Buddhist Roots of Vedanta

[RongzomFan]

Due to the amateurish thread in the Vedanta forum, I have created a factual thread regarding Vedanta.

 

1. From the textbook of Dr. Upinder Singh (daughter of prime minister and noted historian):

 

"The earliest formal exposition of Advaita or non-dualistic Vedanta was put forward by Gaudapada in the 7th or 8th century in his Mandukyakarika, a verse commentary on the Mandukya Upanishad. Gaudapada was influenced by Madhyamika and Vijnanavada Buddhism."

 

2. If you want to see the verbatim verses Gaudapada took from Madhyamaka, you can read chapter 2 of The Method of Early Advaita Vedanta.

 

3. The Upanishads themselves were derived directly from Buddhism, even specifically Mahayana:

 

Hajime Nakamura, Trevor Leggett. A History of Early Vedanta Philosophy, Part 2. Reprint by Motilal Banarsidass Publ., 2004 page 284-6

 

"As was pointed out in detail in the section titled Interpretation, many particular Buddhist terms or uniquely Buddhist modes of expression may be found in it."

 

"From the fact that many Buddhist terms are found in its explanation, it is clear that this view was established under the influence of the Mahayana Buddhist concept of Void."

 

"Although Buddhistic influence can be seen in the Maitri-Upanishad, the particular terms and modes of expression of Mahayana Buddhism do not yet appear, whereas the influence of the Mahayana concept of Void can clearly be recognized in the Mandukya-Upanisad."

Edited August 3, 2013 by alwayson

[voidisyinyang]

Each year, thousands of young Indian women are doused with gasoline and burned to death because the groom or his family felt the dowry was inadequate.

 

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/03/india-woman-killed-every-hour-dowry_n_3859820.html?utm_hp_ref=canada&ir=Canada

 

misoygnist roots of vedanta.

[RongzomFan]

The dowry system was severely screwed up by the british, just like the caste system.

 

"In precolonial India, dowry was not a "problem" but a support for women."

-Dowry Murder, Oxford University Press

 

You should read basic academic books before slandering cultures.

Edited September 5, 2013 by alwayson

[voidisyinyang]

The dowry system was severely screwed up by the british, just like the caste system.

 

"In precolonial India, dowry was not a "problem" but a support for women."

-Dowry Murder, Oxford University Press

 

http://www.hitxp.com/articles/history/origin-dowry-system-bride-woman-india-british/

 

good article on that - thanks!

[RongzomFan]

By the way, statistically speaking America has the most violence against women in the world, and India one of the lowest.

 

For example, 10-12 Americans gang raped 2 women in America, just a couple of days ago:

 

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/08/31/2-women-gang-raped-by-10-12-juveniles-in-delaware-park-report-says/

[voidisyinyang]

yep -- most people in the U.S. -- only 7% had passports up till recently and more now but travel mainly to Canada/Mexico/Europe.

 

So then lots of fear-mongering about the "periphery of the Empire.

Will a billion people in India - thousands of women doused with gasoline and burned to death every year....

 

seems like a lot but is a much lower statistic than U.S. violence.

[RongzomFan]

You have to ask yourself why does the Western media ignore American gangrapes?

 

10-12 Americans against 2 women?

 

Should be on the front page of every news outlet right now.

[voidisyinyang]

A Rape a Minute, A Thousand Corpses a Year

http://www.thenation.com/article/172408/rape-minute-thousand-corpses-year#

 

so there you go - way worse than India....

[RongzomFan]

By the way, its an academic fact that Hinduism is the most feminine religion in the entire history of the world.

 

"Nowhere in the panorama of world religious traditions, from ancient times to the present, do we find such a strong presence of the feminine voice within the divinity as we do in the Hindu complex of religion."

 

http://books.google.com/books?id=0z02cZe8PU8C&pg=PA441&lpg=PA441&dq=Nowhere+in+the+panorama+of+world+religious+traditions,+from+ancient+times+to+the+present,+do+we+find+such+a+strong+presence+of+the+feminine+voice+within+the+divinity+as+we+do+in+the+Hindu+complex+of+religion&source=bl&ots=NiNq-FnGuv&sig=nyZ0bOIkfulTNrxrFU-8JK487og&hl=en&sa=X&ei=RvonUoyWOtDD4AOy_4HYBA&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Nowhere%20in%20the%20panorama%20of%20world%20religious%20traditions%2C%20from%20ancient%20times%20to%20the%20present%2C%20do%20we%20find%20such%20a%20strong%20presence%20of%20the%20feminine%20voice%20within%20the%20divinity%20as%20we%20do%20in%20the%20Hindu%20complex%20of%20religion&f=false

Edited September 5, 2013 by alwayson

[voidisyinyang]

it's oxymoronic: "feminine religion" is kind of like "military intelligence."

 

 

Very early in their Indian history, the Aryans enjoined that the
Shudras shall not practice the religious worship developed by them (Ghurye, 172). The various
factors that characterize caste-society were the result of the attempts on the part of the upholders
of the Brahmanic civilization to exclude the aborigines and the Shudras from religious and social
communion with themselves (Ghurye, 172). In Hindu religious stories, there are many wars
between the good Aryans and the dark-skinned demons. Stories of demon women trying to
seduce good Aryan men in deceptive ways are very prominent.

