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Spiritualseeker
30 July 2009, 06:28 AM
namaste,

Can buddha be used in my shrine as a shaivite hindu?

dhruva023
30 July 2009, 06:51 AM
You should ask this question in Buddha forum. Usually no Hindu will say no. We have many different murties in our shrine.

Spiritualseeker
30 July 2009, 07:00 AM
Thanks i was asking for a hindu view. Because soon i will get Nataraja and will have Lord Ganesha, Nataraja, and buddha in my shrine until i get more.

sunyata07
30 July 2009, 11:03 AM
This is something I'm also interested to know about, as I keep a statue of the Buddhist goddess Guan Yin (boddhisattva of compassion) in my shrine along with Lord Ganesha.

Sherab
30 July 2009, 11:17 AM
This is something I'm also interested to know about, as I keep a statue of the Buddhist goddess Guan Yin (boddhisattva of compassion) in my shrine along with Lord Ganesha.
Guan Yin can also be male as Chenrezig/Avavlokiteshvara. in 4 armed, and 1000 armed forms :)

sunyata07
30 July 2009, 11:26 AM
Yes, in Eastern Asian Buddhism they're essentially the same - I suppose underscoring the unimportance of gender if we are the consider the ultimate reality which is neither male nor female.

I happen to have a particularly soft spot for Guan Yin. She appeared in my dreams once, and it inspired me to learn more about Buddhism, and from there, Hinduism.

Sherab
30 July 2009, 11:28 AM
Yes, in Eastern Asian Buddhism they're essentially the same - I suppose underscoring the unimportance of gender if we are the consider the ultimate reality which is neither male nor female.

I happen to have a particularly soft spot for Guan Yin. She appeared in my dreams once, and it inspired me to learn more about Buddhism, and from there, Hinduism.

same here, i was on the preliminaries to tantric practice before I adopted hinduism.

atanu
30 July 2009, 11:32 AM
namaste,

Can Buddha be used in my shrine as a shaivite hindu?

Namaste SS,

I have Buddha in my shrine. Some may oppose, but most will not. That, IMO, is beauty of Hinduism. Om Namah Shivaya.

Spiritualseeker
30 July 2009, 11:43 AM
Thanks a lot atanu. I trust your views. I am contemplating getting many different murtis for my shrine. Though I will be most focused on my lessons from self realization fellowship but I may do Bhakti practices.

-juan

Anicca
30 July 2009, 01:27 PM
Id go for it if it inspires you and brings about wholesome mind states in some way:)

Eastern Mind
30 July 2009, 02:11 PM
I don't think it matters as the two are brother religions, with much in common, and both eastern. However, I do think it matters when you take it any farther than that into universalism. You simply cannot believe in all religions are one. Far too many contradictions, starting with what happens when you die.

Aum Namasivaya

Spiritualseeker
30 July 2009, 08:25 PM
I am not seeking to say all religions are the same. But I know buddha was really a hindu as atanu suggested. His teachings are found in the vedas. And he came at a time when people were just simply doing outward practices and losing the meaning to their bhakti yoga and other forms of worship. He is one of many enlightened masters. I am thinking of still keeping him as a being to pray to.

On another note I found this really perculliar note in the book (Lord Siva and His Worship)
I Prostrate before the God of Gods, embodied as Vakara, whose eyes are sun, moon and the fire and whom the Gods and the great sages like Vasishtha, Agastya, and Gautama ever pray and worship

I Wonder if he means Buddha (Gautama). I know in the teachings of the buddha he didnt necessarly say worship Siva or find Siva. But the description of ULtimate Reality and enlightenment matches the nature of Lord Siva. And the Buddha Nature spoken of is identicle to Parasiva. Though these are my thoughts only. Thoughts are insubstantial so dont take me too seriously :)

Om Namah Sivaya!
-juan

Sherab
30 July 2009, 08:48 PM
I am not seeking to say all religions are the same. But I know buddha was really a hindu as atanu suggested. His teachings are found in the vedas. And he came at a time when people were just simply doing outward practices and losing the meaning to their bhakti yoga and other forms of worship. He is one of many enlightened masters. I am thinking of still keeping him as a being to pray to.

