Comparison and differences of the philosophy of the religions of Buddhism and Hinduism video. What is Hinduism and how does it differ from Buddhism

The oldest types of religions possess extremely interesting and exciting mythology, unusual approaches and outlooks on life. They contain extremely much wisdom, even for those who are not going to become a direct adherent of a particular religion.

At the same time, Buddhism and Hinduism have quite a lot of common and different features that make them extremely unique individual. types of beliefs.

It is worth noting that both types of religions - Buddhism and Hinduism, were born on indian subcontinent  and therefore they adopted extremely many common features, traditions, and characteristics characteristic of the social, social, and cultural nature of the life of the local population.

It is important that both of these religions coexist peacefully at the present time, while they are abundantly supplemented, expanded and intertwined with a huge number of directions, among which Jainism, yoga and even Christianity and Islam are worth mentioning.

Many legends speak of history of occurrence  Buddhism. In accordance with basic subjects and concepts, the founder of this religion was born in 563 AD under the raja and Queen Mahamaya. It was May Day, and a full moon shone in the sky. By tradition, 8 seers were invited, who saw exceptional signs in a newborn baby.

Name   Siddhartha Gautama  is exactly what a great teacher received at birth. Given that the beautiful mother died soon after childbirth, the father sought to make his son's life as happy and devoid of possible suffering.

The turning point in the life of the Tsarevich came when, already at the age of 30, he left the palace for the first time. It was here that he saw the poor and sick people, the hermit, and the dead, who showed him that life was full of suffering, death, illness, and deprivation. At the same time, the prince clearly realized that no material goods could change this course of events in principle.

It was in self-knowledge that he found his own unique path, which allows one to achieve the very truth of existence. Renouncing a rich and well-fed life, he went on a journey with the sole purpose of achieving his own enlightenment. 6 years he wandered on the verge of death and exhaustionhowever, it was on his birthday after 49 days of meditation that he realized the truth. At the age of 36, he reached an understanding of the following ways to get rid of suffering.

It was thirst and desire that were singled out as the main sources of suffering. The cessation of suffering is possible through the rejection of thirst and the attainment of Nirvana directly. Buddhism is extremely tightly connected with such teachings as karma, and it is a person who determines his own fate, the course and course of things. Therefore, Buddhists deny the existence of the soul.

They believe that any form of being is instantaneous, and life is a series of flashes that create some kind of semblance of stability. Buddhism closely intertwines its teachings and vision of the development of the universe with the rebirth of all living beings.

Buddhists say that there are no divine powers, and there is only a person who lives his own life and is responsible for all aspects that happen to him. Only a complete deliverance from illusions can offer Awakening. Usually this state is achieved through self-organization, following the basic commandments and meditation.

If we talk about Hinduism, then this doctrine does not have any clear doctrine. Hinduism itself is difficult to imagine as any single, holistic religion. This is a huge number of currents that are directly based on ancient Vedic traditions. The very origin of these beliefs is attributed to extremely ancient times, which are distributed between the 16th or 15th centuries BC.

This time, which significantly anticipates all the known world religions, and even individual movements. Hinduism is rightfully considered one of the most ancient religions of human civilization in principle. Despite the fact that there is an absolutely unimaginable number of religious movements, there are certain key similarities.

Among them are the following. Firstly  it is a recognition and full reverence for the primordial divine principle. The worship of the most diverse images of the higher beings of the colossal Hindu pantheon is considered absolutely accepted and traditional. Second key factor  is the full recognition and veneration of the laws of the wheel of Samsara.

Hinduism says constant   soul relocation between different living things as a result of death and birth. Moreover, the law of karma is superimposed on the previous law, where the dependence of the next rebirth on the actions in the previous one is directly manifested. Extensive meditation techniques, the practice of yoga and other similar aspects are inextricably linked with classical Hinduism.

Area of \u200b\u200borigin and distribution hinduism —   Indian subcontinent, most professing this religion live in the Republic of India. The historical name of Hinduism is sanatana dharma, which is translated from Sanskrit as "eternal path" or "eternal law." The modern term "Hinduism" has arisen on the basis of the word "Hindu", which is a Persian version of the Sanskrit name of the Sindhu River (Indus).

It is important to emphasize that Hinduism itself does not have one founder, does not represent a single religion with a harmonious creed, but includes many religious paths that have the same Vedic roots, but sometimes contradict each other.

Hinduism is internally heterogeneous and represents several directions. First of all, it is divided into two streams - Shaivism (Shaivism) and Vishnuism (Vaishnavism). These movements take their names from the names of the Hindu gods - Shiva and Vishnu. Both directions are essentially polytheistic cults, since Shiva and Vishnu have gods-children, goddesses-spouses, the veneration of which is also mandatory in the context of religious practice in both directions. In every direction, Shiva and Vishnu claims to be the head of the polytheistic pantheons of India. In turn, Shaivism and Vishnuism also fall into several directions. In parallel with Shaivism and Vishnuism, folk Hinduism flourishes, expressed in the worship of hundreds of local deities, who, in most cases, are in conjugal or family ties. At the same time, with popular Hinduism in India, there is a powerful organization of the priestly class of brahmanas who store the main texts of religion and engage in ritual practice.

All areas of Hinduism are united by several provisions:
  1. faith in the gods and their veneration in the form of idols (murtis), that is, statues and sculptural images.
  2. faith in the relocation of souls, that is, the ability of the soul to inhabit the bodies of all types of living beings - from insects to humans (samsara).
  3. The belief that the order of rebirth is determined by the acts committed during life and their consequences (karma).

