Question:

How is Hinduism related to the beliefs of Buddhism?

Answer:

This is a big question, too big to give a proper answer in this format. If you are interested, in my book Buddha: A Story of  Enlightenment, I give a version of his life that explains what I feel are the important teachings of Buddha that we can incorporate into our life.

 

But to briefly answer your question, Hinduism was the spiritual heritage   which Buddha grew out of. Much of his teachings can be seen as a reaction to the orthodoxy, ritualization and priest caste’s religious control of people at the time. His path was to strip away all the extraneous paraphernalia that had accumulated around the path to spiritual freedom and teach only what was essential and practical to everyone who was willing to learn.

Love,

Deepak