Religious Beliefs
Senior 4 · General and Religious Studies
Religious Beliefs
Lesson 4 of 5
40 min
In 2020 there were about 1.2 billion Hindus (14.9% of the world's people) and 324 million Buddhists (4.1%), according to the Pew Research Center. Few live in Rwanda, but Rwandans meet their ideas every day: in words such as karma, in yoga and meditation, and in trade and study links with India and East Asia.
Both religions began in India and share one picture of life: a wheel of birth, death and rebirth from which the soul seeks to escape. They differ on what, or who, escapes, and how. This lesson sets out their core beliefs side by side.
Definition
Hinduism: the ancient religious traditions of India, with no single founder, based on the Vedas and other scriptures.
Brahman: in Hinduism, the one ultimate reality behind all things. Atman: the eternal self or soul in each living being.
Samsara: the cycle of birth, death and rebirth. Karma: the law that every intentional action has consequences, in this life or a future one.
Dharma: duty, right conduct and the moral order; in Buddhism also the Buddha's teaching.
Moksha: in Hinduism, liberation of the atman from samsara. Nirvana: in Buddhism, the "blowing out" of craving and suffering, and release from rebirth.
Buddha: "the Awakened One", the title of Siddhartha Gautama, who founded Buddhism in northern India in about the fifth century BCE.
Meditation: disciplined training of the mind's attention and awareness.
Siddhartha Gautama was a prince who, according to Buddhist tradition, left his palace after seeing old age, sickness and death, and found enlightenment while meditating. He taught a "middle way" between luxury and harsh self-denial. The Dhammapada, a collection of his sayings, summarises the teaching: "Not to commit any sin, to do good, and to purify one's mind, that is the teaching of (all) the Awakened" (verse 183, translated by F. Max Müller, 1881).
The Three Jewels. A Buddhist "takes refuge" in the Buddha, the Dharma (his teaching) and the Sangha (the community of monks, nuns and lay followers).
The Four Noble Truths. The Dhammapada (verses 190–191) names them: "pain, the origin of pain, the destruction of pain, and the eightfold holy way that leads to the quieting of pain".
| Truth | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1. Suffering (dukkha) | Life involves suffering and dissatisfaction |
| 2. The cause of suffering | Craving and attachment |
| 3. The end of suffering | Suffering ends when craving ends: nirvana |
| 4. The path | The Noble Eightfold Path leads there |
The Noble Eightfold Path, in three groups:
| Group | Steps |
|---|---|
| Wisdom | 1. Right view; 2. Right intention |
| Ethical conduct | 3. Right speech; 4. Right action; 5. Right livelihood |
| Mental discipline | 6. Right effort; 7. Right mindfulness; 8. Right concentration |
One verse speaks with special force in Rwanda: "For hatred does not cease by hatred at any time: hatred ceases by love, this is an old rule" (Dhammapada 5).
| Question | Hinduism | Buddhism | Christianity and Islam |
|---|---|---|---|
| Founder | None | Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha | Jesus Christ; the Prophet Muhammad |
| God | Brahman, worshipped in many forms | No creator God is needed for liberation | One personal creator God |
| The self | An eternal atman | No permanent self (anatta) | A soul created by God |
| After death | Rebirth until moksha | Rebirth until nirvana | One life, then judgement and eternal life |
| The way | Knowledge, action, devotion | The Eightfold Path | Faith in God and obedience to his will |
Worked example: comparing group sizes
Pew gives 1.2 billion Hindus and 324 million Buddhists in 2020. How many Hindus are there for each Buddhist?
Using the percentages instead: . The small difference comes from rounding: "1.2 billion" is itself rounded. When two answers differ slightly, check which figures were rounded before deciding which is better.
Warning
Common mistakes
Important
Discuss. Dhammapada 5 says that "hatred ceases by love". Compare it with teaching on forgiveness in Christianity or Islam that you know. How might such teaching help a society after violence, such as Rwanda after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi? What else, besides teaching, would be needed?
BBC Radio 4: "Buddhism's Four Noble Truths", about 2 minutes. Write the four truths in your own words as you watch.
Practice
Key points
Sources and credits
Written by Ganzaa: the opening, Figure 3, the tables, the worked example and the exercises.
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Quick check
Match each term to its meaning.
Tap one on the left, then its partner on the right.
