Buddhism and Hinduism: Differences and Similarities

Buddhism and Hinduism are both widely practiced religions of the world, somewhat similar and somewhat different. In this essay I shall discuss those differences.

No one is completely sure of where Hinduism was started and by whom. Today, it is the world’s third largest religion. Many changes have come upon Hinduism since they practiced it first. Hinduism includes many different denominations and beliefs that have arisen. Though there are many things in common with all of the Hindu sects, their basic beliefs are what tie them together. Their oldest written documents, the Vedas, were written down in 1000 B.C. but had existed orally long before.

The religion of Hinduism teaches us that each living body is filled with an eternal soul. Hindus say that the individual soul was a part of the creator spirit, Brahma. It is each soul’s job and wish to eventually return to Brahma. It is not possible because of sins and impurities from the world; they are no longer pure and holy to return. The process of becoming pure is so difficult that no soul can accomplish it in one lifetime. The soul is forced to live life after life until it is pure enough to return to Brahma. The Hindus call the cycles of rebirths samsara, or the Wheel of Life. When a soul is finally cleansed enough to break free of samsara it is called moksha. The soul returns to Brahma for an eternity of contentment and ecstasy.

Buddhism is a reformed version of Hinduism. Buddha discovered the Four Noble Truths, which are the foundation for all forms of Buddhist philosophy. There is suffering, suffering is caused, eliminating the causes of suffering can extinguish suffering and the way to extinguish the causes of suffering is to follow the Middle Way stated in the Eightfold Path.

The Eightfold Path also comes from Buddha; it teaches to practice moderation. If followed, one may achieve true enlightenment, or nirvana. Nirvana is reaching Brahma in one lifetime. Buddha believed that you could live a perfect life and not have to continue in the samsara. The basic way to this is the Eightfold Path, which says to practice moderation by having the right mind set, actively wanting to eliminate suffering, not lying, insulting or causing suffering with words. Also, to have the right conduct, means of livelihood, endeavors, mindfulness and meditation. Buddhists believe that if you follow this you will be enlightened.
Many Buddhist beliefs are almost the same as a Hindu’s. Buddhists do not practice the caste system. One of the only ways to achieve nirvana in one lifetime is to be a monk or a nun. If you break an area in the Eightfold Path, then you cannot achieve nirvana. Also, in order to follow the 4th part of The Eightfold Path, all Buddhists are vegetarians. Killing of an animal is seen as causing suffering. Like the Hindus, an animal has a soul.

Despite all the talk about suffering, Buddhism is really about the absence of suffering. Buddhism is a way to develop the ability to love the entire universe, simply because it is. By understanding that the universe exits inside a blade of grass, just as the blade of grass resides within the universe. All things are inter-connected.

Hinduism and Buddhism also have several smaller differences. The area of greatest concentration for Hinduism is India. India is where Buddhism originated, but Hinduism eventually was a more appealing religion and became dominant. Buddhism is found mostly in East Asia, inside China and Mongolia. These areas prefer having small gods, as opposed to the Hindus only having three major ones and then smaller, less important gods. Buddhism was founded by Suddartha Gautama, or the Buddha. Hinduism was started gradually; no one knows for sure who founded it; most likely, it was many people. Both practice meditation, but they practice it in different forms. A Hindu will meditate obtaining inner peace through the charkras of the body. Once all of the charkras have been balanced, a white light is said to be above the person’s head, and they are enlightened. Buddhists meditate similarity, but have different variations of how it is preformed; their main goal is to end suffering.

The two religions of Buddhism and Hinduism are very alike, and yet very different. To accept their way of thinking, one must put aside their own religion. They strive for an inner peace, and finally to reach heaven through either moksha or nirvana. I being a Christian, have found in some ways it hard to understand the process of reincarnation, and Brahma. Though, I can see how that for people of another culture, these religions are very supportive, and soothing. Culture plays a big part in determining your beliefs. Obviously, they are very deep-rooted for surviving longer than Christianity. I admire their strong faith and their desire to become pure and unblemished. Hinduism and Buddhism are two major religions, firmly planted in their cultures, and I am sure that they will remain for a long time to come.

