Buddhism and Vedanta: Common Aspects

Ø  Buddhism and Vedanta are viewed as different stages in the development of the same central thought.

Ø  It starts with the Upanisads, and finds its indirect support in Buddha. And it is elaborated in Mahayana Buddhism. Its open revival in Gaudapada, which reaches its zenith in Sankara and culminates in the Post-Sankara.

Ø  There are many strong similarities between Vedanta and Buddhism and a few differences though not vital.

Ø  Buddha borrowed its fundamental philosophical doctrine from the Upanisads:

·         Intellect being essentially relational involves itself in ansoluble antimonies and in order to be one with reality, has to get itself transformed into immediate spiritual experience Bodhi or Prajna).

Ø  Ashvaghosa tried to revive Buddha’s teachings by refuting Hinayana claims which reduced mind to fleeting sensations and placed Buddha in place of God.

Ø  The Tathata of Ashvagosa also known as Bhuta-tathata, Tathagata-garbha, Dharmakaya, Dharmadhatu, alayavijnana, Bodhi or Prajna is same as the Atman or the Brahman of Upanisads.

Ø  Tathata has two aspects: the absolute ‘suchness’ and the conditional ‘suchness’ which is similar two aspects of Atman or the Brahman of the Upanisads i.e., the higher and the lower on the nirguna or the para and the saguna or the apara.

Ø  The ignorance of Ashvaghosa is the Avidya of Upanisads.

Ø  The phenomenal and the absolute standpoints of Ashvaghosa are the vyavaharika and paramarthika standpoints of the Upanisads respectively.

Ø  Sunyata is Maya. Neither existent nor non-existent, it is indescribable.

Ø  Samvrti and paramartha corresponds to vyavahara and paramartha of Vedanta.

Ø  Mithya-samvrti, tathyasamvrti and para-martha corresponds to pratibhasa, vyavahara and paramartha of Vedanta.

Ø  Gaudapada approves of the theory of the no-origination preached by the Sunyavadins.

Ø  Again in the vijanavada parikalpita, paratantra and parinispanna, corresponds to the pratibhasa, vyavahara and paramartha of Vedanta.

Ø  Vijnanavada and Vedanta both agree in maintaining that reality absolute consciousness.

Ø  Gaudapada is profoundly under the influence of Vijanavada.

Ø  Vasubandhu was called ‘second Buddha’.

Ø  Dinnaga is the first Buddhist philosopher responsible for the downfall of Buddhistic philosophy.

Ø  Gaudapada is charged with being a crypto-buddhist.