Different people have been practicing different religions for ages. Everyone has the equal right to possess and practice any religion they want and have a belief in it. There are various religions that can’t even be counted; two are Hinduism and Buddhism.
Both these religions have prominent importance among people. Hinduism and Buddhism are two old religions that began in India. There are a couple of contrasts and likenesses between these two religions.
Key Takeaways
- Buddhism is a nontheistic religion founded by Siddhartha Gautama and is based on the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.
- Hinduism is a polytheistic religion with roots in ancient India and is characterized by a caste system and belief in reincarnation.
- While both religions share some beliefs, such as karma and the pursuit of enlightenment, they differ in their views on the ultimate goal of existence and the existence of a supreme being.
Buddhism vs Hinduism
Buddhism is a non-theistic religion that originated in ancient India around the 5th century BCE and was founded by Siddhartha Gautama. Hinduism is one of the oldest religions in the world, dating back to ancient India, and it is a diverse and complex religion that encompasses a wide range of beliefs.

The religion of Buddhism includes one person practicing various beliefs and performing various spiritual practices that Lord Buddha taught. The people who follow Buddhism are called Buddhists.
The religion is followed widely by so many people that it is the fourth-largest religion in the world today.
Hinduism is a commonly followed religion, making it the third-largest religion in the world. This religion is called Satana dharma, which means one can permanently lead a life. No founder found this religion. The Sanskrit language is the primary language of the Hindus.
Comparison Table
Parameters of Comparison | Buddhism | Hinduism |
---|---|---|
Followers | Buddhist are people who follow this religion. | Hindus are people who follow this religion. |
What they follow | People following this religion follow the teachings given by Lord Gautama Buddha. | People following this religion follow writings in Vedas and Upanishads. |
Rank | This religion is ranked fourth-largest in the world. | This religion is ranked third largest in the world. |
Main language | Pali is said to the spiritual language of this religion. | Sanskrit is said to the spiritual language of this religion. |
Spiritual leader | In this religion, the spiritual leader is called Dalai Lama. | A spiritual leader does not exist in this religion. |
Symbols | The lotus and dharmachakra are two symbols used to denote this religion. | The Om and Swastika are two symbols that are used to denote this religion. |
What is Buddhism?
The religion of Buddhism includes one person practicing various beliefs and performing various spiritual practices that Lord Buddha taught. The people who follow Buddhism are called Buddhists.
The religion is followed widely by so many people that it is the fourth-largest religion in the world today.
By many Hindus, the Lord Buddha is considered the ninth statue of Lord Vishnu. There exist almost 530 million people today who follow the religion of Buddhism.
A place where a Buddhist goes to pray or worship his or her or her God is known as a shrine. Each sub-religion inside the Buddhism religion has a religious leader who is known to be called the Dalai lama.
A female priest or a Buddhist monk is known as a Bhikkhunis, and a male priest or a Buddhist monk is known as a bhikkus. The Hinayana and the Mahayana are two major parts of the religion of Buddhism.
Pali is the main language of the Buddhism religion. The concept of sin has no existence in this religion. Dharmachakra and lotus are the two main symbols of this religion.

What is Hinduism?
Hinduism is a commonly followed religion, making it the third-largest religion in the world. This religion is called Satana dharma, which means one can permanently lead a life. No founder found this religion. The Sanskrit language is the primary language of the Hindus.
A person who follows Hindus is known as a Hindu. Almost 1.35 billion people follow Hinduism, making it the third-largest religion in the world.
A Hindu worships his God in a place known as a temple. In this religion, no person is appointed as a spiritual leader. A priest in a temple is called a yogi.
There are so many sub-castes and sub-religion under the religion of Hinduism that celebrates many auspicious days on many days such as Ram Navami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali, Holi, etc.
The Om and Swastika symbol are two main symbols of the Hindu religion. There is a lot of importance given to Vedas in this religion.

Main Differences Between Buddhism and Hinduism
- People who follow Buddhism are known as Buddhists, and on the other hand, people who follow Hinduism are known as Hindus.
- People following the Hindu religion follow writings in the Vedas and Upanishads, and on the other hand, people following the Buddhism religion follow the teachings given by Lord Gautama Buddha.
- Buddhism is a religion that is ranked fourth-largest in the world, and on the other hand, Hinduism is a religion that is ranked third-largest in the world.
- Pali is the main language of the religion of Buddhism, and, on the other hand, Sanskrit is the main language of the religion of Hinduism.
- The spiritual leader in Buddhism is said to be called the Dalai Lama; on the other hand, there is no spiritual leader in Hinduism.
