Indian Religion
Hinduism and Buddhism are considered to be two important religious aspects of India and the religious community. Of the two religions, Hinduism is infinitely more popular, with an incredible 82 percent of the population practicing it. There are significant differences in the belief systems and caste divisions. Although there is division in some areas of Hinduism, there are many area incommon. For many Indians, religion is a way of life. It is an integral part of the entire Indian tradition. India is home to Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and other innumerable religious traditions. Muslims are the most prominent religious group and are an integral part of Indian society.
Hinduism does not advocate the worship of one particular deity. One may worship Shiva or Vishnu or Rama or Krishna or some other gods and goddesses or one may believe in the 'Supreme Spirit' or the 'Indestructible Soul' within each individual and still be called a good Hindu.
There are festivals and ceremonies associated not only with gods and goddesses but also with the sun, moon, planets, rivers, oceans, trees and animals. Some of the popular Hindu festivals are Deepawali, Holi, Dussehra, Ganesh Chaturthi, Pongal, Janamasthmi and Shiva Ratri. These innumerable festive occasions lend Hinduism its amazing popular appeal and make the Indian tradition rich and colorful.
There are some similarities between Hinduism and Buddhism. Buddhism is based on the principle or the law of impermanence. According to this practice, it is the karma which leads to the occurrence of all events.
http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/india/religion.htm
Hinduism does not advocate the worship of one particular deity. One may worship Shiva or Vishnu or Rama or Krishna or some other gods and goddesses or one may believe in the 'Supreme Spirit' or the 'Indestructible Soul' within each individual and still be called a good Hindu.
There are festivals and ceremonies associated not only with gods and goddesses but also with the sun, moon, planets, rivers, oceans, trees and animals. Some of the popular Hindu festivals are Deepawali, Holi, Dussehra, Ganesh Chaturthi, Pongal, Janamasthmi and Shiva Ratri. These innumerable festive occasions lend Hinduism its amazing popular appeal and make the Indian tradition rich and colorful.
There are some similarities between Hinduism and Buddhism. Buddhism is based on the principle or the law of impermanence. According to this practice, it is the karma which leads to the occurrence of all events.
http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/india/religion.htm
Whether Buddhism is actually a religion is under debate. Buddhism has it’s origin in the words of the ‘enlightened one’ or Buddha. Buddha, the man, did not originate from a divinity. His name was Siddhartha Gautama, the son of a wealthy family who at the age of 29, being disillusioned with the pain and suffering inherent in life, spent seven years wandering as an ascetic, a monk without possessions. He received his first enlightened revelation sitting in meditation under a boddhi (fig) tree. Buddhism is a practice devoted to ‘right living’ by following Four Noble Truths and the Eight Fold Path. It is based on personal experience, the salvation of the self by the self rather than by the mercy of divine grace. Buddha spent forty-five years teaching this Dharma before his death in 253 BCE, however, it was not for some two hundred years before a thousand monks took nine months to record his teachings in the written word. Buddhists believe in a cycle of birth and death and that all of life has consequences (karma). While they may not believe in a creator they do believe that all life is sacred and as such follow a strict moral code. The purpose of life is a transformational process. However, to approximately 300 million Buddhists their practice may well be considered their religion and to say otherwise may hold religion within a very narrow view.
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http://www.abc.net.au/religion/stories/s796474.htm
interestingly the standard theory regarding buddhism is that it arose from a reaction to overly rigid, class based and prescriptive form of Brahminism (i.e. an early form of hinduism). Some go further and say that early buddhism spearheaded a process of spiritual democratization!! i.e. it didn't matter whether you were poor or rich, one could still achieve enlightenment
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