On another note I found this really perculliar note in the book (Lord Siva and His Worship)
I Prostrate before the God of Gods, embodied as Vakara, whose eyes are sun, moon and the fire and whom the Gods and the great sages like Vasishtha, Agastya, and Gautama ever pray and worship

I Wonder if he means Buddha (Gautama). I know in the teachings of the buddha he didnt necessarly say worship Siva or find Siva. But the description of ULtimate Reality and enlightenment matches the nature of Lord Siva. And the Buddha Nature spoken of is identicle to Parasiva. Though these are my thoughts only. Thoughts are insubstantial so dont take me too seriously :)

Om Namah Sivaya!
-juan
Gautama is one of the Rishis.

namaste

PS. it is also a gotra, i believe.

sunyata07
31 July 2009, 04:12 AM
Isn't Gautama Buddha also considered one of the ten avatars of Lord Vishnu? It may not be common for many following Sanatana Dharma to worship Buddha, but I don't feel it's a contradiction to have in on your shrine along with Lord Shiva. And while Buddha has never instructed his disciples to worship him, many people often use statues and depictions of him as a point of focus in meditation to remind themselves of following Dharma, the eightfold path and so on.

Anicca
31 July 2009, 10:41 PM
I don't think it matters as the two are brother religions, with much in common, and both eastern. However, I do think it matters when you take it any farther than that into universalism. You simply cannot believe in all religions are one. Far too many contradictions, starting with what happens when you die.

Aum Namasivaya



Sadhu!


However his wish to have Buddha in his shrine is good if it promotes wholesome mental states:)

Anicca
31 July 2009, 10:50 PM
I am not seeking to say all religions are the same. But I know buddha was really a hindu as atanu suggested. His teachings are found in the vedas. And he came at a time when people were just simply doing outward practices and losing the meaning to their bhakti yoga and other forms of worship. He is one of many enlightened masters. I am thinking of still keeping him as a being to pray to.

On another note I found this really perculliar note in the book (Lord Siva and His Worship)
I Prostrate before the God of Gods, embodied as Vakara, whose eyes are sun, moon and the fire and whom the Gods and the great sages like Vasishtha, Agastya, and Gautama ever pray and worship

I Wonder if he means Buddha (Gautama). I know in the teachings of the buddha he didnt necessarly say worship Siva or find Siva. But the description of ULtimate Reality and enlightenment matches the nature of Lord Siva. And the Buddha Nature spoken of is identicle to Parasiva. Though these are my thoughts only. Thoughts are insubstantial so dont take me too seriously :)

Om Namah Sivaya!
-juan




Spiritualseeker

If you are ever in doubt about a religious teacher or religion/philosophical or even political teaching (in my advice) refer back the Buddhas teaching to the kalamas (for me the most important teaching ever put forward)



I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One, on a wandering tour among the Kosalans with a large community of monks, arrived at Kesaputta, a town of the Kalamas. The Kalamas of Kesaputta heard it said, "Gotama the contemplative — the son of the Sakyans, having gone forth from the Sakyan clan — has arrived at Kesaputta. And of that Master Gotama this fine reputation has spread: 'He is indeed a Blessed One, worthy, & rightly self-awakened, consummate in knowledge & conduct, well-gone, a knower of the cosmos, an unexcelled trainer of those persons ready to be tamed, teacher of human & divine beings, awakened, blessed. He has made known — having realized it through direct knowledge — this world with its devas, maras, & brahmas, its generations with their contemplatives & priests, their rulers & common people; has explained the Dhamma admirable in the beginning, admirable in the middle, admirable in the end; has expounded the holy life both in its particulars & in its essence, entirely perfect, surpassingly pure. It is good to see such a worthy one.'"


So the Kalamas of Kesaputta went to the Blessed One. On arrival, some of them bowed down to him and sat to one side. Some of them exchanged courteous greetings with him and, after an exchange of friendly greetings & courtesies, sat to one side. Some of them sat to one side having saluted him with their hands palm-to-palm over their hearts. Some of them sat to one side having announced their name & clan. Some of them sat to one side in silence.