Shaivism and Vishnuism insist on the possibility of liberation (moksha) from the law of reincarnation through the veneration of deities. For this, supporters of these areas are developing various methods of liberation (yoga). The methods proposed by Shaivism and Vishnuism for liberation from samsara are multivariate. However, they all one way or another include two points:
  1. veneration of the leading god of the polytheistic pantheon and related deities.
  2. a system of mental and physical exercises to achieve indifference to earthly life.

Hindu cults and methods of overcoming samsara were criticized by another religious movement, which also appeared in India -   Buddhism.
  The founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama (from about 623 BC to 543 BC), who accepted the epithet Buddha (in Sanskrit, literally, “awakened”), decided that for liberation from samsara, Hindu cults and methods are imperfect . He reduced his religious worldview to four points:
  1. The world is full of suffering (dukkha).
  2. The cause of suffering is the result of my bad karma generated by attachment to everything earthly (samudaya).
  3. suffering can be stopped (nirodha)
  4. There is a way to end suffering (margin)

In the teachings of Buddha, the need for Hindu cult practice was no longer necessary, the more polytheistic deities of India were assigned a more modest status. The adept of the doctrine was to direct his efforts towards achieving the state of extinction of all earthly desires ( nirvana  in Skt. “Fading, termination”) by one’s own efforts. For this, an octal path was proposed for the correct view, determination, speech, behavior, lifestyle, effort, direction of thought and concentration, through which liberation from all attachments must be achieved. At the same time, Buddha did not reject the polytheistic picture of the world in essence. Places of deities turned out to be unoccupied and gradually began to be inhabited by beings who reached nirvana (or refused to enter it - Bodhisattvas) and numerous gods who "adopted" Buddhism. Thus arose a complex Buddhist pantheon, requiring priests and ceremonies.

In Buddhism, two main directions can be distinguished: Mahayana (the great chariot) and Theravada (Theravada - the teachings of the oldest). A distinctive feature of the Mahayana is the desire to liberate all living beings without exception. She develops the bodhisattva cult (“the one whose essence is enlightenment”) as creatures who consciously abandon nirvana in order to free everyone. Mahayana gained distribution in China, Korea, Japan, Tibet, Mongolia, as well as among a number of peoples of Russia (Buryats, Kalmyks, Tuvans). Mahayana Tibetan Buddhism (Lamaism) has developed a powerful hierarchical structure and complex ritual practice in which the heads of the hierarchy are declared living bodhisattvas. Theravada - the only surviving of the directions of early Buddhism. There is no Bodhisattva teaching, the ritual is simpler. Theravada Buddhism is prevalent mainly in Sri Lanka (Ceylon), Burma, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. In the Buddhist community (sangha), the division into monks and laity is accepted. Followers of Theravada believe that only monks can reach nirvana.

Assessment of Buddhist teachings.
  Buddhism, in contrast to Christianity, preaches the absolute rejection of the world; its ideal is the complete destruction of the world and, above all, the destruction of personal being, self-destruction.
  The efforts of a Buddhist sage all the time are aimed not at discovering the positive basis of facts and phenomena of the life process, not at finding the truth, but at exposing the negative qualities of being, at figuring out the phantom and deceit of things, actions and phenomena that make up the content of life. Throughout this complex, semi-philosophical, semi-mystical work, a continuous striving is made not for the greatest reality, not for absolute being, not for God, but for a decrease in the intensity of being, for the fusion of a self-decomposing and artificially decomposed living being with absolute non-existence, with nirvana . This is not a growth of spirit, constituting the goal of Christian asceticism and mysticism; it is, in the true words of Buddhism, "the cessation of the spirit."
  Consistent with this basic tendency of Buddhist ecstasy, it is icy cold, a real breath of death. In all arguments there is not a single word about love. But then, how many worries, thoughts, dreams of "extinction," of "termination" ...
If the ultimate goal is the deliverance from reincarnation and the complete destruction of personal being, then virtue is reduced to the degree of only a preparatory means, which at a certain level of perfection threatens to become an obstacle to the goal. Indeed, deeds committed in real life must be transferred to a new reincarnation. Bad deeds are not profitable: they will lead to a new incarnation with increased suffering. But good deeds also lead to a new incarnation; it is true that they provide “heavenly joys,” but they are despicable because they are not eternal and do not deliver rebirths.
  “No matter how great the needs and requirements of others, no one should sacrifice their own salvation for them,” we find in the body of Buddhist morality.

Von Schroeder (researcher of Hindu culture) says: “Again and again, on the side of Buddhism, is denial; on the part of Christianity - affirmation. To love, to suffer and, finally, to live - this is the duty, this is the desire of a true Christian! Not to love, not to suffer, not to live - this is the ideal of a Buddhist. It truly reveals the deep and wide, abyssable gulf of Buddhism and Christianity. ”
  Having rejected the idea of \u200b\u200bthe Creator and the creature, and understanding the world as only evil, one undue, the philosophy of Buddhism introduces evil into the Absolute itself, in which an incomprehensible "vanity," "excitement" arises, giving rise to an insignificant world that deserves only destruction.

Hello dear readers!

Our talk today is about how Buddhism and Hinduism are different and how similar.

Both exercises arose in the vast Indian subcontinent, i.e. we can say that "genetically" they have a common origin. Comparing Buddhism and Hinduism, it should be noted that despite the fundamental differences, over the centuries-old history, there have not been a single clash on interreligious grounds between supporters and adherents of both philosophical movements.

Both teachings coexist peacefully and at present, harmoniously interwoven with such areas as yoga, Jainism, Sikhism, Christianity and Islam.

