I've never put a ton of thought into what parts of Buddhism are not just inherited from Hinduism (other than the gods), as you can probably tell from my emphasis above on things like monkey mind and one-pointed mind, which I believe are really more concepts from yogic meditation than from the Buddha. However, coincidentally, I finished reading Confessions of a Buddhist Atheist last night, and he addresses this very question in his conclusion:
"What is it in Gotama's teaching that was distinctively his own? There are four core elements of the Dhamma that cannot be derived from the Indian culture of his time. These are
The principle of 'this-conditionality, conditioned arising.'
The process of the Four Noble Truths.
The practice of mindful awareness.
The power of self-reliance."
I'm not sure if Hindus would appreciate hearing that they don't practice mindful awareness. :-p
no subject
I'm not sure if Hindus would appreciate hearing that they don't practice mindful awareness. :-p