Major Differences

Buddhism is distinguishable from the other four major world religions for a large variety of reasons:

1. There is no almighty God in Buddhism.
2. There is no one to hand out rewards or punishments on Judgement Day, because...
3. There is no Judgement Jay.
4. Buddhism is thought of as not a religion, strictly in the context of being a faith and worship owing allegiance to a supernatural being.
5. There is no saviour concept in Buddhism. A Buddha does not save others by his personal salvation. Although a Buddhist seeks refuge in the Buddha as his incomparable guide who indicates the path of purity, he makes no surrender, and that lack of submission is one of the fundamental differences between Buddhism and other religions. A Buddhist does not think that one can gain purity by mere faith in Buddhism, because the common understanding is it is not within the power or responsibility of Buddha to wash away the impurities of others. This faith is very self-reliant.
6. Buddha is not a God or an incarnation of one. The relationship between Buddha and his followers is that of a teacher and student.
7. The liberation of the self is the responsibility of the self. Buddhism does not call for an unquestionable, blind faith by all Buddhist followers. It places heavy emphasis on self-reliance, self discipline and individual striving.
8. In Buddhism, the ultimate objective of the followers is enlightenment and liberation from samsara, rather than to go to a Heaven.
9. All human beings are born with the Buddha Essence; this means anyone can become a supreme, enlightened being in due course if it is practiced diligently and a pure mind is attained. This differs greatly Hinduism, Buddhism's former, as only a Brahman might achieve Moksha (the Hindu equivalent to Nirvana).