A bit of history

The emergence of Buddhism is fanned by beautiful legends. According to them, in 563 BC, a son was born in the family of the Rajah and Queen Mahamaya on May day of the full moon. Eight seers who were invited by the father of the child to determine his future saw exceptional signs in the newborn baby and predicted that he would become either the great king or Buddha.

The boy received the name Siddhartha Gotama (Gautama), which means one who has achieved his goal. His mother died soon after birth. The father tried in every possible way to protect his son not only from religious trends, but also from the suffering of the world around him.

Having left the chariot for the first time outside the palace in the thirtieth year of his life, Gotama saw what changed his whole future life. Seeing on the street at first the beggar, then the sick old man, and after the hermit and the dead, he suddenly realized that inevitable events exist in the world: aging, illness, death, deprivation, torment, and no material wealth can change this course of life. Self-knowledge is the true path to understanding the truth of life.

Such thoughts forced him to abandon a rich, well-fed life and pushed him to wander in order to learn and achieve Enlightenment. A long journey of deprivation, six years on the verge of exhaustion, ended on his birthday, after 49 days of meditation under a ficus tree, when the realization of Truth came.

Gautama achieved Enlightenment at age 36, realizing the cause of all human suffering and the way to get rid of it. From that moment, he will be called Buddha, which means Awakened or Enlightened.

Learning Basics

Four noble truths are the foundation of Buddhism. They can be summarized as follows:

1. Suffering exists.
2. The reason for it is thirst or desire.
3. Perhaps the cessation of suffering - the achievement of nirvana, the rejection of thirst.
4. The road to deliverance from suffering is the Eightfold Path.

Being on his verge of death in his wanderings, the Buddha realized that neither worldly goods nor self-torture lead to the knowledge of truth. The Right Way lies in the middle, includes such categories as wisdom, morality, spiritual discipline.

The main doctrines of Buddhism are:

• The doctrine of causation and karma, explaining that there is no cause and effect of any phenomenon in the world, but there are conditions for its occurrence or non-occurrence. The suffering of a person depends on his actions and actions that determine karma - fate.
• The teaching of anatmavada is the theory of the negation of the soul.
• The teaching of instantness. Its main provisions are postulates: being is instantaneous, and any state is impermanent. Events occur like a flash, forming “patterns” caused by causal karmic connections. Life consists of separate outbreaks that create the illusion of some stability.
• Buddhist cosmology - the doctrine of the universe, the development of the universe, about rebirth.

Surprisingly, it is a fact: scientists in the field of nuclear and quantum physics have found confirmation of the correctness of the Buddhist theory of kalps - periods of the emergence and destruction of the universe.

The main postulate of the doctrine is the following statement: there are no divine substances. There is a person who lives his life and is responsible for everything that happens to him. The state of Awakening can be achieved by getting rid of illusions. The path of self-restraint, following the commandments and meditation helps to see life as it is.

Hinduism briefly

The doctrine does not have a founder and a clear doctrine. In fact, Hinduism is not a single religion. It is a collection of various currents based on the Vedas. Its appearance dates back to the 16-15th centuries BC, which is much earlier than the advent of Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. This fact allows us to consider Hinduism as the most ancient religion of human civilization. Despite the existing large number of currents, their differences from each other, they all have common similarities, expressed in the following features:

• The recognition and veneration of the divine principle, the worship of images and statues.
• The recognition of the laws of Samsara is the possibility of the transmigration of the souls of some living beings to others.
• Recognition of the laws of Karma. Reincarnations depend on perfect actions.

Hinduism preaches the reading of mantras, practices yoga and meditative techniques, approves ritual sacrifices, as a means of obtaining divine blessings to the one who performs them.

The differences and similarities of the two religious teachings

Having considered some key points and features, it is much easier to talk about how Buddhism differs from Hinduism. What is the difference and how similar these two religious areas can be represented in the form of the following table:

Both teachings, despite the fundamental differences, have similarities in common, which allows some scholars to consider Buddhism as one of the branches of Hinduism. Buddha borrowed such concepts as Karma, Samsara, Dharma and many others, giving them a completely different meaning and interpretation.

Both religions practice mantra reading, meditation and yoga, but the purpose and ways of finding the truth of life are different.

Bertrand Russell, a British philosopher and mathematician, noted that the theory of Buddhism provides a concept and explains many phenomena that are not subject to science.

Conclusion

Buddhism is not only a special religious direction, it is also a separate type of philosophy of life. If you liked the article, share information about it on your social networks. Perhaps she will help someone close to you who are in search of the essence and meaning of life.

1. Introduction
2. Hinduism and Buddhism: the emergence and development.
3. The attitude of Hindus and Buddhists towards death and suicide.
4. Conclusion
5. Bibliography

Introduction

The Ancient East was the birthplace of great cultures that pulled a person from a primitive myth, but did not overcome the mythological method of man's relationship to the world. The world of oriental culture is still the world of outer space, in which man is only a small particle, but oriental beliefs occupy an intermediate position between myth and religion, that is, the myth is placed at the service of the state, therefore it is overcome as much as it requires administrative public order, the power itself is religious.

Most scholars agree that Buddhism dates back to the 6th century BC. From this moment begins the story of a new, distinctive culture engendered by Buddhism. But, given the high level of Indian civilization of that period, it is clear that traditional culture had a great influence both on the appearance of the new religion and on Buddhist philosophy itself.

Of course, the dominant position at that time was occupied by Hinduism and, first of all, the Vedic culture that arose seven hundred years before Buddhism.

