Instant Access To 100,000+ Essays!

Hinduism is a loosely used term referring to the religious traditions of Southern Asia, beginning in the second millennium b.c.e. Unlike most other religions, Hinduism does not advocate the worship of one particular deity. Rather, it represents a hugely diverse group of traditions, all based primarily on the Upanishads (ca 800-500 b.c.e.). From the Upanishads came two other religious traditions, both of which share the basic fundamental beliefs of what is commonly referred to as Hinduism; these are Jainism and Buddhism. Buddhism evolved as an offshoot of Hinduism, with the same basic fundamental belief structure. There are strong lines of similarity between Buddhism and the basic teachings of Hinduism, one of which is the principle or the law of impermanence. According to this, everything is subject to change, although some things may last longer than others. The other basic principle of Buddhism is the law of causation, according to which nothing occurs due to pure chance. At the same time as the development of Buddhism, yet another religious tradition based upon Hindu began to emerge; Jainism. Like Buddhism, Jainism