hinduism are Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Brahma is the one who created the world, Vishnu protects and preserves the universe, and Shiva destroys the old and creates new things (Robson 29). The idea of 330 million gods doesn't necessarily relate to experiences from my life, I grew up in a Christian household and we only worshiped one god, but the idea of having so many different options to...
Words: 482 - Pages: 2
...Hinduism Paper HUM/130 June 8, 2012 Hinduism Paper The Hindu concept of god is confusing to most Westerners. The religion is generational and its beliefs and traditions are hard for those not brought up in the belief to comprehend. God to those of the Hindu faith is an omnipresent deity. Most Western religions see the supreme being, or god, as an individual and give the deity an individual identity. Hinduism does this to some degree, but recognizes thousands of god and goddesses Hinduism has a polytheistic concept of god at first glance. (McDowell & Brown, 2009). There are thousands of gods and goddesses that worshipped by its adherents. Three of the major deities in Hinduism are Vishnu, Rama, and Shiva. Vishnu is steadfast in the principles of order, righteousness, and truth. Rama is the deity of chivalry and virtue. Shiva is the deity of death and dissention. The text and my conversation with a follower of Hinduism seemed contradictory. I assume that my conversation with the follower was confusing due to the language barrier. Her words and descriptions were different than those in the text used in this class and the books that I use for research. Though there is a polytheistic view of a god in Hinduism, there is a monotheistic concept of a singular entity. Trimurti is the absolute entity that consists of the deities of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2014). This entity could seen as the Holy Trinity recognized in Christianity. Hinduism...
Words: 517 - Pages: 3
...Hinduism Death, Dying and Destiny Ideas about what happens after death, and its connection with how life is lived on earth, is a fundamental part of all religions. Many people accept death as the end of any form of existence. However others argue that death is not the end of life. The Australian Catholic University has held this conference about Death and Dying to address some of the ultimate questions that humans have always asked themselves. This particular seminar will deal with the aspects of death, dying and destiny. The religion that will be investigated around the issue of death, dying and destiny will be Hinduism. Based on the essence of Hinduisms framework and various interpretations of scriptures the basic fundamentals of what is expected of followers in life and death are dictated what expectations are up held and performed. What happens after death, and its connection with how life is lived on earth, is fundamental to every religion. These beliefs and ideas; help people make sense of life, give support and comfort at times of loss and bereavement, and provides purpose to life (BBC; 2014). In Hinduism it is believed that any attempt to permanent happiness in this world is an illusion (maya). Hindus believe that a person’s atman (spirit) is permanent and cannot change while the physical body is permanent (About Religion; 2014). This quote from Bhagavad Gita 2:22 (As a man casts off his worn-out clothes and takes on other new ones, so does the embodied soul cast off...
Words: 2053 - Pages: 9
...Hinduism, the world’s third largest religion with almost a billion followers, is considered by many to be more a way of life and less of a religion. Unlike other religions, Hinduism supports different beliefs as opposed to one. “Hinduism embraces a great diversity of beliefs, a fact that can be initially confusing to westerners accustomed to creeds, confessions, and carefully-worded belief statements. One can believe a wide variety of things about God, the universe and the path to liberation and still be considered a Hindu” ("Hindu Beliefs,”). One of the best ways to describe the primary difference between Hinduism and other religions is that “Hinduism grants absolute and complete freedom of belief and worship. Hinduism conceives the whole world as a single family that deifies the one truth, and therefore it accepts all forms of beliefs and dismisses labels of distinct religions which would imply a division of identity. Hence, Hinduism is devoid of the concepts of apostasy, heresy and blasphemy”(De Lingen & Ramsurrun,). There are, however a handful of important uniting beliefs that all Hindus subscribe to; beliefs that generally identify the borders between Hindu and non-Hindu. They are the belief in the existence of a soul that is reborn upon death into a new life, the idea that your destiny is determined by Karma and the goal of one day obtaining enlightenment. Reincarnation, also known as Punarjanma, is the “religious or philosophical concept that the soul or spirit, after...
