Hinduism v. buddism

            First subject that I would like to touch upon is the origin of these two religions. Hinduism is a religion that is followed by more than 650 million people in India and 100 million in the rest of the world. The word 'Hindu' was the name that was given to the people who lived east of the river Indus; it was not used to refer to the religion until later. Many Hindu's still refer to their religious tradition as dharma. Dharma refers to the laws, duties, ideas of truth, and ethics. It is the equivalent word for religion. Hinduism believes in Karma, which is the idea of reincarnation. The only way to break the cycle of Karma is to carry out your religious duties and behave righteously in life. When a Hindu has performed all of these acts only then can a Hindu's atman or soul can achieve moksha, which is a release. Hindu's believe in one ultimate being that can appear in unlimited forms. There are both male and female counterparts and some have both human and animalistic !.
             qualities.
             Buddhism is different from Hinduism. Buddha means awakened or enlightened one. The one true Buddha is Siddhartha Gautama who is the founder of Buddhism. The story of his life is that he was born into a wealthy family and his father when he was born went and saw a fortune teller who had told him that his son would either become a world known hero or become a spiritual icon. His father wanted him to become world known so he kept him in the palace and kept him secluded from the world outside. Until one day while in a parade outside palace walls he witnessed sickness, old age, and death. These visions shocked him and made him want to become a wandering ascetic out to find the cause of suffering. In the end he did become an enlightened one and from that point on set out to show people how meditation and following a Buddhist lifestyle will lead everyone on the right path.
             Next there is the writings of both these religions.