Hinduism refers to pagan religions, or rather it is a huge system of religions, sects and trends, united by a common tradition and the sacred texts of the Vedas. Hinduism is also characterized by the desire to maintain and strengthen the tradition of dividing society not only into castes, but also into classes of the uninitiated and consecrated, i.e. brahmanas - involved in the rituals associated with the oral and ceremonial Vedic tradition. The pantheon of deities in Hinduism is huge. In each area, as a rule, or even in a separate genus, one or two deities occupy supreme positions, and several minor deities and spirits stand out. A huge role in the religious and social life of the Hindu is played by a powerful ritual system. There are both daily, weekly ceremonies, and many-year cycles of ceremonies for each member of the family or society, painting the daily life of an Indian literally by the hour. Brahmanism also carefully preserved the tradition of dividing Indian society into Varna. It is clear that it was quite difficult for any new teaching to arise and develop in such conditions. On the other hand, a system so rigid and overloaded with conventions could not but give rise to some kind of freethinking, and, by the time Buddhism arose in India, in addition to branches of classical Hinduism, there were some alternative directions.

Hinduism and Buddhism: the emergence and development

The area of \u200b\u200borigin and spread of Hinduism is the Indian subcontinent, most professing this religion live in the Republic of India. The historical name of Hinduism is sanatana dharma, which is translated from Sanskrit as "eternal path" or "eternal law." The modern term "Hinduism" has arisen on the basis of the word "Hindu", which is a Persian version of the Sanskrit name of the Sindhu River (Indus).

It is important to emphasize that Hinduism itself does not have one founder, does not represent a single religion with a harmonious creed, but includes many religious paths that have the same Vedic roots, but sometimes contradict each other.

Hinduism is internally heterogeneous and represents several directions. First of all, it is divided into two streams - Shaivism (Shaivism) and Vishnuism (Vaishnavism). These movements take their names from the names of the Hindu gods - Shiva and Vishnu. Both directions are essentially polytheistic cults, since Shiva and Vishnu have gods-children, goddesses-spouses, the veneration of which is also mandatory in the context of religious practice in both directions. In every direction, Shiva and Vishnu claims to be the head of the polytheistic pantheons of India. In turn, Shaivism and Vishnuism also fall into several directions. In parallel with Shaivism and Vishnuism, folk Hinduism flourishes, expressed in the worship of hundreds of local deities, who, in most cases, are in conjugal or family ties. At the same time, with popular Hinduism in India, there is a powerful organization of the priestly class of brahmanas who store the main texts of religion and engage in ritual practice.

All areas of Hinduism are united by several provisions:

1. faith in the gods and their veneration in the form of idols (murtis), that is, statues and sculptural images.
2. faith in the transmigration of souls, that is, the ability of the soul to inhabit the bodies of all types of living beings - from insects to humans (samsara).
3. the belief is that the order of rebirths is determined by the acts committed during life and their consequences (karma).

Shaivism and Vishnuism insist on the possibility of liberation (moksha) from the law of reincarnation through the veneration of deities. For this, supporters of these areas are developing various methods of liberation (yoga). The methods proposed by Shaivism and Vishnuism for liberation from samsara are multivariate. However, they all one way or another include two points:

1. veneration of the leading god of the polytheistic pantheon and related deities.
2. a system of mental and physical exercises to achieve indifference to earthly life.

Hindu cults and methods of overcoming samsara were criticized by another religious direction, which also appeared on the territory of India - Buddhism.

The founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama (from about 623 BC to 543 BC), who accepted the epithet Buddha (in Sanskrit, literally, “awakened”), decided that for liberation from samsara, Hindu cults and methods are imperfect. He reduced his religious worldview to four points:

1. the world is full of suffering (dukkha).
2. the cause of suffering is the result of my bad karma generated by attachment to everything earthly (samudaya).
3. suffering can be stopped (nirodha)
4. there is a way to end suffering (margin)

In the teachings of Buddha, the need for Hindu cult practice was no longer necessary, the more polytheistic deities of India were assigned a more modest status. The adept of the doctrine was to direct his efforts towards achieving the state of the extinction of all earthly desires (nirva? In Skt. "Extinction, termination") by his own efforts. For this, an octal path was proposed for the correct view, determination, speech, behavior, lifestyle, effort, direction of thought and concentration, through which one must achieve liberation from all attachments. At the same time, the Buddha did not reject the polytheistic picture of the world in essence. Places of deities turned out to be unoccupied and gradually began to be inhabited by beings who reached nirvana (or refused to enter it - Bodhisattvas) and numerous gods who "adopted" Buddhism. Thus arose a complex Buddhist pantheon, requiring priests and ceremonies.

In Buddhism, two main directions can be distinguished: Mahayana (the great chariot) and Theravada (Theravada - the teachings of the oldest). A distinctive feature of the Mahayana is the desire to liberate all living beings without exception. She develops the bodhisattva cult (“the one whose essence is enlightenment”) as creatures who consciously abandon nirvana in order to free everyone. Mahayana gained distribution in China, Korea, Japan, Tibet, Mongolia, as well as among a number of peoples of Russia (Buryats, Kalmyks, Tuvans). Mahayana Tibetan Buddhism (Lamaism) has developed a powerful hierarchical structure and complex ritual practice in which the heads of the hierarchy are declared living bodhisattvas. Theravada - the only surviving of the directions of early Buddhism. There is no Bodhisattva teaching, the ritual is simpler. Theravada Buddhism is prevalent mainly in Sri Lanka (Ceylon), Burma, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. In the Buddhist community (sangha), the division into monks and laity is accepted. Followers of Theravada believe that only monks can reach nirvana.