As they sat there, the Kalamas of Kesaputta said to the Blessed One, "Lord, there are some priests & contemplatives who come to Kesaputta. They expound & glorify their own doctrines, but as for the doctrines of others, they deprecate them, revile them, show contempt for them, & disparage them. And then other priests & contemplatives come to Kesaputta. They expound & glorify their own doctrines, but as for the doctrines of others, they deprecate them, revile them, show contempt for them, & disparage them. They leave us absolutely uncertain & in doubt: Which of these venerable priests & contemplatives are speaking the truth, and which ones are lying?"


"Of course you are uncertain, Kalamas. Of course you are in doubt. When there are reasons for doubt, uncertainty is born. So in this case, Kalamas, don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, 'This contemplative is our teacher.' When you know for yourselves that, 'These qualities are unskillful; these qualities are blameworthy; these qualities are criticized by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to harm & to suffering' — then you should abandon them.


"What do you think, Kalamas? When greed arises in a person, does it arise for welfare or for harm?"


"For harm, lord."


"And this greedy person, overcome by greed, his mind possessed by greed, kills living beings, takes what is not given, goes after another person's wife, tells lies, and induces others to do likewise, all of which is for long-term harm & suffering."


"Yes, lord."


"Now, what do you think, Kalamas? When aversion arises in a person, does it arise for welfare or for harm?"


"For harm, lord."


"And this aversive person, overcome by aversion, his mind possessed by aversion, kills living beings, takes what is not given, goes after another person's wife, tells lies, and induces others to do likewise, all of which is for long-term harm & suffering."


"Yes, lord."


"Now, what do you think, Kalamas? When delusion arises in a person, does it arise for welfare or for harm?"


"For harm, lord."


"And this deluded person, overcome by delusion, his mind possessed by delusion, kills living beings, takes what is not given, goes after another person's wife, tells lies, and induces others to do likewise, all of which is for long-term harm & suffering."


"Yes, lord."


"So what do you think, Kalamas: Are these qualities skillful or unskillful?"


"Unskillful, lord."


"Blameworthy or blameless?"


"Blameworthy, lord."


"Criticized by the wise or praised by the wise?"


"Criticized by the wise, lord."


"When adopted & carried out, do they lead to harm & to suffering, or not?"


"When adopted & carried out, they lead to harm & to suffering. That is how it appears to us."


"So, as I said, Kalamas: 'Don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, "This contemplative is our teacher." When you know for yourselves that, "These qualities are unskillful; these qualities are blameworthy; these qualities are criticized by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to harm & to suffering" — then you should abandon them.' Thus was it said. And in reference to this was it said.


"Now, Kalamas, don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, 'This contemplative is our teacher.' When you know for yourselves that, 'These qualities are skillful; these qualities are blameless; these qualities are praised by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to welfare & to happiness' — then you should enter & remain in them.


"What do you think, Kalamas? When lack of greed arises in a person, does it arise for welfare or for harm?"


"For welfare, lord."


"And this ungreedy person, not overcome by greed, his mind not possessed by greed, doesn't kill living beings, take what is not given, go after another person's wife, tell lies, or induce others to do likewise, all of which is for long-term welfare & happiness."


"Yes, lord."


"What do you think, Kalamas? When lack of aversion arises in a person, does it arise for welfare or for harm?"


"For welfare, lord."


"And this unaversive person, not overcome by aversion, his mind not possessed by aversion, doesn't kill living beings, take what is not given, go after another person's wife, tell lies, or induce others to do likewise, all of which is for long-term welfare & happiness."


"Yes, lord."


"What do you think, Kalamas? When lack of delusion arises in a person, does it arise for welfare or for harm?"


"For welfare, lord."


"And this undeluded person, not overcome by delusion, his mind not possessed by delusion, doesn't kill living beings, take what is not given, go after another person's wife, tell lies, or induce others to do likewise, all of which is for long-term welfare & happiness."


"Yes, lord."


"So what do you think, Kalamas: Are these qualities skillful or unskillful?"


"Skillful, lord."


