Buddhism offered a direct challenge to the Brahmanic religion, rejecting both animal sacrifice and the caste system. In so doing, it attacked the privileged role of Brahmins in religious life. No longer would contact with the divine require priestly mediation. Instead, the road to spiritual advancement and enlightenment would be open to everyone. In response to Buddhism, Brahmanism evolved into Hinduism, a religion that retained the caste system but created more space for non-Brahmins to participate in unmediated and personal religious experiences. The documents included in this feature provide an opportunity to compare and contrast the answers of Buddhism and Hinduism to a question that was at the heart of both religions: how does one achieve enlightenment? As you read the documents, be sure to look for similarities as well as differences. Are there important spiritual issues on which the two religions agree? On what essential points do they diverge?