Difference Between the View of Upanishads and Buddhism

The views of Upanishads consist of the four main ideas which are karma and samsara, desire is at the root of samsara, moksha and the path to salvation (Renunciation and Knowledge). The views of Buddhism also consist of four main sections which are suffering, desire is the cause of suffering, nirvana and the path out of suffering. The first three main ideas of Upanishads are the same in meaning as the first three sections of Buddhist views. However, there is a difference about the both the two views’ last section

Karma refers to the action which is a social or ritual act that is being part of one’s dharma or religious duty.

All sentient beings live lives according the law of karma, which ensures that good deeds will be rewarded and bad deeds will be punished.  But in most cases, rewards and punishments will not be fulfilled in this life, but will be fulfilled in the cycle of endless continuity of repeated rebirth.

Samsara refers to the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. Depending on the karma of the past life, a living being will undergo repeated rebirths in this cycle of existence and assume a different form in each rebirth according to the karma accumulated. For example, the form we exist in present life is determined by the karma accumulated in the past while the form going to exist in future life is determined by the karma accumulated in present life.

Here we finally come to see the source of rebirth, that is, desire.  When we desired an object, we will seek after it.  Action, of course, follows.  Action will determine the form of life in future.  Thus, you have desires, you accumulate actions; and you accumulate actions, you create a situation in which you are not free even at death. Therefore, desire is at the root of samsara.

The path to the ultimate religious goal is thus identified as moksha, namely, liberation from the eternal cycle of rebirth (samsara).  From the perspective of moksha, the Vedic rituals are now devalued in comparison with the salvation from the cycles of rebirths. According to the Vedic rules of conduct, it keeps one’s rebirths to go on endlessly. For most Hindus such liberation is the highest blessedness.