"Blameworthy or blameless?"


"Blameless, lord."


"Criticized by the wise or praised by the wise?"


"Praised by the wise, lord."


"When adopted & carried out, do they lead to welfare & to happiness, or not?"


"When adopted & carried out, they lead to welfare & to happiness. That is how it appears to us."


"So, as I said, Kalamas: 'Don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, "This contemplative is our teacher." When you know for yourselves that, "These qualities are skillful; these qualities are blameless; these qualities are praised by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to welfare & to happiness" — then you should enter & remain in them.' Thus was it said. And in reference to this was it said.


"Now, Kalamas, one who is a disciple of the noble ones — thus devoid of greed, devoid of ill will, undeluded, alert, & resolute — keeps pervading the first direction [the east] — as well as the second direction, the third, & the fourth — with an awareness imbued with good will. Thus he keeps pervading above, below, & all around, everywhere & in every respect the all-encompassing cosmos with an awareness imbued with good will: abundant, expansive, immeasurable, free from hostility, free from ill will.
"He keeps pervading the first direction — as well as the second direction, the third, & the fourth — with an awareness imbued with compassion. Thus he keeps pervading above, below, & all around, everywhere & in every respect the all-encompassing cosmos with an awareness imbued with compassion: abundant, expansive, immeasurable, free from hostility, free from ill will.


"He keeps pervading the first direction — as well as the second direction, the third, & the fourth — with an awareness imbued with appreciation. Thus he keeps pervading above, below, & all around, everywhere & in every respect the all-encompassing cosmos with an awareness imbued with appreciation: abundant, expansive, immeasurable, free from hostility, free from ill will.


"He keeps pervading the first direction — as well as the second direction, the third, & the fourth — with an awareness imbued with equanimity. Thus he keeps pervading above, below, & all around, everywhere & in every respect the all-encompassing cosmos with an awareness imbued with equanimity: abundant, expansive, immeasurable, free from hostility, free from ill will.


"Now, Kalamas, one who is a disciple of the noble ones — his mind thus free from hostility, free from ill will, undefiled, & pure — acquires four assurances in the here-&-now:
"'If there is a world after death, if there is the fruit of actions rightly & wrongly done, then this is the basis by which, with the break-up of the body, after death, I will reappear in a good destination, the heavenly world.' This is the first assurance he acquires.


"'But if there is no world after death, if there is no fruit of actions rightly & wrongly done, then here in the present life I look after myself with ease — free from hostility, free from ill will, free from trouble.' This is the second assurance he acquires.


"'If evil is done through acting, still I have willed no evil for anyone. Having done no evil action, from where will suffering touch me?' This is the third assurance he acquires.


"'But if no evil is done through acting, then I can assume myself pure in both respects.' This is the fourth assurance he acquires.
"One who is a disciple of the noble ones — his mind thus free from hostility, free from ill will, undefiled, & pure — acquires these four assurances in the here-&-now."


"So it is, Blessed One. So it is, O One Well-gone. One who is a disciple of the noble ones — his mind thus free from hostility, free from ill will, undefiled, & pure — acquires four assurances in the here-&-now:
"'If there is a world after death, if there is the fruit of actions rightly & wrongly done, then this is the basis by which, with the break-up of the body, after death, I will reappear in a good destination, the heavenly world.' This is the first assurance he acquires.


"'But if there is no world after death, if there is no fruit of actions rightly & wrongly done, then here in the present life I look after myself with ease — free from hostility, free from ill will, free from trouble.' This is the second assurance he acquires.


"'If evil is done through acting, still I have willed no evil for anyone. Having done no evil action, from where will suffering touch me?' This is the third assurance he acquires.


"'But if no evil is done through acting, then I can assume myself pure in both ways.' This is the fourth assurance he acquires.
"One who is a disciple of the noble ones — his mind thus free from hostility, free from ill will, undefiled, & pure — acquires these four assurances in the here-&-now.