Comparative analysis of Hindu and Buddhist tantras

The purpose of Buddhism and Hinduism reflects an understanding and experience of the unconditioned or ultimate reality of each tradition. For Hindus, in general, the goal is to free the personal Atman from the cyclical existence and merge with the impersonal Brahman or to be eternally one with the chosen deity. Each person will ultimately achieve this permanent state, from which there is no return to cyclic existence. The most important exception are avatars who constantly “descend” to the earth when chaos and evil prevail. Tantric Buddhists want to achieve Buddhism in the shortest possible time, not to avoid a cyclic existence, but to help other beings achieve Buddhism as soon as possible. The Vajrayana sadhana, including Chinnamund Vajravarahi Sadhana, states directly or implies that the birth of the Boddhichitta, the four immeasurables and the dedication of merit are components of sadhana, emphasizing this altruistic intention to attain Buddhism to save all sentient beings. The Bodhicitta concept and the Bodhisattva ideal are some of the most distinctive features of Mahayana Buddhism. Another important difference between Hinduism and the Mahayana is that all Mahayana methods operate with the underlying premise of understanding the voidness of essential being. There are many methods to achieve these goals, and some of these methods can lead the practitioner astray. Many Hindu and Buddhist tantric sadhans warn practitioners not to be fascinated by receiving siddhas and other supernatural powers. These forces are so attractive that many practitioners seek to acquire these worldly means and are not interested in freeing themselves and others. A true and sincere practitioner sees in them only a means to an end, and not the end itself. Hindus have eight siddhas, but they are different from Buddhist ones. Eight Great Buddhist Siddhas:

1. Khadga - the ability to be invincible with a sword endowed with power through certain mantras;
2. Anjana is an eye balm that eliminates ignorance;
3. Padelepa - the ability to be “swift” or an ointment that makes a person “quick walker”;
4. Antardhana - the ability to become invisible;
5. Rasa-Rasyana - the alchemical ability to turn base metals into gold or the possession of the elixir of immortality;
6. Kechara - the ability to fly through the air;
7. Bhuchara - the ability to instantly appear anywhere;
8. Patala - the ability to visit the lower worlds.

The following are Hindu siddhis:

1. Animan - an ability becomes very small, down to the size of an atom;
2. Mahiman - the ability to become very great;
3. Laghiman - the ability to become very easy;
4. Gariman - the ability to become very heavy;
5. Prapi - the power to receive everything [desired];
6. Prakamya - force of irresistible will;
7. Ishitva is the power of superiority;
8. Vashitva is the power to subjugate everything [existing].

Comparing these worldly accomplishments with the eight Siddhas and the six supernatural powers of the Buddhists, the similarities are obvious. They include the main interest in superiority or submission, in changing the form, in controlling the elements or, at least, the ability to get out of the control of their influence, and, in general, in managing animate and inanimate objects. Although one should not strive to achieve all these siddhis and supernatural powers in order to gain strength, they can be used to attract a person to the path of Buddhism or Hinduism.

Let us take a look at the specific methods described in the two sadhans of the Hindu Chinnamasta and the Buddhist Chinnamund Vajravarahi. The “Chinnamastatantra” of Shakta Pramoda is divided into nine parts, starting with the visualization of the deity and ending with the repetition of a thousand names. Among all the Cinnamunda Buddhist sadhans, none is as complete as the Hindu, and some sections, such as kavacha and the thousands of names, are rarely found in Buddhist sadhans. If we single out the section of the ritual offering (puja), which is the heart of all daily tantric practices in both traditions, we can formulate both main schemes common to all tantric practices and the pronounced differences between Buddhism and Hinduism. The Hindu section of pooja begins with the usual preparatory practices, which include worship of the guru and the practitioner's chosen deity (ishtadevat), followed by tantric preparatory practices. The Buddhist section of the puja of ordinary preparatory practices also begins with worship of the deity and guru, but also includes taking refuge in the Three Jewels, the birth of bodhichitta, and cultivating the four immeasurable ones - all this underlying the premise of the voidness of essential being. The Hindu puja continues with the purification of the practitioner by ablution, which in Buddhism is represented by purification through the recitation of the hundred-syllable mantra of Vajrasattva.

The next Hindu section consists of various nyas that give the practitioner strength and turn his body into a divine. This exceptionally detailed piece is comparable to the Buddhist sanctification of a practitioner's body; however, both Chinnamasta traditions insist that in order to worship, the ordinary essence of the practitioner must be transformed into an extraordinary essence. In a Hindu ritual of bhutasiddhi, a practitioner imagines that his or her body, consisting of five elements, gradually dissolves in Brahman, then the body incarnates again in the reverse order, indicating that it is of the same nature as Brahman. In the Buddhist cleansing ritual, the practitioner visualizes his body completely free from contamination, and after cleansing the body is gradually blessed by Vajrasattva and his consort. The blessing begins with the head, followed by the throat, heart and the whole body. After completing the purification and sanctification, the practitioner can meditate on Chinnamast / Chinnamund, and draw or visualize her “home”, which in Hinduism is known as yantra, and in Buddhism as the mandala. The Hindu sadhana adds detail to the visualization of the Chinnamasta dwelling, introducing a special shell ritual of great importance to Hindu tantric worship. This particular shell is often filled with wine, indicating the blessed nature of the Goddess. This is followed by pitha puja. Although the yantra mandala, the special shell and pith (the throne of the goddess) are known as her home, she is everything in this ceremony. A practitioner must identify everything with Chinnamasta.