Words: 1078 - Pages: 5
...Buddhism and Hinduism are often regarded as two of the most popular Eastern religions. However, the two faiths are occasionally mistaken as the same religion due to their numerous similarities. Unlike many Western religions, both religions believe in the concepts of reincarnation and karma in the journey to achieve enlightenment. Despite these similarities, each religion perceives incarnation differently. They differ in regards to the notion of the presence of a soul and have contradicting views regarding the means of achieving nirvana. This paper will evaluate Buddhism and Hinduism as distinct religions by examining the differences in the cycle of reincarnation as a path to liberation from the physical world. It is a common thought that both Buddhists and Hindus believe in the concept of reincarnation as the transmigration of a soul to another body after death. Hindus believe that life on earth is not a discrete event that occurs once. They believe that a soul makes multiple appearances on earth through reincarnation. This soul is a permanent, conscious entity that inhabits a body, and at the time of death, leaves that body and goes on to assume another body. In Hindu belief, this soul is not limited to reincarnation in human beings, but rather any living being including animals and plants. The soul has a karma that follows it through the transmigrations. This karma is a “log” of good and bad deeds it performed in its past lives.1 If a soul has a good karma,...
Words: 1047 - Pages: 5
...I. Hinduism 1. The Question of Origin. “Hinduism does not trace itself to a founder or a starting point in history” (Hindson & Caner 2008). Historians trace Hinduism back to before the birth of Christ but so specific dates can be given. So much is unknown about the Hindu religion that it can’t be trace to a single individual. Hinduism began with the merging of polytheism and glorification of nature. 2. The Question of Identity. Hinduism has millions of gods. “One picks the deities that most deeply impact our own personal lives” (Hindson & Caner 2008). Hindus believe the Gods that they choose to follow will lead them to be reincarnated at a higher state of being. 3. The Question of Meaning/Purpose. Hinduism has for goals in life. They are pleasure, wealth, harmony, and liberation. They are known by Hindus as kama, artha, dharma, and moksha. The first two goals bring about evil and suffering, in order to obtain the last two goals the first two must be abandoned. By following these goals they hope to be reincarnated at a higher level. 4. The Question of Morality. In the Hindu religion they believe in karma which is a cause and effect type belief. It is a, what goes around comes around type of thinking. If a person does things that they know are wrong they will be negatively impacted later in this life or in their next reincarnation. They also believe that being or doing good in this life will help them to reach a higher state of being in the next reincarnation. ...
Words: 614 - Pages: 3
...Hinduism Hinduism Beliefs Lindsey Painter Hum/130 Religions of the World Scott Matkovich May 13, 2012 Hinduism Beliefs “Our beliefs determine our thoughts and attitudes about life, which in turn direct our actions. By our actions, we create our destiny.” (http://www.himalayanacademy.com/basics/nineb/) I now know more about Hinduism beliefs from the research of this paper. It is a belief that believes in karma, reincarnation, and in one God. Considering that Hinduism lacks a uniting belief system, what makes up the Hindu religion? The Hindu's have always known this philosophy of freedom of action, for the reason that they had a perfect religion, a religion on which one aspect of God was characterized as human, and their various Deva's are nothing but various characteristics of human nature, each of them adored and worshipped. In this way not only God, but the whole human nature in all its aspects was adorned and worshipped. Hinduism, which is actually known as the Sanatana Dharma or Eternal Truth, has many uniting belief systems. Hinduism definitely has some uniting beliefs that all people of the faith follow. Hinduism teaches that all living things are Brahman in their core. In other words, all living things are Brahman, or God. Enlightenment is attained by becoming tuned in to the Brahman within. Only then can one reach Nirvana. The release from the wheel of life that allows access to Nirvana is known as “moksha...
Words: 756 - Pages: 4
...Hinduism. In Hinduism, Hindus consider Braham to be an impersonal force of existence. Most see the universe as being continuous with and extended from being of Braham. They believe Braham didn’t create mankind. The question of identity for Hinduism is that they consider all life to be sacred or spiritual in nature. Hindus believe the man’s Atman is eternal and when he or she reaches Nirvana their Atman will become one with Brahman. They believe in reincarnation and karma. Basically they believe what goes around comes around. Good karma brings them closer to Nirvana. Bad karma results in being reborn into a lower life from extending the time it takes to reach Nirvana. They also consider animals and humans are similar and they think they should be regarded as partners in search of eternal oneness. Hindus meaning of life is to understand life as an illusion. They believe life and everything around us doesn’t really exist. Hindus believe the purpose of man is to understand life and all that seems to be real is an illusion. They believe the sooner they understand that the quicker the karma cycle can end. The question of morality to Hindus is that they believe that God is everything and everything is God. Morals and ethics are how one should act toward itself. In other words their actions will return through karma, and it’s up to them to determine what those actions should be and how they should be carried out. The question of destiny to Hindus is that they believe...
