Buddhism is often described as a religion and a collection of various philosophies, based initially on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, known as Gautama Buddha. To many, however, Buddhism is not a religion, nor a philosophy or a set of doctrines, but rather teachings to guide one to directly experiencing reality. Buddhism is also known as Buddha Dharma or Dhamma, which means roughly the "teachings of the Awakened One" in Sanskrit and Pali, languages of ancient Buddhist texts. Buddhism began around 5th century BCE with the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, who was born in what is now Nepal and taught primarily in northern India, and is referred to as "the Buddha."
Hinduism (known as Hindū Dharma in modern Indian languages[1]) is a religious tradition[2] that originated in the Indian subcontinent. In contemporary usage Hinduism is also sometimes referred to as Sanātana Dharma (सनातन धर्म), a Sanskrit phrase meaning "eternal law".[3]
Hinduism, many of whose origins can be traced to the ancient Vedic civilization,[4] is the world's oldest extant religion.[5][6] A conglomerate of diverse beliefs and traditions, Hinduism has no single founder.[7][8] It is also the world's third largest religion following Christianity and Islam, with approximately a billion adherents, of whom about 905 million live in India and Nepal.[9] Other countries with large Hindu populations include Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, Fiji, Suriname, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago.
Hinduism contains a vast body of scriptures. Divided as revealed and remembered and developed over millennia, these scriptures expound on theology, philosophy and mythology, providing spiritual insights and guidance on the practice of dharma (religious living). In the orthodox view, among such texts, the Vedas and the Upanishads are the foremost in authority, importance and antiquity. Other major scriptures include the Tantras, the sectarian Agamas, the Purāṇas and the epics Mahābhārata and Rāmāyaṇa. The Bhagavad Gītā, a treatise excerpted from the Mahābhārata, is sometimes called a summary of the spiritual teachings of the Vedas
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