Traditions
DharmaDaily covers four living streams that share ethical concern, contemplation, and community, while remaining distinct in scripture, history, and practice.
What the four traditions share, and where they differ
All four traditions began in the Indian subcontinent and share a vocabulary of dharma, karma, rebirth, and liberation. They also disagree on important questions, and those disagreements are where each tradition's character shows most clearly.
| Hindu | Buddhist | Jain | Sikh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Origin | No single founder; Vedic roots from c. 1500 BCE | Siddhartha Gautama, c. 5th century BCE | 24 Tirthankaras; Mahavira, c. 6th–5th century BCE | Guru Nanak, b. 1469 CE |
| Ultimate reality | Brahman, understood as personal God, impersonal absolute, or both, depending on school | No creator God; focus on ending suffering | No creator God; eternal souls (jiva) and matter | One Creator (Ik Onkar), beyond form |
| Goal | Moksha (liberation) | Nirvana (Pali: nibbana) | Kevala jnana and moksha | Union with the divine through remembrance and grace |
| Key texts | Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, epics, Puranas | Pali Canon; Mahayana sutras | Agamas; Tattvartha Sutra | Guru Granth Sahib |
| Place of worship | Mandir (temple), home shrine | Vihara, stupa, monastery | Derasar or basadi (temple) | Gurdwara |
Tables simplify. Each tradition contains schools that would qualify every cell above, which is why each tradition page links to longer essays. For a comparative starting point, read Karma Across Traditions or Meditation Across Paths.