The basic doctrines of early Buddhism, which remain common to all Buddhism, include Eightfold Path, Four Noble Truths, Hinayana, and Mahayana. The “four noble truths” are existence is suffering (dukhka); suffering has a cause, namely craving and attachment (trishna); there is a cessation of suffering, which is nirvana. Then there is a path to the cessation of suffering, the “eightfold path” of right views, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. Buddhism characteristically describes reality in terms of process and relation rather than entity or substance.

Now if we need to talk about religions, it would be a subject that is as extensive as anyone could imagine since there are well over 100 religions that are recognized in the world and there are probably many that are still unknown. Most of the religions are like a cake, they have the same basic ingredients but each has a different taste to everybody. Like a cake with differing tastes, religion offers many qualities that a cake does not. For instance, religion tries to answer all of the deepest questions that people have, and for some it would help to give a sense of their place in the universe. Religion also is the most basic form of keeping order among people. Some of the deepest questions that religion tries to answer are who are we, where do we go from here, and is this the right way that I should live my life. There are certain facts in life that we grow up knowing. For instance, we know that we age, we also know that one day we will die, and we know that time does not go back. When most parents raise their children, they try to explain to them that any thing you do will be noticed in the future. Some of the lessons that children are taught are that good things will usually be rewarded, and that bad things will normally be shunned. Another lesson taught is that time is something that you cannot recuperate, buy or steal from anyone. Then religion appears offering all the protection and answers that people have been longing for. Like I said before there are many religions around the world, for example Hinduism and Buddhism that in some way share an intimate relationship between reincarnation, karma and the nature of God.

From the beginning, meditation and observance of moral precepts were the foundation of Buddhist practice. The five basic moral precepts, undertaken by members of monastic orders and the laity, are to refrain from taking life, stealing, acting unchastely, speaking falsely, and drinking intoxicants. Members of monastic orders also take five additional precepts: to refrain from eating at improper times, from viewing secular entertainments, from using garlands, perfumes, and other bodily adornments, from sleeping in high and wide beds, and from receiving money. Their lives are further regulated by a large number of rules known as the Pratimoksa. The monastic order (sangha) is venerated as one of the “three jewels,” along with the dharma, or religious teaching, and the Buddha. Lay practices such as the worship of stupas (burial mounds containing relics) predate Buddhism and gave rise to later ritualistic and devotional practices.

In conclusion, people come from varying backgrounds and have many different beliefs. Of these, differing beliefs is one of the most important and fundamental of all, which is religion. Of the many religions that exist in the world, I wrote about two of them Hinduism and Buddhism, because of how closely intertwined they are, but yet how fundamentally different they are. Some of the similarities that I wrote about that exist between the two are that both religions were created in India a long time ago, they both believe in reincarnation, both believe in nirvana, and lastly both believe in karma. However, some of the drastic differences are that Hindus believe in many gods while Buddhism tells you not to believe in gods. Another striking disti

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