Sikhism & Buddhism

Similarities

Buddha tried to abolish the caste system and believed in the idea of brotherhood.

Complete disregard for forms and rituals and emphasis on purity of the heart and sincerity in our dealings with others.

Buddha preached in the spoken language of the people and did not believe in the sanctity of any one language.

Differences

Buddhism does not believe in the need for God, in that sense Buddhist doctrine is absolutely atheistic.

"By forgetting the Supreme Lord, all the ailments cling to the man. The non-believers in the Omnipresent Lord suffer separation from Him, birth after birth." (Guru Arjan, Majh, pg. 135)

Buddhist belief that to live is to suffer.

"But rare is such a slave and serf of the Lord, who understands the Reality of the union with Him. He (the follower) has no pain, but all comforts and with his eyes, he sees only the One Lord." (Guru Arjan, Kanra, pg. 1302)

"There is joy, bliss and happiness in my home. I sing the praise of the Name, reflect on the Name and the Name is the support of my vital breath." (Guru Arjan, Kanra, pg. 1302)

The end of life is Nirvana, which is complete extinction. The Gurus idea of Nirvana was eternal bliss as the soul merges with God.

"He who is devoted towards the Lord in his mind, he gets eternal bliss and realises the Lord and the state of Nirvana" (Guru Ram Das, Asa, pg. 444)

Sikhism does not have any order of monks or nuns.