Phi105 Week7 Comparison Paper

Phi105 Week7 Comparison Paper

Comparison Paper




PHI/105

11/24/2013



Comparison Paper

Although Eastern Philosophies are similar in many ways, they are still very different. Some of the beliefs are that everyone is unified in one way or another, that everything is related and dependent on one another, and nothing can be separate from the universe. Therefore to differentiate between three of the philosophical views of the East I have chosen to give a brief description of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Confucianism.
Buddhism was introduced to the world around 2,500 years ago by an Indian prince, Siddhartha Gautama (566-486 B.C.). He is revered as the Buddha or “awakened one”. Through his experiences he had taught three types of disciplines to different groups of people depending on their level of spiritual advancement. Today the different branches are Theravada for individual liberation, Mahayana which emphasizes compassion and the ultimate nature of reality, and Vajrayana the host of skillful means for swift accomplishment. The teachings of Buddhism were taught through introducing new philosophies and meditation techniques. Although Buddhism scriptures have appeared over several centuries, it is said that the Buddha taught all these approaches during his time. Many have referred to Buddhism as a philosophy or a religion, but the better description would be to define Buddhism as a journey or way of life ("Buddhism", 2009). Buddhists believe that everything is connected in the universe and that no one has a soul. Buddhism is the belief in history that claims that a person does not need a God for salvation, but a person can only save themselves through their own personal actions. They also believe that we should cleanse ourselves from impurities, such as attaching ourselves to physical things, believing in falsehoods, seeking revenge, and holding ill-will toward others. Buddhists also believe that we should not do things in order to attain things, but should do things because we...

Similar Essays