 

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CDQQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitalcommons.calpoly.edu%2Fcgi%2Fviewcontent.cgi%3Farticle%3D1043%26context%3Dsocssp&ei=e_onUpmgHcfKqgGIioDwAQ&usg=AFQjCNHouYNX0VWujVDVeeiOB_hjIws0oA&sig2=JmRXDUsftqAAUvxsK3bQvw&bvm=bv.51773540,d.aWM&cad=rja

 

As most of the societies in the world, India had a patriarchal system. Most of the time, the
son inherited his father’s profession, which led to developing families, who acquired the same
family profession for generations (Daniel). Later on, as these families got bigger, they were seen
as communities, or jat. Different families who professed the same profession developed social
relations between them and organized as a jat (Daniel). After a while, the Aryans who had
created the caste system slowly began to add non-Aryans to their statuses. Different jats were
integrated into the various varnas according to their profession.

 

cites this person a lot. http://adaniel.tripod.com/modernindia.htm

Edited September 5, 2013 by pythagoreanfulllotus

[Jetsun]

Makes you wonder which is the purest transmission of what the Buddha was getting at, so many Buddhists get stuck in the trappings and religion and miss what he was really pointing at, yet that's not really possible with Vedanta (unless you try really hard)

[RongzomFan]

Makes you wonder which is the purest transmission of what the Buddha was getting at, so many Buddhists get stuck in the trappings and religion and miss what he was really pointing at, yet that's not really possible with Vedanta (unless you try really hard)

 

Vajrayana direct introduction is infinitely more clear than Vedanta, IMO.

[RongzomFan]

misogynist roots of Vedanta.

 

You would also have to say misogynist roots of Buddhism, Jainism etc.

 

Will a billion people in India - thousands of women ....

 

Americans murder their girlfriends, wives etc. all the time, and I'm pretty sure its at a much higher rate than India.

Edited September 7, 2013 by alwayson

[RongzomFan]

A Rape a Minute, A Thousand Corpses a Year

http://www.thenation.com/article/172408/rape-minute-thousand-corpses-year#

 

so there you go - way worse than India....

 

Wow, that's a lot of gang rapes in America!

 

"some of the twenty men who gang-raped an 11-year-old in Cleveland, Texas, were sentenced in November, while the instigator of the gang rape of a 16-year-old in Richmond, California, was sentenced in October, and four men who gang-raped a 15-year-old near New Orleans were sentenced in April, though the six men who gang-raped a 14-year-old in Chicago last fall are still at large. Not that I actually went out looking for incidents: they’re everywhere in the news, though no one adds them up and indicates that there might actually be a pattern."

 

Then when you add the massive one that just occurred in Delaware, we can conclude that the media has an agenda in publicizing Indian gang rapes, and minimizing American gang rapes.

Edited September 11, 2013 by alwayson

[hajimesaito]

The dowry system was severely screwed up by the british, just like the caste system.

 

"In precolonial India, dowry was not a "problem" but a support for women."

-Dowry Murder, Oxford University Press

 

You should read basic academic books before slandering cultures.

 

 

It is a standard habit of the brahmins to put the blame of their misfortunes o evil actions on either the british, muslims or the untouchables. Why blame the british for caste system, dowry sati devdasi etc? In fact most of the reformist hindu movements like brahmo, arya, vivekananda etc arose during british rule due to their influence. It was british raj which first banned sati, which qas immensely protested by hindus.

 

And by the way, it is common knowledge that most rapes in india go unreported because of the sham2 involved. Even many educated indians, including lawyers blame the girls for getting raped. A rape victim can even be otcasted by society, so it is very rare for them to report. It used to be common traditionof the bhumihar brahmins in bihar to rape women of dalits and tribes to assert their power. You just cannot compare the American society with a conservative third world society like india.

 

Shankara plagiarized much more than buddhist scriptures to create advaita and modern hiduism. The advaita systemof mutts andmonasticism is a direct rip off of buddhist sangha and vihara. Even the dres and shaved headss come from there!

[RongzomFan]

Why blame the british for caste system, dowry sati devdasi etc?

 

Its an academic fact that the British are responsible for the caste system and dowry.

 

These are not Indian scholars saying that. These are western scholars at Ivy League universities.

 

In fact most of the reformist hindu movements like brahmo, arya, vivekananda etc arose during british rule due to their influence.

 

Correct.

 

And by the way, it is common knowledge that most rapes in india go unreported because of the sham2 involved.

 

That's bullshit. And most rapes are unreported in America as well. Regardless America has a much higher rape and gang rape level.

 

Even many educated indians, including lawyers blame the girls for getting raped.

 

More bullshit. By the way, here is a judge in America blaming the victim getting raped.

 

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2013/08/29/montana_judge_rape_comments_montana_district_judge_g_todd_baugh_apologizes.html

 

A rape victim can even be otcasted by society, so it is very rare for them to report.

 

More bullshit.

 

You just cannot compare the American society with a conservative third world society like india.

 

This really shows your ignorance. India is neither conservative or third world.

[Jetsun]

If you don't admit your societies problems they can't be tackled, they have been talking about this a lot on the world service due to the court case today and just about everyone agreed there is a big problem of people being too ashamed to report rapes in India, it happens in other countries too but when it is entrenched in the culture you have a big problem.

[RongzomFan]

If you don't admit your societies problems they can't be tackled, they have been talking about this a lot on the world service due to the court case today and just about everyone agreed there is a big problem of people being too ashamed to report rapes in India, it happens in other countries too but when it is entrenched in the culture you have a big problem.

 

Again its not entrenched in Indian culture. That's the whole point.

 

Gang rape is entrenched in western culture. 25% of American rapes are gang rapes according to Wikipedia. I already posted several examples of American gang rape.

Edited September 13, 2013 by alwayson

[Protector]

We're on topic, right?

[RongzomFan]

We're on topic, right?

 

Any Indian topic ultimately turns to hating on India.

 

Its a mathematical certainty.

 

See "Breaking India".

[Protector]

How interesting, well carry on, I need more reasons before I throw all this into the pit

[RongzomFan]

That Miami gang rape and murder was especially heinous.

 

Even the judge cried.