"Magnificent, lord! Magnificent! Just as if he were to place upright what was overturned, to reveal what was hidden, to show the way to one who was lost, or to carry a lamp into the dark so that those with eyes could see forms, in the same way has the Blessed One — through many lines of reasoning — made the Dhamma clear. We go to the Blessed One for refuge, to the Dhamma, and to the Sangha of monks. May the Blessed One remember us as lay followers who have gone to him for refuge, from this day forward, for life."




A very wise and deep teaching for life, IMO


metta to all:)

Anicca
31 July 2009, 10:52 PM
May i also add that Buddha wouldnt want you to pray to him but to actually practice his teachings



metta:)

IcyCosmic
02 May 2012, 03:30 PM
I have Bhuddas all over my house, along with Hindu murtis. So I say it makes no difference.

ShivaFan
06 May 2012, 11:42 PM
Like you, I have great love for The Great Intellectual (“Buddha”) Siddhartha who possessed the intellect or Buddhi. While I do not personally have a murthi of the Buddha (PrinceSiddhartha) on any religious shrine or family alter or temple, my wife who is Hindu has several beautiful Buddha statues in the house as well as we have a beautiful art print of the a famous Indian style Buddha as found in Sarnath, the Deer Park where actually I personally visited out of great admiration for this savant and Godman (perfect master) who obtained perfect Nirvana. It was at Sarnath that Lord Siddhartha the Buddha preached His first sermon, and it is just 10 miles from my beloved Kashi of Lord Shiva also known as Varanasi.

You know, our Lord Buddha was taught by the mystic and holy saint and Master called Mahavira or The Great Hero of the Jain disciplic succession, and you should know that Jainism is directly related to Hinduism and is an advanced form of yoga practice based on intellectualism and freedom of the soul. So you can see why Lord Buddha is so very,very wise and within my Hindu tradition He is part Vishnu.

Please see my post “The Reclining Vishnu and The Reclining Buddha” in the Indian Arts section of this forum.

Now, there are many examples of Hindu shrines which also have great saints, gurus, savants and mystics also on the shrine in dignified murthi form. So in my humble opinion, I see nothing wrong with your desire to have this great Intellectual and Godman - one of the greatest of all teachers of an important message for our age – on your shrine if you so desire, just as so many Hindu shrines have our guru or saint or mystic there as well on the same shrine as Lord Shiva or Vishnu or Devi. There is no question,Lord Buddha was more than just a teacher, much more. Before His birth was seen my his Mother the White Elephant vision. I believe this very special, it is a very important vision, and I think of Lord Indra and his Elephant which came from the Ocean of Milk as a treasure. Whatever the case, this Prince was no ordainary personality. There was a reason and a gift and a time.

We live in Kali Yuga. Let me just note briefly the Tiger in the Dream. While this is only an analogy and does not fully justify the understanding of the truth that leads to liberation, Lord Buddha did teach us who are very stupid in nature a very important concept which perhaps simple analogies can make it easier to understand however simple they may be. The Buddha taught us about impermanence – to understand that when something is temporary that this is not true, that it is not The Truth. An analogy would be, imagine you are having adream. You are dreaming that a tiger is eating you …. Now if that dream when on, and on, and on forever – well, then it isn’t really a dream is it? For you, it would be true, since it doesn’t end. As far as you are concerned, you ARE being eaten by the tiger!

But then you wake up. And you say, “Oh,it wasn’t true!”….

And why isn’t it? Because it ended. It was temporary. And so, it was just a dream. Had it gone on forever, well then it is reality true for you, but it didn’t. It was only in your mind. And it was temporary. So you need not focus on the tiger eating you. You are in this time, at this moment, and you have awaken.

This dream is called Maya. Or, those things that are actually temporary, which are actually not true, they are Maya. They distract you from the truth. They demand all your attention, and desires, and it is a path to sadness. It is Maya.

You know, I think you may perhaps also be intellectually inclined. And if I can be so personal, I would like to recommend a particular holy person who lived in this time recently but is no longer here. His name is Yogaswami of Jaffna in Sri Lanka. Please take amoment to visit some of his words and the books of his disciples from the Internet – they are called the Sivathondan Society Ltd., Jaffna. They have some English literature which I think is especially ready for you.

