we have confluences of Śaiva and Vaishṇava Sampradāyas in India. There should be similarly no surprises at all when there are confluences with the Bauddha Sampradāya.The whole theory about a separate religion of Buddhism was just a European invention.
The very term "religion" is a Western concept. Règles, rules bound abrahamic religions. Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism all flow from the same source.
recent this separate categorization of Buddhism as a "religion" is. The same is true for other "religions" invented in India. They are all just various Sampradāyas of Dharma धर्म.
Good question - it assumes there is a categorical difference.
I see Buddha-Dharma and Veda-Dharma as the two wings of the mighty Garuḍa bird flying majestically through the vastness of space.
I have been immersed in Dharma study for over 50 years and know well the similarities, the differences and the many points of conjunction and how they compliment each other. Perhaps being a Neo-Vedantin helps to develop a more integrated perspective.
I had the great good fortune to participate in a 12 day Kalachakra Initiation conducted by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 1996 and have attended many Buddhist meditation retreats. The experience for me was similar to the many yajñas and temple utsavas that I have attended and participated in.
I find all the hysterical focus on “difference” rather than core Dharma Unity to be tiresome political wrangling and point scoring.
To all my students I recommend 2 essential books only.
Bhagavad Gita with an authentic commentary.
“Cutting through Spiritual Materialism” by Chogyam Trungpa.
To learn the art of meditation I always refer students to Vipashyana courses and suggest a 10 day retreat. No one teaches meditation better than the Buddhists - a key element of Hindu practice which is completely neglected and ignored by almost all schools of Hinduism today.
The main factor that I love and actually envy in Buddhism is the clear and systematic way of teaching. Buddhism is more like a German autobahn whereas Hinduism is exactly like any major road in India.
So in my personal approach I have adopted and shamelessly adapted and integrated many elements of Buddhism.
1. Buddhist king Virapurushadattatrampling Hindu Shiva linga. From Nagarjunakonda, present day Andhra Pradesh,c.300 CE
Stupa no.9, King Virapurushaduttastamping out Brahmanism symbolized in the form of a Linga with a hood. Snippetsource: A History of the Early Dynasties of Andhradesa, c.200-625 A.D. by B.V.Krishna Rao, pg.58
2. Virapurushadutta denouncing Brahmanism.Source: Ikshavkus of Vijayapuri by M. Ramarao, page 35.
The pious Buddhist king Duttagaminiconducted killings & destruction of "millions of Tamils". He feltsad. Buddhist monks intervened & assured the king he would still go toheaven. Why? Because "there is no sin in killing unbelievers (nonBuddhists), who are just beasts"
War between the great Chola king Elaraand Duttagamini in 2nd century BC. Snippet source: English translation of theancient Buddhist epic Mahavamsa, 25-96 to 25-114, published by Wilhelm Geiger,Oxford University Press]
Snippet is taken from Mahavamsa, whichis an ancient Buddhist epic/scripture revered to this day in all TheravadaBuddhist countries. I am sure ancient Buddhist scriptures understand Buddhismbetter than us
According to theancient Buddhist tradition, non-Buddhists are the same as beαsts and massαcring'em is the right thing to do
Persecution by Burmese Buddhists inAssam: "Prayer houses set on fire. Dangerous for a Hindu woman to meet aBurmese in public. Brahmans were made to carry loads of beef, pork & wine.Gosains were robbed of all their possessions."
Source: Buranji Vivek Ratna, Testimonyof eyewitness Maniram Dewan. Published by H. K. Barpujari (1980) in "Assamin the days of the Company, 1826-1858". Spectrum Publications, page 11.
More than 500 Hindu temples in Sri Lankawere damaged during the war. Researcher M. Neiminathan & Federation ofSaivite(Hindu) Temples claim about 2076 Hindu temples destroyed.
Article by Researcher M.Neiminathan"Thirukketheeswaram is in ruins. The historic temple was desecrated &the jewellery, brass utensils, oil lamps & many other valuables that wereused in the temple have been plundered by the state armed forces."
According to scholar M. Neiminathan andthe “Federation of Saiva (Hindu) Temples”, around 2,076 Hindu temples have beendestroyed in Sri Lanka, most prominently in the northeast part of the islandwhere the Eelam Tamils predominantly reside.
One of the most prominent temples to bedestroyed was a temple to the Hindu God Siva in the town of Thirukketheeswaram.It was “desecrated and the jewelry, brass utensils, oil lamps, and many othervaluables that were used in the temple have been plundered by state armedforces.”
The “most heinous and unforgivable partof the vandalism is the disfigurement and the gouging of the Third Eye of theicon of Somaskanda”, a form of Siva worshiped by Eelam Tamils at thisaforementioned temple that was deliberately destroyed by the Sri Lankan state.
In addition to Hindu templedestructions, the Sri Lankan State arrested & imprisoned Hindu priests,fired shells on Tamil devotees who gathered at Hindu temples to celebratefestivals, arrested & detained devotees going to temples, and erectedBuddha statues to annex temples.
Unfortunately, this targeting of Hindusites has not ended. For example, in 2019, a Hindu temple to Pillaiyar(Ganesha) was destroyed to build a Buddhist Vihara in Kanniya, and Tamilprotestors were obstructed, blocked, and assaulted for opposing the destruction.
Another example of desecration comesfrom the Nainativu Nagapooshani Amman Temple, which is so ancient that it wasmentioned in Greek texts. In 2020, Sri Lankan troops desecrated the temple& outraged the Tamil Hindu devotees by refusing to take off their shoesinside the temple.
we have confluences of Śaiva and Vaishṇava Sampradāyas in India. There should be similarly no surprises at all when there are confluences with the Bauddha Sampradāya.The whole theory about a separate religion of Buddhism was just a European invention.
