Karma, Buddhism and Hinduism

Paper Summary:

The doctrine of Karma and the Law of Karma have their roots in Hinduism. Later they were accepted by other religious teachings that developed throughout history, most notably Jainism and Buddhism. This paper looks at the similarities and differences between the Law of Karma in Hinduism, as a religion in which they originated, and Buddhism, a religion that probably played the most important role in the spread of the idea of Karma. The paper also looks at how, even though the Law of Karma and the concept of karma are similar in the two religions, there are major differences in teachings. The discussion is then extended to the differences in the concept of reincarnation since Karma and rebirth are mutually connected.

From the Paper:

"What is today known under the name Hinduism is the oldest of all the living religions of the world (Coomaraswamy, 1999; Singh, 1983). Hinduism is a set of Indian faiths collected under the common name that has its origins in the Sanskrit name for the great river Sindhu (today Indus River) representing the north-west boundary of India. The term itself has been coined relatively recently by Europeans. Modern Hindus have accepted the term however they call themselves Sanatana Dharma, an eternal faith (Singh, 1983). When the Indo-Aryans invaders came to India from the north in 1800-1500 BC, they found a flourishing civilization in the conquered regions south of Indus River. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Coomaraswamy, Ananda K. Hinduism and Buddhism. New Delhi: Manohar, 1999.
• Della Santina, Peter. The Tree of Enlightenment. Taipei: Chico Dharma Study Foundation, 1997.
• Noss, David S. A History of The World Religions. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 1999.
• Rinehart, Robin. "Introduction: The Historical Background." Contemporary Hinduism. (ed.) Robin Reinhart. Santa Barbara: ABC-Clio, 2004. 1-65.
• Ross, Floyd H. The Meaning of Life in Hinduism and Buddhism. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd., 1953.

More papers on Karma, Buddhism and Hinduism:

• Comparison Essay # 66149 : "Buddhism and Hinduism"
• Comparison Essay # 117543 : "Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism"
• Comparison Essay # 28201 : "Karma"

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