Topic > Differences and Similarities Between Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism

Although Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism have similar philosophies but different religious practices, they all provide their own answers to the origin and end of suffering. These world religions are concerned with how to deal with suffering and offer guidance for the fundamental question of the origin of evil and suffering through their unique practices and philosophies. Mentioned in The Pain Healing Paradox, “In a context where pain and suffering are considered valuable, such experiences can be used for spiritual transformation and integrated into a meaningful identity.” In this article I will discuss each of the three religions' views on suffering. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In Judaism, suffering is caused by sin, and the solution is Yom Kippur (day of forgiveness). An important concept in Judaism is the Covenant, the relationship between God and the Jewish people. The Covenant has long influenced how nature and history have been viewed in Judaism. The natural and historical events that occurred were interpreted by the Jews as a direct link between human behavior and destiny. The idea “this is why this happened” intensified the problem of Theodicy in Judaism, since the historical experience of the Jews was one of suffering. (Hessenthaler) After the Holocaust the Jewish people had to reorganize their faith in God otherwise they would have lost their faith. If He was good, omniscient and omnipotent, why didn't He prevent the Holocaust? that's what most Jews wondered. In Shattered Faith: a Holcaust Legacy, Leon Wells refers to the covenant and admits his struggle to accept it as legitimate and sincere. “Many evils and misfortunes fell daily on our heads. No one has tried to find out why God behaved this way towards his favorite people whom he chose as his inheritance. For this reason we went from ruin to ruin, and each day was more cursed than the one before." In present-day Judaism, God can be seen suffering with us. God is not seen as the one who punishes people, but as people who punish other people. Ultimately, the purpose of suffering in Judaism is to learn. By learning to deal with suffering through prayer and practice, we become spiritually stronger. Suffering in Hinduism is caused by Samsara, the continuous cycle of life and death. The solution is Moksha, liberation from the continuous cycle of life and death. In every moment of our lives, we are constantly presented with Karma and rebirth. Much of what we experience in life is considered “good” or “bad” as a result of our own actions or our inability to act on something. If we use the caste system as an example, people who belong to a higher caste might act in a way that mistreats the lower caste, and in return their Karma and rebirth suffer. Discussed in the article Samsara (Hinduism), "believing in the illusion of separation that persists throughout samsara leads one to act in ways that generate karma and thus perpetuate the cycle of action and rebirth." By fully understanding the unity and oneness of all things around us, the believer has the opportunity to achieve liberation from Samsara. Hinduism promotes the acceptance of suffering, since it is only a consequence of the laws of Karma. Through acceptance, we can then move to detach from the struggles and pain of life to focus on the Divine within ourselves. For Buddhism, suffering is caused by attachment to worldly things. This attachment can be found in.