Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism all teach forms of samsara, karma and liberation from rebirth. However, they define the self, the operation of karma, the final goal and the path to liberation differently.
These concepts answer the three fundamental questions in IB World Religions: What is the human condition? Where are we going? How do we get there? In each tradition, samsara describes a cycle of life, death and rebirth, while karma connects actions with future consequences.
| Religion | Human condition and karma | Liberation and path |
|---|---|---|
| Hinduism | The atman, or self, remains within samsara because actions produce karma and further reincarnation. | Moksha releases the atman from samsara. Paths include Bhakti yoga, Jnana yoga and Karma yoga. |
| Buddhism | Beings experience samsara because craving and aversion produce dukkha, or unsatisfactoriness. Kamma/karma is intentional action influencing rebirth. | Nibbana/nirvana extinguishes craving and ends samsara. Buddhists follow the Four Noble Truths and Noble Eightfold Path. Buddhism denies a permanent self through anatta/anatman. |
| Jainism | The jiva, or soul, is weighed down by karma, understood as quasi-material, and remains trapped within samsara. | Moksha liberates the jiva from matter. The path emphasizes asceticism, ahimsa and the Five Great Vows. |
| Sikhism | Maya and haumai, or ego-centredness, prevent people from recognizing the divine jot. Karma influences rebirth but does not operate independently of divine will. | Mukti depends ultimately on God's grace, or gurprasad. Sikhs seek to become gurmukh through nam japna, honest work, sharing and sewa. |
A common misconception is that these religions teach the same doctrine under different names. They do not: Buddhism rejects a permanent soul, while Hinduism and Jainism affirm forms of enduring self, and Sikhism places distinctive emphasis on God's grace.
In a Paper 1 response, use accurate terms and organize the explanation around the three fundamental questions. For comparison, identify both the shared pattern and one precise doctrinal difference rather than making broad claims about all Asian religions.