Thus, both Hinduism and Buddhism contain three main preparatory practices: 1) purification of oneself, 2) sanctification of oneself, and 3) visualization of the Chinnamasti / Chinnamunda and the creation of its home. This is followed by the actual session of meditation on the deity, which the practitioner in both traditions begins with the invitation of the deity. Here we are faced with two main differences between the Hindu and Buddhist sadhans. In Buddhist sadhana, the practitioner imagines or experiences (depending on his abilities) the voidness of the essential being before starting the actual visualization. He then visualizes himself as Chinnamunda. In Hindu practice, by contrast, the voidness of essential being is not mentioned, and Chinnamasta remains with the practitioner. Since the Chinnamasta is in front of the practitioner in the Hindu tantra, one who has already transformed into a deity can breathe in life breath (pranapratistha) and sanctify her six limbs, while in the Buddhist sadhana the practitioner has already passed this sanctification, so he doesn’t have having to perform this ritual while he / she visualizes herself as Chinnamunda. In the final part, both sadhans have some similarities. An important difference is that in the Buddhist sadhana, which adheres to the Mahayan ideals of altruism, the practitioner completes the sadhana with the dedication of merit - a fundamental Buddhist component that is absent in the Hindu sadhana. Regarding the fire ceremony in both traditions, the practitioner presents certain objects to the fire, repeats certain mantras and performs the ceremony for specific purposes. The concept of fire sacrifice (yajna) originated in Vedic times and was eventually adopted by both tantric traditions. According to Hindus, there are six kinds of achievements as the results of certain versions of the ceremony of fire:

1. appeasement (shanti),
2. influence (vasyam),
3. “Stun” (stunning, immobilization, English - stunning) (stambhanam),
4. product of discord or hatred (dwesham),
5. forced flight (ukkatana)
6. killing (marana).

Buddhists distinguish four types of achievements:

1. appeasement (shanti),
2. increase in well-being (paustica),
3. dominance (vashikarana),
4. destruction (marana).

The former (appeasement) and the latter (annihilation) are the same in every tradition, and the rest of the Hindu categories can be classified as “dominant” in Buddhism. Moreover, the dominance and murder categories belong to the “terrifying rituals” (abhikara) section. Sadhans do not contain special fire ceremonies for each type of achievement specially adapted to Chinnamaste / Chinnamunda. Although many of the main components of the Chinnamasta / Chinnamunda practice are similar in the two traditions, there are fundamental differences at the same time.

The attitude of Hindus and Buddhists towards death and suicide

Hinduism and Buddhism come from the same root, but their unification in one chapter is explained not so much by their common origin, but by a certain similarity in relation to death. The great eastern denominations, to a much lesser extent than Judaism, Islam and especially Christianity, are concerned about the ethical assessment of suicide and generally are not inclined to consider suicide as a matter of paramount importance. Such composure is due to the fact that Buddhism and Hinduism have a different attitude to death.

For a person of an oxidental culture, death is beyond, from which there is no return. The Last Judgment is far away, and its verdict is unknown, the Resurrection is not destined for everyone - in general, the unknown lies in wait for the coffin of a person. In this case, death is considered, firstly, as an event of enormous, all obscuring importance, and secondly, as something terrible, terrifying.

Both eastern religions proclaim the recurrence of earthly rebirths of a person who is destined to live many times and die many times. At the same time, the wheel of samsara, a series of reincarnations, is a difficult test that must be endured with dignity, and then, having attained holiness, the soul will break out of the vicious cycle and will no longer have to endure the flour of new births or the flour of new deaths. The idea of \u200b\u200breincarnation, common to Buddhism and Hinduism, makes suicide meaningless and even harmful - but not out of fear of God, but out of completely rational considerations. Voluntarily passing away from life will not achieve anything - karma will again put him in the same situation, because a person could not cope with it. Suicide still will not save you from the suffering that has befallen you. Moreover, since the level of current incarnation is determined by behavior in the previous incarnation, selfish suicide moves away from nirvana. Suicide is not an option, but there is no need to dramatize it either. There will be another life, there will be another chance.

However, there are situations in which suicide can move a person far ahead along a chain of rebirths and, possibly, even break it altogether. That is, both Hinduism and Buddhism recognize that sometimes killing oneself is not only excusable, but even commendable. Everyone remembers Buddhist monks who self-immolating themselves in the 60s in protest against the American occupation of Vietnam. It is unlikely that these people expected that with their terrible death they would force the Americans to withdraw their troops, but they believed that with the act of self-sacrifice they would attain the status of holiness. It seems that the Nobel laureate and future suicide bomber Kawabata Yasunari did not agree, writing: “Even if you experience the deepest aversion to reality, suicide is still not a form of satori. The highest moral suicide is still far from the saint. " But in response, the monks could refer to the Agama Sutra, which contains the words of Shakyamuni, approving the suicide of one of his students.

Of course, speaking of Hinduism and Buddhism, only the broadest generalizations can be made - both great eastern religions are divided into numerous branches, schools, sects, and each has its own philosophical and ethical system, its own tradition, its own ritual, its own attitude to death in general and to suicide in particular.

Classical Hinduism, the oldest of the existing religions (three and a half thousand years), is the most apathetic and pessimistic. For him, life in all its manifestations is an unconditional evil, and death, non-existence is an unconditional good. The ideal path of the soul is to fulfill your earthly duty and join the Great Void as quickly as possible (that is, for the minimum number of rebirths). The highest of castes, brahmanas, are tolerant and even supportive of suicide, if it is perfect for higher considerations. In the Laws of Manu it is said: “A Brahman who, without fear and grief, frees himself from his body by one of the methods bequeathed to us by the saints, is considered worthy of being admitted to the seat of Brahma.” True, the same laws allowed the exacting holiness to die only after reaching a certain age, and only if he had at least one son. Religious fanatics ordered to bury themselves alive in the ground.

