ADMIN: Please stop discussions on Madhyamaka

[S. V. Subrahmanian]

Dear Shri Nanda,

Since the discussion is ending, could you for the benefit of people who have
not been able to follow all the arguments between you and other members,
just summarize (5 lines will do) what your stand is or what you finally
wanted the members to understand.  Also please give a reference list of
books that one might read and understand Buddhism, which in your opinion is
authoritative.

I am only asking this as a conclusion.  I request members not to start a
discussion on whether a particular book is authoritative or not.  We all
know that is just an opinion of one of the members - that's all.  We will
strictly abide by the rules of the admin.

Thanks for your enlightening contribution to the topic.

>From: "Jaldhar H. Vyas" <jaldhar at braincells.com>
>Reply-To: List for advaita vedanta as taught by Shri Shankara
><ADVAITA-L at braincells.com>
>To: ADVAITA-L at LISTS.ADVAITA-VEDANTA.ORG
>Subject: ADMIN:  Please stop discussions on Madhyamaka
>Date: Tue, 27 Jun 2000 00:10:31 -0400
>
>The threads on Madhyamaka have run their course now and worse are
>degenerating into name-calling so we must regretfully ask the participants
>to take them to email or some other forum.
>
>We do not like to practice censorship.  The list works best when people
>are free to express their opinions on the particular subjects they are
>interested in.  The only restriction is that the topic should be related
>to Advaita Vedanta.  It is the responsibility of every one of us to
>exercise some self-control in this regard and also in the manner in which
>we address our fellow list members[1].
>
>Although some list members were against it from the beginning I didn't see
>anything wrong in the comparison.  Various forms of Buddhism have had an
>impact on Advaita Vedanta's earlier history and it is common for people to
>mix up Buddhist and Vedantic ideas so it is quite legitimate to wonder
>about the relationship between the two.  Knowing that Nanda has studied
>the subject in depth I was confident he could do justice to it.  I would
>like to thank him and all those who responded to him.  I feel I have
>learned a lot from the exchange.
>
>But after all the many messages that have gone back and forth I think it
>is safe to say the central theses "Madhyamaka is the negative side of
>Advaita Vedanta" has not been proven.  Whether Buddhists believed in a
>contentless self, no self, or just equivocated on the subject this is a
>far cry from Advaita Vedanta which most assuredly does posit the existence
>of an eternal self of the nature of truth, pure consciousness and
>bliss.  And it doesn't just grudgingly accept the atma out of practical
>necessity but makes it the very linchpin of its theory.
>
>It's not that the subject isn't fascinating but it is now deemed beyond
>the scope of this list.  Please feel free to carry on in some other forum
>or privately if you like.
>
>If you have any questions or comments please email
>listmaster at advaita-vedanta.org
>
>--
>Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>
>on behalf or Ravi and Vaidya
>
>[1] long-time members will note the irony of me giving this particular
>lecture. :-)
>
>--
>bhava shankara deshikame sharaNam
>
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bhava shankara deshikame sharaNam

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