In Reply to: the eternal realities ... posted by ray on March 15, 2003 at 21:32:18:
Hinduism and Buddhism don't teach that you must escape from the struggles of this life and that it is just an illusion. They teach that one should live as a good person and if not then they repeat the cycle until they have learned to be a better person and in so doing become one with God (Hinduism) or become one with the unseen energies around us (Buddhism).
Besides, doesn't Christianity teach that through believing in Jesus and being good we can eventually escape from the problems of this life and pass into a wonderous life where all we need is available, there is no sickness or sorrow, etc.? It would seem that the religions are very similiar in this sense, just the routes of achieving 'heaven' 'enlightment' 'becoming one with god', etc, are different. Which is what Hinduism teaches, that each religion is simply a route up the same mountain to accomplish the same goal of becoming one with God.
The Hindus from what I understand have forgotten the origins of their religion and brought in their rules and traditions, creating the caste system which divides the society, Buddhism came as a rejection of the Hindu traditions and the Buddha rejected the religion in which he was brought up with, he actually rejected religion and the concept of God altogether, and based his teachings on the individual.