Comparison of Two Religions Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Comparison of Two Religions - Research Paper Example Buddhism originated in northeast Asia under the influence of an ancient Buddha known as Gautama Siddhartha who lived in the 5th century B.C. Siddhartha came up with Buddha teachings that enabled an individual to attain high levels of enlightenment. At this level, the individual completely detaches from the body through the process of meditations thereby alleviating worldly sufferings. Buddhism has undergone metamorphosis leading to divisions in the ancient traditions of Buddhism. The divisions include Vajrayana that represents the diamond vehicle, Theravada that symbolizes the doctrines from the elders and Mahayana that represents the great vehicle (Wilke, 2011). Hinduism entails numerous religious practices but the most prevalent practices include Hatha yoga, Ayurveda, and the Kundalini yoga. Hatha yoga is the process of meditating in order to attain self-awareness (Cush & York, 2008). Hatha yoga provides the oldest form of Hinduism that enabled individuals to achieve their objectives in life through the process of profound concentration. Ayurveda constitute the ancient traditions of Hindu whereby individuals received treatment and healing. In the contemporary societies, many individual have incorporated the practice into their religious practices especially in the West. Kundalini yoga enables an individual to unlock the psychic energy that exists at the root of the spine allowing it to diffuse to the upper parts of the spine, hence a heightened level of relaxation (Cush & York, 2008). Having undergone radical changes in its traditions, Buddhism retains specific ancient religious practices that incudes meditations, Mudras, and prayer wheels. Meditation is common in various sub sects of the religion. To achieve ultimate goals through meditations an individual engages in rigorous concentration. This helps the individual to attain detachment thereby developing ones reality.