Two suicidal rituals are associated with Hinduism, which at one time made a deep impression on Europeans.

The English word juggernaut, used in the meaning of “all-devastating colossus,” came from the name of the god Jagannatha, a special person of Vishnu-Krishna. In the city of Puri, where the Jagannatha sanctuary is located, the rathayatra, the ceremony of carrying the statue on the massive chariot, which is pulled by hundreds of temple servants and pilgrims, has long been held. In earlier times, the most ardent pilgrims rushed under heavy wheels in a fit of piety, believing in the goodness of such a death.

While cases of the voluntary death of fanatics under the wheels of the “Juggernaut Chariot” probably did not occur very often, then another Indian custom - sati (suicide of widows) was very widespread. Sati literally means "virtuous wife." This custom is rooted in ancient times and was once common among many ancient peoples, including the Scythians, Thracians, Chinese. Men like to think that they make up the whole meaning of the existence of their women, but the ancients had more opportunities to force a widow to prove her love and devotion in the most radical ways. Reprimanding the modern Romans for infidelity and frivolity, Propertius (I century BC) set them an example of Indian wives:
Blessed is the law of eastern burials!
When, from a torch igniting fire,
Bonfire incinerates the husband’s body,
Spouses faithful for honor and right fight
The last way to accompany him.
Saint Jerome, who had not yet suspected that a century later the church would launch a campaign against suicide, also praises such selflessness: “They [Indians] have a law according to which a beloved wife must go to the stake with her dead spouse. Wives compete with each other to win this right, and the highest reward of chastity is to be considered a winner. That of the wives who turned out to be the most worthy, puts on the best clothes and lays down next to the corpse, kissing and hugging him. Glorifying purity, she despises the raging flames. "

Initially, the last duty of fidelity was to be observed only by women of the higher castes, but over time, sati began to be applied very widely, especially in Gujarat, Rajputan and Punjab. The sharp decline in social status, coupled with the pressure of public opinion, forced many widows to choose a voluntary death. They either drowned in the river, or rushed into the funeral pyre. It is known that widows from the weaver caste were ordered to be buried alive. At times, it was very little like suicide, because a woman was thrown into the river or into the fire forcibly, or even previously stunned.

The British, who were fighting an irreconcilable struggle against this "barbaric" custom, tried to keep statistics of sati. The most deadly was 1821, when the colonial authorities recorded 2366 cases of suicide. Despite the legislative prohibitions, the custom has been preserved in India to this day, only now the widow does not rush into the fire, but arranges self-immolation at home, doused with gasoline.

Conclusion

Buddhism developed in India in the general context of Indian philosophy and religion, which also included Hinduism and Jainism. Although Buddhism has some similarities with these religions, there are nonetheless fundamental differences.

First of all, in Buddhism, unlike Hinduism, the idea of \u200b\u200bcaste is not contained, but as noted above, the idea of \u200b\u200bequality of all people in terms of possessing the same opportunities is contained in them. Like Hinduism, Buddhism speaks of karma, but the very idea of \u200b\u200bkarma is completely different here. This is not an idea of \u200b\u200bfate or fate, like the Islamic idea of \u200b\u200bkismat, or God's will. This is neither in classical Hinduism, nor in Buddhism, although c. modern popular Hinduism, it sometimes acquires such a value due to the influence of Islam. In classical Hinduism, the idea of \u200b\u200bkarma is closer to the idea of \u200b\u200bduty. People are born in different life and social conditions as a result of belonging to different castes (to the caste of warriors, rulers, servants) or are born by women. Their karma, or duty, in specific life situations to follow the classic patterns of behavior described in the Mahabharata and Ramayana, the great epic works of Hindu India. If one acts, for example, as a perfect wife or perfect servant, then in future lives his position is likely to be better.

The Buddhist idea of \u200b\u200bkarma is completely different from the Hindu one. In Buddhism, karma means “impulses” that prompt us to do or think. These impulses arise as a result of previous habitual actions or behavioral patterns. But since there is no need to follow every impulse, our behavior is not strictly determined. This is the Buddhist concept of karma.

Both Hinduism and Buddhism contain the idea of \u200b\u200brebirth, but it is understood in different ways. In Hinduism, we are talking about the atman, or "I", permanent, unchanging, separate from the body and mind, always the same and passing from life to life; all these "I", or atman, are one with the universe, or Brahma. Therefore, the diversity that we see around us is an illusion, because in reality we are all one. Buddhism interprets this problem differently: there is no invariable "I", or atman, passing from life to life: "I" exists, but not as a figment of fantasy, not as something continuous and permanent, passing from one life to another. In Buddhism, the “I” can be likened to an image on a film, where there is continuity of frames, rather than the continuity of objects passing from frame to frame. Here the analogy of “I” with the statue moving, as on a conveyor belt, from one life to another is unacceptable. Another significant difference is that in Hinduism and Buddhism, particular importance is attached to different types of activities leading to the liberation from problems and difficulties. In Hinduism, external physical aspects and techniques are usually emphasized, for example, various asanas in hatha yoga, in classical Hinduism - purification by bathing in the Ganges, as well as diet.

