Latest News

Sankara : Buddha in disguise
Tuesday, August 7, 2018 IST
Sankara : Buddha in disguise

Buddha and Sankara can be poles apart but the axis on which their philosophy stands, seem to be one and the same

 
 

Mandukya Upanisada is the shortest of all Upnisadas, consisting only 12 slokas. It is a part of Atharva Veda and the three stages of consciousness that are vividly described in it, are also talked elsewhere in Chhandogya Upanisada. Mandukya Upanisada famously maintains that there are three stages of consciousness : Jagruti ie. wakefulness, Swapna ie. dreamy state and Sushupti ie. deep slumber. There is a fourth stage too, which is called Turiya. No attributes are given of Turiya except that it is the sum total of all above three stages. A sort of collective consciousness.
 
Despite of being shortest, Mandukya Upanisada is considered one of the most important Upnaisadic texts. Out of 108 Upnisadas, 10 are considered as the principal texts. Mandukya is one of them. Out of 11 Upnisadas that Sankara chose to write a commentary upon, Mandukya was one.
 
And therein lies a subtle link which connects Sankara with Buddhist philosophy.
 
Acharya Gaudapada was guru of Sankara. He has written a celebrated commentary of Mandukya Upanisada called Agama Shastra. This is well known that Sanakara’s Advaita was a philosophical counter-attack on chiefly two philosophical schools of then India : Mimansa and Buddhism, the latter more than the former, being a non-Hindu atheist philosophy.
 
But what does Sankara’s own teacher does in his own commentary on Mandukya Upanisada? In his 19th Karika he alludes Buddha. In 90th Karika he referes to Agrayana (Mahayana), the principal philosophical branch of Buddhism. In 98th and 99th Karika he again refers to Buddha and say : “All things are pure and revealed deep into their elements, only Buddhas know it.” But when Sankara writes his own commentary on Mandukya, he simply does not mention Buddha at all.
 
Why?
 
It wasn’t without reasons that Gaudapada kept offering his reverence to Buddha in his commentary on Mandukya Upanisada. Buddhist philosophy has a peculiar prejudice of negation to it, especially it’s theory of emptiness which was explored to fullest by Nagarjuna. The basic philosophical premise for Buddhism is “anatman” (no self), “a-nitya” (impermanence), “anishwara” (atheism), “a-vidya” (misconceptions) and “Pratitya-Samutpada” (dependent origination) etc. Mandukya Upanisada also use expressions like “a-drishta”, “a-vyavharya”, “a-lakshana”, “a-chintya” and so on. This way of defining things in their negation is so close to Buddhist tradition that it was almost impossible for Gaudapada to overlook Buddha’s influence in his Karika on Mandukya. Even Sankara also talks about terms like “a-dwaita”, “a-vidya”, “a-jnan”, “a-jaati” and all. The doctrine of Ajaatiwaad of “Majjhim Nikaya” and Sankara's Ajaatiwaad are said to be one and the same. So where is the difference?
 

 
 

Buddha, Gaudapada and Sankara, all are aligned into one single philosophical stream which applies similar methods for reasoning, maybe they differ in their emphasis on outcomes of the things. The way they choose to evaluate few things and overlook others. For Buddha, it is emptiness and impermanence. For Sankara, it is absolute and inexhaustive.
 
Buddha and Sankara can be poles apart but the axis on which their philosophy stands, seem to be one and the same. No wonder Sankara is also called “Prachchhana Buddha” or Buddha in disguise.

 
 
 
 
 

Related Topics

 
 
 

Trending News & Articles

 Article
Nanda Vrata – Nanda Vrat Dedicated to Shiva – How To Observe?

Nanda Vrata is dedicated to Shiva and it is believed that Goddess Sati observed this vrat to get Shiva as her husband. It is observed during Phalgun Shukla Paksha...

Recently posted . 15K views . 3 min read
 

 Article
The mysterious Radha and her last meeting with Krishna !!!

This question has seeked me ever since I can remember ...from my childhood..in my dreams...in my realisation and my internal assimilation of Lord Krishna as my god....

Recently posted . 7K views . 1 min read
 

 Article
Lord Shiva in this form killed Lord Vishnu's avatar Narasimha!

Story of Sharabha and Narasimha   In Hinduism, the ‘trimurti’ (Gods) - Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh, are...

Recently posted . 5K views . 1 min read
 

 Article
The Lemon Message

  Have any of you realised how beneficial and helpful the lemon is when kept in a transparent glass of water, what it does? Here is the lemon ...

Recently posted . 5K views . 1 min read
 

 
 

More in Spiritual

 Article
Beheading Brahma

In the Bible, the Creator is equated with God. In the Puranas, the Creator is that part of God which is not worshipped. Within this difference lies the essential ...

Recently posted. 723 views . 1 min read
 

 Article
Why Believe in Rebirth?

In a now famous conversation between Carl Sagan and the Dalai Lama, Sagan, a scientist and renowned skeptic, asks, “Your Holiness, what if we were to prove, s...

Recently posted. 1K views . 3 min read
 

 Article
Sai Baba's love for humanity

Sai Baba was a gentle and compassionate  man. He was always  ready and willing to help  those who were in need.The  sick and ailing would always...

Recently posted. 1K views . 1 min read
 

 Article
Why Shivlinga must never be worshiped with Haldi?

In one of our previous articles, we advised against keeping a ‘Shivlinga’ at home or in a place where it wouldn’t be regularly and religiously w...

Recently posted. 930 views . 1 min read
 

 Article
The Story Of Matsyagandha and Rishi parashar

The tale goes back to the time when King Shantanu was the leader of Hastinapur. Shantanu had wedded Goddess Ganga who later gave delivery to a son. But she drowned ...

Recently posted. 2K views . 6 min read
 

 
 
 

   Prashnavali

  Thought of the Day

Do not lose hold of your dreams or aspirations. For if you do, you may still exist but you have ceased to live
Anonymous

Be the first one to comment on this story

Close
Post Comment
Shibu Chandran
2 hours ago

Serving political interests in another person's illness is the lowest form of human value. A 70+ y old lady has cancer.

November 28, 2016 05:00 IST
Shibu Chandran
2 hours ago

Serving political interests in another person's illness is the lowest form of human value. A 70+ y old lady has cancer.

November 28, 2016 05:00 IST
Shibu Chandran
2 hours ago

Serving political interests in another person's illness is the lowest form of human value. A 70+ y old lady has cancer.

November 28, 2016 05:00 IST
Shibu Chandran
2 hours ago

Serving political interests in another person's illness is the lowest form of human value. A 70+ y old lady has cancer.

November 28, 2016 05:00 IST


ads
Back To Top