The very term "religion" is a Western concept. Règles, rules bound abrahamic religions. Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism all flow from the same source.
recent this separate categorization of Buddhism as a "religion" is. The same is true for other "religions" invented in India. They are all just various Sampradāyas of Dharma धर्म.
Why did Rami Sivan choose Hinduism over Buddhism?
Good question - it assumes there is a categorical difference.
I see Buddha-Dharma and Veda-Dharma as the two wings of the mighty Garuḍa bird flying majestically through the vastness of space.
I have been immersed in Dharma study for over 50 years and know well the similarities, the differences and the many points of conjunction and how they compliment each other. Perhaps being a Neo-Vedantin helps to develop a more integrated perspective.
I had the great good fortune to participate in a 12 day Kalachakra Initiation conducted by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 1996 and have attended many Buddhist meditation retreats. The experience for me was similar to the many yajñas and temple utsavas that I have attended and participated in.
I find all the hysterical focus on “difference” rather than core Dharma Unity to be tiresome political wrangling and point scoring.
To all my students I recommend 2 essential books only.
To learn the art of meditation I always refer students to Vipashyana courses and suggest a 10 day retreat. No one teaches meditation better than the Buddhists - a key element of Hindu practice which is completely neglected and ignored by almost all schools of Hinduism today.
The main factor that I love and actually envy in Buddhism is the clear and systematic way of teaching. Buddhism is more like a German autobahn whereas Hinduism is exactly like any major road in India.
So in my personal approach I have adopted and shamelessly adapted and integrated many elements of Buddhism.
1. Buddhist king Virapurushadattatrampling Hindu Shiva linga. From Nagarjunakonda, present day Andhra Pradesh,c.300 CE
Stupa no.9, King Virapurushaduttastamping out Brahmanism symbolized in the form of a Linga with a hood. Snippetsource: A History of the Early Dynasties of Andhradesa, c.200-625 A.D. by B.V.Krishna Rao, pg.58
2. Virapurushadutta denouncing Brahmanism.Source: Ikshavkus of Vijayapuri by M. Ramarao, page 35.
The pious Buddhist king Duttagaminiconducted killings & destruction of "millions of Tamils". He feltsad. Buddhist monks intervened & assured the king he would still go toheaven. Why? Because "there is no sin in killing unbelievers (nonBuddhists), who are just beasts"
War between the great Chola king Elaraand Duttagamini in 2nd century BC. Snippet source: English translation of theancient Buddhist epic Mahavamsa, 25-96 to 25-114, published by Wilhelm Geiger,Oxford University Press]
Snippet is taken from Mahavamsa, whichis an ancient Buddhist epic/scripture revered to this day in all TheravadaBuddhist countries. I am sure ancient Buddhist scriptures understand Buddhismbetter than us
According to theancient Buddhist tradition, non-Buddhists are the same as beαsts and massαcring'em is the right thing to do
Persecution by Burmese Buddhists inAssam: "Prayer houses set on fire. Dangerous for a Hindu woman to meet aBurmese in public. Brahmans were made to carry loads of beef, pork & wine.Gosains were robbed of all their possessions."
Source: Buranji Vivek Ratna, Testimonyof eyewitness Maniram Dewan. Published by H. K. Barpujari (1980) in "Assamin the days of the Company, 1826-1858". Spectrum Publications, page 11.
More than 500 Hindu temples in Sri Lankawere damaged during the war. Researcher M. Neiminathan & Federation ofSaivite(Hindu) Temples claim about 2076 Hindu temples destroyed.
Article by Researcher M.Neiminathan"Thirukketheeswaram is in ruins. The historic temple was desecrated &the jewellery, brass utensils, oil lamps & many other valuables that wereused in the temple have been plundered by the state armed forces."
https://t.co/1rePpz6l0B?amp=1
According to scholar M. Neiminathan andthe “Federation of Saiva (Hindu) Temples”, around 2,076 Hindu temples have beendestroyed in Sri Lanka, most prominently in the northeast part of the islandwhere the Eelam Tamils predominantly reside.
One of the most prominent temples to bedestroyed was a temple to the Hindu God Siva in the town of Thirukketheeswaram.It was “desecrated and the jewelry, brass utensils, oil lamps, and many othervaluables that were used in the temple have been plundered by state armedforces.”
The “most heinous and unforgivable partof the vandalism is the disfigurement and the gouging of the Third Eye of theicon of Somaskanda”, a form of Siva worshiped by Eelam Tamils at thisaforementioned temple that was deliberately destroyed by the Sri Lankan state.
In addition to Hindu templedestructions, the Sri Lankan State arrested & imprisoned Hindu priests,fired shells on Tamil devotees who gathered at Hindu temples to celebratefestivals, arrested & detained devotees going to temples, and erectedBuddha statues to annex temples.
Unfortunately, this targeting of Hindusites has not ended. For example, in 2019, a Hindu temple to Pillaiyar(Ganesha) was destroyed to build a Buddhist Vihara in Kanniya, and Tamilprotestors were obstructed, blocked, and assaulted for opposing the destruction.
Another example of desecration comesfrom the Nainativu Nagapooshani Amman Temple, which is so ancient that it wasmentioned in Greek texts. In 2020, Sri Lankan troops desecrated the temple& outraged the Tamil Hindu devotees by refusing to take off their shoesinside the temple.