In Buddhism, great importance is attached not to external, but to internal techniques that affect the mind and heart. This can be seen in the examples of such expressions as “the development of a good heart”, “the development of wisdom for seeing reality”, etc. This difference also manifests itself in the approach to pronouncing mantras - special Sanskrit syllables and phrases. The Hindu approach focuses on sound reproduction. Since the time of the Vedas, it was believed that sound is eternal and has its own enormous power. In contrast, in the Buddhist approach to meditation, which includes mantras, special attention is paid to the development of the ability to concentrate with the help of mantras, rather than the sound itself.

Thus, Hinduism and Buddhism differ significantly in most religious and cultural positions.

Bibliography

1. Introduction to Indian Philosophy / S. Chatterjee, D. Datta; 1955.
2. History of religions of the East. Vasiliev L.S .; 2001.
3. Classical Buddhism / T.V. Ermakova, E.P. Ostrovskaya; 1999.
4. Religious traditions of the world / R.Ch. Lester, D.M. Nype; 1996.
5. Mahayana Buddhism Philosophy / E.A. Torchinov; 2002.
6. Chinnamasta. The terrifying Buddhist and Hindu tantric goddess / E.A. Benard 1998.
7. Buddhism and Hinduism - http://voov.narod.ru/b-i-y/
8. Hinduism and Buddhism - http://azbyka.ru/religii/induizm_buddizm/index. shtml

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Buddhism originated in the V century. BC. in the north of India. Subsequently, it spread widely, and today, along with Hinduism, it is one of the world religions. The founder of this doctrine is

Section III. Philosophy of the Ancient East

Theme 9. Ancient Indian philosophical thought

tsarevich Siddhartha Gautama  (563-483 BC). Later he received the name Buddha,  which literally means awakened, enlightened.

The legend of Gautama says that he grew up in a palace where he lived in luxury, but once, having left the palace, he saw that the world beyond its walls was filled with misery and suffering. In an effort to find and overcome the cause of human suffering, he studied ancient knowledge under the guidance of Hindu gurus until he received the insight that laid the foundation for a new teaching.

The teachings of Gautama Buddha.  Despite the fact that in his personal life Gautama Buddha adhered to extreme asceticism and the search for truth, he taught others to avoid extreme basketball and hedonism, materialism or the complete denial of material values. The main goal of Gautam Buddha was enlightenment, which is nothing more than a vision of the essential nature of things and phenomena. In general, Buddhist philosophy is based on an intuitive perception of the world, and not on logical evidence. It is not surprising that the followers of the Buddha deified him and made him an object of worship. Buddha himself reacted negatively to speculative and religious thinking, and his teaching does not say anything about God, therefore Buddhism is sometimes called the “atheistic” religion.

The difference and similarity of Buddhism with Hinduism. Nirvana. Karma.  An important aspect of Buddhism is the idea of \u200b\u200bthe interconnection of everything that is radically different from the approaches of orthodox Hinduism.

In contrast to Hinduism, Buddhism denies the reality of the eternal God (Brahman) and the higher "I" (Atman). There is nothing absolute everything is interconnected  and "is in a state of constant change. Buddhists see the person as the embodiment of five attributes (letters. - five" piles of stones "), which are the physical body, feeling, mentality, desires and consciousness. These attributes are inherent in a person from birth and define him as a person With the death, the interaction of these components is disrupted, and the personality ceases to exist. Thus, Buddhism denies the existence of the Atman. The absolute "I" is an illusion that has nothing to do with reality.

At the same time, Buddhism, like Hinduism, seeks the liberation or salvation of a person called nirvana  (corresponds to mokshein Hinduism). Nirvana is translated as "extinction," "extinguishing the fire." To achieve nirvana, a Buddhist needs to free himself "from

all (that is, “put out”) that connects him with this world, and especially from hatred, envy and ignorance. But the state of nirvana is not the ultimate goal of existence. Nirvana is a state of absolute love, spiritual nobility and inspiration. The adherent attained nirvana continues to experience both pleasant and painful sensations, but he does not have attachments to the manifestations of samsara. Gautama Buddha himself was dying a painful death from food poisoning, considering it natural.

As in Hinduism, in Buddhism there is a concept karma  but its essence is somewhat different. In Buddhist philosophy, karma means "Conscious volitional effort."  The process of practicing past drama is accompanied by the creation of a new one. In Buddhism, unlike Hinduism, there is no concept reincarnation  since it implies the reincarnation of the soul, or the eternal "I", into another body, which is denied by Buddhism, In the eyes of a Buddhist everyone today is as who he was yesterday, and tomorrow will be what he is today.  Reincarnation is carried out constantly and throughout life. Your conscious choice today gives an impetus to what will happen tomorrow,even if your earthly existence ends.

The ongoing process of change. Anatta.  In accordance with Buddhist philosophy, everything in the world is subject to an ongoing process of change. All existing  not only changeable, but simply does not exist by itself.  Volatility and change is the first sign of a “manifest” existence.

At every moment in time, the existence of any thing depends entirely on the world around it. What a person means by his own "I" is only the sum of the processes through which interaction with the outside world and its understanding are carried out. There is no elusive substance “I” or soul. Not only that, what lies outside the process of perception does not exist,  and the reality shown is very arbitrary. This Buddhist doctrine is called anatta.

"Four noble truths."  Gautama Buddha left his followers the doctrine, called “four noble

1. Life is nothing but dukkha  (i.e. suffering and dissatisfaction). The world is filled with misery. This is birth, old age, disease, death, separation, hatred, etc. A life that is not free from desires and passions is suffering.

2. The cause of suffering is tanha  (attachment to earthly incarnation, i.e. to life as the source of all suffering). The cause of human suffering is a thirst for physical existence and ill