Words: 550 - Pages: 3
...Hinduism Paper HUM130 University of Phoenix, Axia College * Hinduism known today as Sanatana Dharma lacks a uniting belief system. It is still considered a religion due to a number of factors, because of this Hinduism is a challenging religion to define. The Hindu religion varies vastly, and is considered both monotheistic and polytheistic. Various cultural and societal influences have made Hinduism vital to India the origin of Hinduism. A Hindu’s karma is the deciding factor of reincarnation. Once a Hindu’s karma is worthy of liberation then their soul is no longer reincarnated and is release from earthly miseries. Hinduism like Christianity has several denominations or categories. Millions of deities are worshiped by Hindus because they feel the divine does not have to have just one face, but can have many faces. “Three main groupings of Hindus are the Saktas who worship a Mother Goddess, Saivites who worship the god Siva, and Vaishnavites who worship the god Vishnu. Every follower has a preferred deity while honoring other deities also.” The collective belief system of Hindus is what makes up the religion. It is described by the Indian supreme court as “Acceptance and reverence for the Vedas as the foundation of Hindu philosophy. A spirit of tolerance, and willingness to understand and appreciate others points of view, recognizing that truth has many sides. Acceptance of the belief that vast cosmic periods of creation, maintenance, and dissolution continuously...
Words: 692 - Pages: 3
...Hinduism Hinduism is a way of life, not just a set of beliefs. It is the largest of the five major religions in the world; with global numbers in the millions and higher. The term Hindu was used to describe the people of India who did not convert to Islam when the Muslims took over in the Middle Ages. There are three major features to the religion; that there is no founder, the belief in reincarnation, and the belief in karma. Hinduism is more living the right way and has no founder, it also has no set structure, doctrine, or creed; allowing for diversity in its beliefs. Reincarnation is the belief of a cycle of rebirth, meaning that once the soul dies it will be reborn as either a human, animal, or spirit. Karma is the belief that what is done by or unto a person has a direct effect on death and reincarnation. Though diverse in beliefs, both karma and reincarnation are believed by all Hindu. Being a diverse religion and having a vast system of beliefs are positive aspects of Hinduism that I would share. The diversity that Hinduism offers allows its followers the freedom to choose what parts they believe in and worship; such as which deity to revere, what festivals to celebrate, and which practices to follow. The vast system of beliefs encompasses numerous priests, temples, and millions of deities. The beliefs of Hinduism differ amongst regions and even village to village. It is my opinion that people do discriminate based on religion...
Words: 490 - Pages: 2
...where they are practiced. They give guidelines on how to live their lives and affect every aspect of their cultures. Two such belief systems and philosophies are Hinduism and Confucianism. Hinduism is a religion with no founder. The people who practice this religion believe in moksha and reincarnation. Moksha is the freedom from earthly desires and a complete understanding of the world. Reincarnation is the belief that people are reborn over and over again until achieving moksha. Whether or not they are born into a good life depends on their previous life’s karma (good or bad deeds). In Hinduism, they also have a caste system. It divides people into four social classes and hardly gives any social mobility at all. People are decided which class they belong to at birth. For example, if a child is born into a family of slaves, that child will be a slave for the rest of his life. Confucianism is a philosophy started by Confucius in China. In Confucianism, the people valued education and believed in filial piety, the respect for elders. They also believed in the spirits of ancestors and created the famous quote, “do not do unto others, what you would not want them to do unto you.” Hinduism and Confucianism greatly affected the people and societies they were practiced in. In Hinduism, because of the belief in reincarnation and karma, people avoided doing bad deeds. Those who achieved moksha gained a complete understanding of the world and got rid of their desires. However, the caste...
Words: 2489 - Pages: 10
