Kristen Knopf Comparative Religions Thursday 8:30am-11:15am March 6, 2014 Ancient Religions Buddhism and Hinduism share many similar beliefs. The idea of ​​being reborn after death until you reach a certain point where you reach Nirvana, or Moksha, as they refer to the action of being freed from the cycle of life, death and rebirth. Both of these religions share the belief that karma is one of the factors that defines a person's place in the world. Likewise, both religions advocate nonviolence against all living beings. In Hinduism and Buddhism there are many different levels of heaven and hell and higher or lower worlds. Each of these religions practices spiritual meditation, concentration, and the cultivation of special states of mind. The idea that detachment, or renunciation of worldly life, is a precondition for entering Nirvana or spiritual life, is also shared by both religions. Desire is considered the main cause of people's suffering, and every religion aims to teach its followers to eliminate desire and desire from their lives to get closer to achieving Nirvana. While there are many similarities in both religions, they each also contrast in many ways. Buddhism is a non-theistic religion, meaning that practitioners of the Buddhist religion do not recognize or worship a God. Instead, practicing Buddhists follow the teachings of a man named Siddhartha Gautama, more commonly known as Buddha. The term “Buddha” can be translated to mean “the awakened one”. Buddha's followers recognize in him the enlightened teacher who would be able to help them let go of human desires, desires and ignorance to achieve the goal of reaching the state of nirvana. The two different main branches of Buddhism are... in the center of the card... the hearts of all beings and knowing this, recognizing this as fact, will set you free. “Do unto others as you would have them do.” do it to you”, or the Golden Rule written in the Bible seems to have a universal meaning for many religions. Hinduism and Buddhism follow this rule as a way of life. Not harming any living creature and, in doing so, receiving equal respect through Karma is part of the foundation that both religions share with many others, though perhaps not by the same definitions. For both a Hindu and a Buddhist, achieving Karma by following this rule is the key to reaching Nirvana. Although they do not study and worship in the same way, Hindus generally tend to strictly follow the religious cult of the Vedas, while Buddhists follow the teachings of Buddha and life and do not recognize any deity, their ultimate goal is the same: to achieve Nirvana..