[Advaita-l] Shika on Vyasa-Buddhist madhyamikas

[Srikanta Narayanaswami]

Buddhism has undergone many modifications over the years in ancient history.To 
start with what is called as 'Hinayana"was the first.The sarvastivada otherwise 
called Hinayana was the first to be propagated in SriLankathe sthaviravadins 
were strict Hinayanists or sarvastivadins.The Mahayana Buddhism gained ground 
only much later.Asanga and later Vasubandhu spread the Mahayana in the name of 
Yogachara.The sunyavadins grew with the advent of Nagarjuna who propagated 
"pratitysamutpada".Both the yogacharins and the sunyavadins are called  
Mahayanists,and in that sunyavadins are called"Madhyamikas"that is,of medium or 
middle disposition.They claim "the Madhyamika philosophy",as taught by the 
Buddha eschewed both the extremes,and chose the middle position.

N.Srikanta.