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Posted by admin on November 30th, 2008

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AIDS: The “Perfect” Disease

In the quest to find coveted vaccines against cancer, unscrupulous researchers injected human subjects with an array of dangerous viruses and cancer-causing agents. Consider:

* Throughout the 1950s researchers injected human subjects with transplanted cancer cells to see if human tumors were “transmissible.” They were.[1]

* In the 1960s, cancer researchers injected people with experimental monkey cancer and tumor viruses to see if animal viruses were capable of crossing the species barrier to cause tumors in humans. They were.[2]

* In the late 1970s, researchers mixed these same monkey sarcoma viruses with newly cultured monkey immunosuppressive viruses to see if they would grow in human cell cultures. They did.[3]

* In the early 1980s, an epidemic of rare sarcomas began in human populations suddenly infected with a mysterious immunosuppressive virus. This virus (HIV) was traced to a monkey virus similar to those grown in human cell cultures by cancer researchers just prior to the AIDS epidemic.

This brief sampling of published, cold-blooded human experimentation in decades of cancer vaccine research brings up horrifying questions about more recent developments, such as:

- Could the AIDS/cancer epidemic that exploded on the scene in the 1980s be the logical culmination of a horrific series of human experiments designed to induce cancer with viruses for vaccine research?

- Is this why researchers are confidently predicting that the AIDS-induced cancer epidemic will lead to long-sought human cancer vaccines, mirroring success in animal cancer vaccine experiments with immunosuppressive viruses?

In a shocking exposé by Jerry Leonard, AIDS: The “Perfect” Disease, the author shows why viruses like HIV were engineered for cancer research and provides evidence that vaccines were not only the goal behind AIDS but the source of it. He builds a case that public vaccine campaigns were used as the vehicle to create a “model infection” of human cancer, and thereby replicate decades of successful lab-animal experiments in human populations.

Moreover, the author chillingly describes why he believes that these types of experiments using vaccine programs will continue uninterrupted, with ever more powerful genetic engineering techniques, until the public realizes what is being done and demands that the exploitation end.

This book is designed to alert and educate the public as to how the goals of cancer researchers, noble though they may be, are being achieved through dangerous and unethical means.

Informed action is imperative. Such experiments must be exposed and halted, now.

To get the suppressed story behind AIDS, please read: AIDS: The “Perfect” Disease.

authorhouse.com/BookStore/ItemDetail.aspx?q3=JNbejHiNylo%3d

[1] C. M. Southam, “Homotransplantation of Human Cell Lines,” Bull. N.Y. Acad. Med., vol. 34, no. 6, June 1958, pp. 416-23.

[2] F. Jensen, H. Koprowski, J. S. Pagano, J. Ponten, R. G. Ravdin, “Autologous and Homologous Implantation of Human Cells Transformed In Vitro by Simian Virus 40,” Journal of the National Cancer Institute, vol. 32, no. 4, April 1964, pp. 922-937.

[3] H. Ogura, T. Tanaka, M. Ocho, To Kuwata, T. Oda, “Detection of Mason-Pfizer Monkey Virus Infection by Syncytia Formation of Human Cells Doubly Transformed by Rous Sarcoma Virus and Simian Virus 40,” Archives of Virology, vol. 57, 1978, pp. 195-198.

Jerry Leonard is a physicist who has been actively involved in microelectronics research and production for over 15 years. He has numerous patents and publications related to his scientific career. In his personal research he has analyzed the extensive though hidden role American corporations played not only in creating Nazi Germany but in recruiting Nazi war criminals following the war. Jerry documents how this resulted in the continuation of the unethical human experimentation conducted in Nazi concentration camps–including mind control research, which he proposes ultimately led to the assassination of JFK, and vaccine research, which he proposes led to AIDS and the continuation of Hitler’s eugenic mission. winstonsmith.net winstonsmith.net

Posted by admin on November 30th, 2008

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