Buddhism & Hinduism

So in class last week we discussed briefly the similarities and differences between Buddhism and Hinduism.  I actually left class more confused about the topic than when I entered.  Here are some brief key points I found while studying the similarities and differences.  My understanding has increased slightly, but still I feel pretty confused about the two religions.

Fun Facts I Didn't Know:

• People say Buddhism is an offshoot of Hinduism, but Buddhists do not believe this.
• Hindus think Buddha is an incarnation of Vishnu.
• The founder of Buddhism was a Hindu.
• Hinduism is not a religion.  It is “a group of religious and sectarian movements that share some fundamental and in some respects identical beliefs, regional variations, history, tradition and practices peculiar to the land and the times in which they originated and evolved” (V, 2010, para. 6).

Similarities:

• Karma and reincarnation
• Compassion and nonviolience toward all living beings. 
• I still wonder…why do some eat animals, then?
• Several hells and heavens
• Gods and deities
• Meditation, certain states of mind
• Both have own versions of Tantra

Differences:

• Hinduism not founded by particular prophet—Buddhism founded by Buddha.
• Hinduism belives in Vedas—Buddhists don’t believe in Hindu scripture.
• Hindus believe in Atman (a Supreme Creator), while Buddhists don’t believe in a “God.”
• Hindus believe Buddha is an incarnation, Buddhists accept no Hindu gods as equivalent to Buddha.
• Hindus aren’t organized monastically like Buddhists with monks living in a group.

Questions that Remain:

• Does Buddhism have the blue gods?
• How are both religions organized?
• What are their churches/temples?
• What are their beliefs about marriage?
• Do they have something comparable to the 10 commandments?
• Are they vegetarians, or what?  And why or why not?
• Is there a Supreme Being or not?

V, J. (2010). Hinduism and Buddhism. Retrieved from http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/h_buddhism.asp