I love Lord Buddha, the Great Intellectual who brought us a very important message for us all. And it is a wonder, for India is the Mother of Religion. I am so humbled to have walked on Her soil. I love Mother India - that words cannot express.

Today I think of Lord Shiva. And I think of Annapurna. Lord Shiva begged food from Annapurna. I also beg for the same food. One day the Mother will give me one grain of Her rice, one speck of Her salt. Then I will not be hungry anymore.

Shuddhasattva
14 May 2012, 09:55 PM
Namaste

Although Hinduism and Buddhism cannot be said to be the same by any measure, especially as some Buddhist doctrines (of some philosophical schools and traditions) seem to directly contradict Vedic and Vedantic teachings, one will find sub-strains of both that are very closely united, having co-evolved and influenced one another to a large degree.


Some dvaitins will say that advaitins ('mayavadins') are deluded by Buddha's atheistic doctrine of shunyata, and its subsequent reaction in the form of Shankaracharya's advaita developed to engage the Buddhist theory in debate, by composing itself in much the same terms of nirvikalpa/nirguna/shunya/maya, though of course advaitins themselves draw a great distinction, and many will also emphasize the importance of form as inseparable from formlessness.

These are still exoteric teachings, about the nature of phenomenon, its source and destination - or lack thereof, mostly externally oriented in philosophy and practice. In many of the esoteric traditions of both Hinduism and Buddhism one will find many striking similarities of thought and practice. Many scholars who study this subject, whether from a Western scholarly perspective, devotional scholarship, or Indian scholarship whether university or ashram/gurukul based also now believe that these esoteric strains (ie tantrik, sri vidya, nath, aghori, trika, etc.) of Hinduism and Buddhism, who often even shared the same pool of founding or legendary inspirational figures (84 mahasiddhas), influenced one another to a large degree. The philosophies in these esoteric schools often differ only slightly in terms how concepts are presented, with the essential meaning seeming to be identical.

In these strains of Buddhism, the doctrine of anatman (no-self), has been further clarified. Though one does not take the position of believing in a fixed self, the product of affirmations and negations, one should also not deny the existence of a self, in keeping with the principles of madhyamaka and the teachings on anatman openly said in the sutras.

Further, it states that the doctrine of anatman appeared in the first turning of the wheel. Later, Buddha taught a more advanced doctrine, the second turning, which was the prajnaparamita cycle, setting the foundation for the mahayana. The prajnaparamita based teachings emphasize shunyata as an extension of anatman and pratityasamutpada.

In the third turning of the wheel, Buddha talked about tathagatagarbha, dharmadhatu, dharmakaya and even satyatman (in the last mahayana sutra, the Mahayana Mahaparinirvana sutra, Buddha basically says "when I taught the doctrine of no-self, the goal was to purify obsessive clinging to the illusory self, but now having been purified with shunyata, inseparable from prajnaparamita (essentially parabrahman), both the nonduality of emptiness and form, and emptiness and essential self-nature are recognized. "

Out of this, emerged doctrines of Buddhism (vajrayana) that are free of most of the defects Hindus consider Buddha Dharma to have (atheism, no soul, emphasis on mayic and nirguna qualities to the exclusion of saguna brahman, etc.) These traditions worship deities with great devotion, as swarups of the adibuddha (saguna brahman) inseparable from the formless essential consciousness (nirguna brahman), both things and transcending this as well (parabrahman). The deity yogas of these esoteric traditions bear striking similarities. The internal yogas, absorptions, samadhis, transmission of energy and realization through shaktipat, etc., are all very similar and mutually present.

At this point, the doctrines can be so close that only slight changes in paradigm can easily reconcile the two streams of dharma without contradictions.


These esoteric schools, though generally small in number through history, have had a large influence on the whole of the dharma and its practice in Bharat, as their beliefs and practices have percolated over the last thousand, maybe two thousand years, into the vedanta and many parts of Buddhism, in the form of external rituals, temple design, the clothing of raw divinity/consciousness into various forms and names for the benefit of people's practice, their murtis, dhyans and mantras, etc.

