the gita

there is a big difference between Christianity and Hinduism. in christianity life seems to be one long journey and the goal at the end is entering heaven after death. with heaven there is the promise of salvation. however in hinduism, there is no end to the journey, it is an endless cycle in which there is birth, life, death, and rebirth. the body is only a shell or vessel for what is inside, the embodied self or what some believe to be a soul. this soul is eternal and cannot be destroyed. in christianity, emphasis is placed on obeying god and devoting yourself to god's wishes. if this is done throughout ones life, then when the person dies, they will enter paradise forever. the hindu beliefs seem to focus on karma and accumulating good karma so that the next life will be enriched. this continues forever, so that each life you try to improve the next life for your embodied self. in these terms christianity seems much more finite and defined. you live, you die, you go to heaven (hopefully). however with hinduism, there is no end, life continues and will always be. the physical body will diminish but you will always live in some form or another. krishna tells arjuna that nothing of nonbeing comes to be, nor does being cease to exist.