Guest guest Report post Posted January 31, 2004 How do Vaishnavas view Buddhism? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dervish 0 Report post Posted January 31, 2004 As you may know, Buddha is the 9th avatar of Krsna. DASAVATARA STROTRA by Srila Jayadeva Goswami nindasi yajnavidhe-rahaha srutijatam sadaya-hrdaya darsitapasughatam kesava dhrita buddha sarira jaya jagadisa hare. "O God, in the body of Buddha, the enlightened! Out of Compassion o your heart you have condemned the ritualistic portion of the Vedas ordaining the killing of animals. Hail! Hari, God of the world, Victory to Thee!" (not Srila Prabhupad's translation, I cannot find my songbook at the moment) -- Although Buddha is worshipped as an avatar as you can see here, there is of course, great disagreement with how Buddhists regard and worship Buddha (or not worship, ala Theravad). There is a book by Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Maharaj that explains everything about Vaishnava position on Mayavad and Buddhism, but I can't recall the name right now. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gHari 0 Report post Posted January 31, 2004 Those who worship Lord Buddha with affection are worshipping and pleasing God, since Lord Buddha is an incarnation of God. Those following the teachings of Lord Buddha are veiled atheists, since the philosophy actually excludes God. Krsna is so kind that even if some are so envious of Him that they wish He didn't exist, then He comes and preaches such a religion and tricks them into following a religion with no God yet at the same time they unknowingly worship God Himself in His form of the incarnation known as Lord Buddha. No one escapes God's mercy. Eventually the followers of all religions reach the Vaishnava platform of worship of Sri Hari. Whatever dharma we are suited to according to our attachments and spiritual development then that dharma as established by Sri Krsna and His agents will allow the entity to advance until the Vaishnava dharma is possible for them. Whether they follow each dharma for years or lifetimes or eons, the living entity finally approaches Sri Krsna. This was explained much better by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his Garland of Vaishnava Truths: <blockquote>Q. These truths of Sri Krsna-tattva are the religious principles of the Vaishnava-dharma. What about people who are involved with other types of religion? A. Different religions have different instructions for the worship of either Isvara (the personal God), Paramatma (the localized Supersoul in the heart) or Brahman (His all-pervading impersonality) — but all three of these types of religions are ultimately pointing in the direction of Krsna-Tattva. After the jivas evolve upwards through their various courses of development, they eventually will attain Krsna Bhakti in the end. Even though they attain the incompleteness of their various religious paths, Sri Krsna Bhakti is still available to them. The awareness of the supreme nature of Sri Krsna-tattva is the ultimate knowledge inherent within each and every living entity.</blockquote> gHari Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ancient_paztriot 0 Report post Posted January 31, 2004 Beautifully said. I hope you don't mind me using some of your comments when preaching to others. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
