Does Mahayana Buddhism hold that the Buddha derived his Philosophy from Vedanta?
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Professor VV Gokhale in a paper titled "The Vedanta-Philosophy described by Bhavya in his Madhyamakahrdaya" (Indo-Iranian Journal, Vol. 2, No. 3, 1958) discusses a work named mAdhyamakahridaya by Bhavya, a sixth century mAdhyamaka buddhist. In the discussion, He refers to a situation where the mahAyAna school is criticised as being similar to vedAnta in the said work. In reply, Apparently Bhavya says that whatever is good in the upaniShads has also been taught by the Buddha. To cite-
> In one of the chapters of the **Madhyamakahridaya** dealing with the
> hInayAna objections to mahAyAna, the hInayAna-buddhist criticises the
> mahAyAna buddhist saying;-
>
> **न बुद्धोक्तिर्महायानं सूत्रान्तादावसंग्रहात् | मार्गान्तरोपदेषात् वा
> यथा वेदान्तदर्शनम् ||**
>
> The mAhAyAna teaching was not spoken of by the Buddha, either because
> it is not included in the sUtrAntas, or because like the vedAnta
> darshana, it teaches heretic paths to salvation.
>
> To this attack, the mahAyAnist replies -
>
> **वेदान्ते च हि यत् सूक्तम् तत् सर्वं बुद्धभाषितम् | दृष्टान्तन्यूनता
> तस्मात् संदिग्धं वा परीक्ष्यताम् ||**
>
> **Whatever is well said in the vedAnta (upaniShads) has been taught by
> the Buddha.** The various examples cited by the hInayAna are faulty and
> what is doubtful must be examined.
Questions-
1. Is that a unanimous view among the Mahayana Buddhists that Buddha's teachings were inspired from vedanta?
2. How would adherents from other schools of buddhism view the statements of Bhavya?
Asked by user28162
Dec 27, 2024, 04:14 AM
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Last activity: Dec 27, 2024, 09:33 AM