Statement/Question Buddhism Hinduism

Place of origin Nepal, India Indian Subcontinent

Place of worship Monasteries, nunneries, temples Temple (Mandir)
Practices Practices of the Threefold
Training: Morality,
Concentration, and Wisdom
Meditation, Yoga, communal
worship, offering in the temple
Life after death Until one has not attained
Nirvana, he/she will be born into
any of the 31 planes for
existence over and over due to
his/her karma
A constant cycle of reincarnation
until enlightenment is reached
Principle This life is suffering, and the only
way to escape from this suffering
is to dispel one's cravings and
ignorance by practicing the
Eightfold Path.
To follow dharma
Clergy Monks and Nuns, who unit
and exactly follow the
teachings of the Buddha under
the name 'Sangha'.
No official clergy. Gurus, Yogis,
Rishis, Brahmins, Pundits,
priests, priestesses, monks, and
nuns.
Concept of God A God or gods have always been
rejected wholly by Theravada
Buddhists. Their only refuges are
the three jewels: The Buddha,
The Dhamma, and The Sangha.
God is everything and everything
is God.
Belief The Buddha was the teacher to
show us the Four Noble Truths
and the Eightfold Path
Diverse beliefs depending on
sections
Belief of God Buddhism does not believe/have
a God.
Many Gods, but realize they all
come from Atman
About Follow the teachings of Buddha Devotion to the various gods of
Hinduism
Religious Laws The Buddhas teachings, the
Dharma
The Dharma
Population 300-450 Million, but Theravada
Buddhists: 100-150 Million
1 Billion
Place and time of origin Nepal, India, Approx. 2,500 years
ago
Indian Subcontinent, beginning
with the Vedic civilization circa
3000 BC