Part 1: Comparison between Hinduism and Buddhism.
Hindu is an altered version of the word Sindhu which is a Sanskrit name for the Indus River. It is called Hindu as opposed to Sindhu because the Persians found the letter "s" difficult to say. The Hindus refer to the meaning of their religion as "sanatana dharma" or eternal law.
Hinduism is the main religion of India representing a complex mix of rituals, practices, observances, cults and doctrines. It was established between 2000 and 1500 BC and is known as the world's oldest religion. This religion is unique as compared to other religions because there are no founders and it has several holy books as opposed to one. There are also many gods and beliefs. The religion's roots are from ancient Aryan beliefs and practices and are a way of life for Hindus.
Hindu's believe in reincarnation or when the body dies the soul lives on. Every time a person dies they are reincarnated into a new body. The person can come back as a mammal, insect, or plant. This is called Karma or the natural laws of cause and effect. The goal is for individuals to escape this chain of reincarnation (atman) so their soul may rest. .
In Hinduism there is the Trimuti, which consists of three main gods. These gods are Vishnu the sustainer, Brahma the creator and Shiva the destroyer. Hindus do not eat beef and are vegetarians since most of the Hindu gods relate to animals. For instance, cows are considered sacred and Hindus worship these animals as a divine mother.
Hinduism has a very strict caste system into which one is born. The rules are strict and forbid a person from communicating with people that are outside of the caste. One of the beliefs of Hindus is non-violence or ahisma. Another belief is that people should be respected because they are aspects of Brahman.
Buddhism is derived from the name Buddha. The basic belief of Buddhism is that all created and manifested existence is an underlying unitary reality.