Buddhist influences on Advaita Vedanta

The term "Advaita Vedanta" originates from Sanskrit. "Advaita" means "non-dual" or "not two," derived from "a-" (not) and "dvaita" (duality). "Vedanta" refers to the "end of the Vedas," the philosophical culmination of the ancient Indian scriptures. The school's foundational texts date back to the Upanishads, with its systematic exposition attributed to Adi Shankara in the 8th century CE.

Advaita Vedānta and Mahāyāna Buddhism share significant similarities. Those similarities have attracted attention both by Indian and Western scholars of Eastern philosophy and Oriental studies, and have also been criticised by concurring schools. The similarities have been interpreted as Buddhist influences on Advaita Vedānta, though some deny such influences, or see them as expressions of the same eternal truth. Advaita Vedānta (Sanskrit: अद्वैत वेदान्त; literally, not-two) is the oldest extant...

The resonance between Advaita Vedanta and certain streams of Mahayana Buddhism, particularly Madhyamaka and Yogacara, is a subject that has long captivated scholars and practitioners alike. Mircea Eliade, in his vast explorations of comparative religion, often highlighted the shared concern for transcending the phenomenal world and its inherent limitations. The Buddhist concept of shunyata, or emptiness, which denies inherent existence to all phenomena, can be seen as a conceptual precursor or parallel to Advaita's Maya, the illusory nature of the manifest world. Both traditions, in their own distinct ways, aim to dismantle the illusion of a solid, independent self and a separate, objective reality.

For the modern seeker, Advaita Vedanta offers a potent antidote to the pervasive sense of fragmentation and isolation that characterizes contemporary existence. It suggests that the deepest yearning for connection and meaning is not a pursuit of something external, but a homecoming to an inherent state of being. The practice, often involving contemplation, meditation, and study of texts like the Upanishads, is not about acquiring new knowledge but about deconstructing erroneous perceptions. It is akin to a cartographer meticulously erasing the false coastlines drawn by fear and ignorance, revealing the unbroken ocean of consciousness that has always been present. As D.T. Suzuki, a tireless advocate for understanding Eastern thought, often pointed out, the challenge lies in moving beyond conceptual understanding to a direct, intuitive grasp of non-duality. The goal is not to become something one is not, but to realize what one already is, an awareness as vast and boundless as the sky. This realization, when it dawns, transforms not just one's perception of the self, but of all existence. The universe ceases to be an external stage upon which life plays out, and becomes instead the very substance of one's own being.

RELATED_TERMS: Brahman, Atman, Maya, Moksha, Shunyata, Non-duality, Upanishads, Yoga ---