ABSTRACT
I suggested in chapter 4 that the Buddha was influenced by the philosophical Hinduism that was prevalent in his day. Some of the key concepts in that philosophy were Atman, Dukkha, Karma, and reincarnation. There was also the belief that one's task in life is to "purify" oneself. In Buddhism, this task became the Third Noble Truth, that we are to transform ourselves, to diminish our cravings. This philosophical Hinduism gave rise to Yoga, a system ofthought centered around the same key concepts. Yoga also took as central the task oftransforming oneself. Buddhism and Yoga, thus, are like COUSInS.
