The origins of Hinduism can be traced back to the Vedic traditions of the Indus Valley Civilization (Mittal and Thursby 23) where Buddhism can be seen as originating from Hinduism, yet they are seen as two completely different religions. Why? These religions share some of the same practices, however there are also major differences. The caste system is an important social institution of Hinduism, but Buddhism rejects the caste system. Buddhism opposes the idea of ​​a soul, while Hinduism perceives the soul as one with Brahman. Moksha and Nirvana both represent liberation from saṃsāra, but the paths to achieving it are different. One of the major Hindu beliefs rejected by Buddhism is the caste system, or “jati” in Sanskrit (Esposito, Fasching, and Lewis 317). The caste system is the social structure of Hinduism. It begins with the Brahmins, who are priests and scholars, followed by the Kshatriya or warrior class. Then there are the Vaishyas, the merchant class, and finally the Shudras, the lowest caste designated to do the impure and disgusting jobs that the higher castes would never do. (Esposito, Fasching, and Lewis 317) The rules of the caste system are specific. Intermarriage between castes is strongly discouraged and one can never change one's caste in one's current lifetime. Each caste has its own cosmic duties to fulfill, and failure to do so could be harmful to the world or to an individual's karma. These distinct duties are referred to as one's Dharma. (Esposito, Fasching and Lewis 317) The Laws of Manu state: “Better to do one's own dharma badly than the dharma of another caste well” (Esposito, Fasching and Lewis 317). Through saṃsāra, the cycle of birth, death and rebirth, it is hoped that each soul will arrive... at the middle of the card... a diversion from the evils of the world so that Hinduism can remain pure. The Buddha is seen as a possible avatar of Vishnu, brought to ward off critical and condemning Hindus from Hinduism. (Mittal and Thursby 81) This rejection is the main reason why Buddhism and Hinduism are two separate religions. Different beliefs and ideals certainly foster separation, but if Hindus had accepted the teachings of the Buddha, the relationship between Buddhism and Hinduism could have been very different. Works Cited Bowker, John World Religions. London: Dk Publishing, 2006. 20-81. Print.Esposito, John L., Darrell J. Fasching, and Todd Lewis. The religions of the world today. 3rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, United States, 2009. 302-467. Print.Mittal, Sushil and Gene Thursby. South Asian Religions, An Introduction. London: Psychology Press, 2006. 15-128. Press.