Buddhism

India accepted Buddhism because:

1. The scholars of that time never preached philosophy to the common people.

They hated the language of the common people and called it Bhákhá.

2. Back then, there was no Tattvadarshii or eminent philosopher.

3. The people in general were not ready to accept the pandits or scholars.

4. The Ácáryas of that age, Shrii Saiṋjaya and Shrii Gayá Kashyapa, could not convince Buddha.

All these factors led to the wide propagation and acceptance of Buddhism.

Buddhism believes in rebirth and transmigration of souls, so the question arises: Who is reborn if there is no Átman?

This became a point of controversy among the Bhikkus (monks) and later among the Maháyánii scholars.

Buddhism believes in Karmaphala or the reaction of actions.

• If karmaphala is accepted, then who performs karma or action and who gets the karmaphala?
• Therefore, the existence of Átman has got to be recognized.

Towards the end of Buddha’s life some of his disciples asked Buddha about the existence of God:

• Does God exist?
• Is it a fact that God does not exist?

Buddha remained silent on both questions.

• Some of his disciples interpreted this to mean that there is no God.
• Another section of disciples understood that God exists.
• A third section came forward with the interpretation that there is God, but God is beyond the expression of “Asti” and “násti” or “is” and “is not”; that is, God’s existence is inexplicable.

Actually God is supramental.

There are 4 sections in Buddhist philosophy:

1. Pratyakśa Váhya Vastuváda or Soutańtrika Darshana
2. Anumeya Váhya-vastuváda or Vaebháśika Darshana
3. Sarvashúnyaváda or Mádhyamika Darshana
4. Kśańika Vijiṋánaváda or Baoddha Yogácára.

Pratyakśa Váhyavastuváda accepts the universe as infinite, that is, anádii and ananta or beginningless and infinite when Caetanya or Consciousness becomes álayiibhúta or objectivated then it becomes jiṋána.

The outer world is transitory but due to rapid movement (Saiṋcara or Prati-saiṋcara: extroversion or introversion) it appears to exist constantly.

• Saiṋcara means “to go away from Brahma” and the Vikarśanii Shakti of Brahma
• Pratisaiṋcara means “to come near to Brahma” and the Ákarśanii Shakti of Brahma

Anumeyaváhya Vastuváda accepts the waves of Jiṋána as a permanent entity (sattá).

There is the external world but the world will never be realized.

When the waves of consciousness (Jiṋána) come, the mind takes a form according to the Saḿskáras or potential reactions of past actions of the Citta or mental plate.

Formations created in the mind are taken to be Satya or veracity.

When Jiṋána comes in contact with Álambana or desideratum, Citta takes a form: it takes the outward álambana as the object realized.

Sarvashúnyaváda is also called Mádhyamika Darshana and was propounded by Shriinágárjuna.

He did not accept the páiṋcabhaotika world or the 5 fundamental factors.

The external world which we see is Máyá or illusion.

This philosophy is similar to Shankara’s philosophy, Brahma Satyam jagatmithya.