It can be accurately said that most common ritual and practice is agamic/tantric in nature or original inspiration, and the influence of Buddhism on the tantra whether philosophically or in practice, is denied by few scholars.


May i also add that Buddha wouldnt want you to pray to him but to actually practice his teachings

metta:)


One can walk walk on shaky ground when speaking about what such persons/divinities would want, or not want, aside from what they themselves are recorded to have said.

I should note that some traditions of Buddha dharma, prayers to the Buddha as a/the deity are an essential practice. In others, this would be frowned upon. Both seek, and have some measure of, scriptural support.
ε
It may be easier for Westerners to objectively study the convergences and divergences between Buddhism and Hinduism from the perspective of their literature and philosophies, as the actual social implementation has been so different, varying, and often a mixed bag morally speaking in the land of Bharat, that one naturally has a subjective view, the lens of which can be difficult to see clearly. This is not to say Hindus are hostile towards Buddha, Buddhism or Buddhists, or vice versa at all, only that one may be expected to have certain barriers towards fully considering the other tradition as valid as one's own.

As an overt example - some will acknowledge Buddha, up to a point, but sometimes qualify it with "Buddha was Vishnu, come to delude the atheists and demons with a false atheistic doctrine in the kali yuga."

Others will go so far as to place Buddha on their altars, or even consider Buddhism to be an equally valid tradition, and perhaps even do practices from both traditions, although this is rare and also sometimes frowned upon by both communities' more conservative members.

Although I believe my biases are fairly open in this post, I have also sought to lay out the 'facts' and various positions as represented by their holders. Even so, it would be best to directly ask, or read the material, from the holders of these views to get a pure exposition, as they may justifiably feel I have misrepresented them. If I have, it is out of ignorance, not out of any hostility, and I humbly apologize. I am also of the belief that the different doctrines are useful appendages of one body, who can help define eachother. By learning one doctrine, even one that one does not fully agree with, one can also illuminate one's understanding of one's own doctrine, or advance in it to higher levels of realization totally consistent with one's svadharma and sampradaya.


I believe that Hinduism, and Buddhism, at their cores, partake of the same essence, though Hinduism is the parent religion, and will remain as Buddhism came into existence, and will fade, it not being the Sanatan Dharma, its fading itself as a skillful teaching of the Buddhist doctrine of impermanence, only slightly more emphasized than the Hindu doctrine of impermanence which much more openly emphasizes also the eternal doctrines of ishvara and atman, and thus living in the devotional heart of people, will never fade as long as humans draw breath.



Namaste

Necromancer
04 January 2013, 05:59 AM
namaste,

Can buddha be used in my shrine as a shaivite hindu?
Namaste:

I am a Shaiva and Buddha lives on my Shrine. It is dominated by a large image and statue of Lord Nataraja, but a lot of things are also there:

Kal & Maheshwara Yantras
Buddha Statue (Budh means 'mind')
Sacred Earth Goddess in the form of Kuan Yin
Christian Cross
Small statue of Lord Ganesha (I start with)
Small picture of Ardhnareshwar (to represent the 'yin/yang' cosmic balance of Shiva/Shakti).

Then, there are 'personal items' of spiritual/sentimental significance:

A photo of Guruji
Sunflowers
Nautilus shell
Peacock Feathers
Rudraksha beads
Crystal Amethyst cave...

Worship whatever you feel is special or sacred to you. If Buddha is special to you, then put Him there (he is an Avatar of Lord Vishnu as well, but that should pose no problems).

Using objects that have special significance to you, turns your 'Puja' inwards and fosters a state called 'manas (mind) Puja' where you are performing worship unknowingly, through Love which leads into deep meditation.

I hope to be able to fully achieve that one day.

Aum Namah Shivaya

Ramakrishna
05 January 2013, 04:39 AM
I am a Shaiva and Buddha lives on my Shrine. It is dominated by a large image and statue of Lord Nataraja, but a lot of things are also there:

Kal & Maheshwara Yantras
Buddha Statue (Budh means 'mind')
Sacred Earth Goddess in the form of Kuan Yin
Christian Cross
Small statue of Lord Ganesha (I start with)
Small picture of Ardhnareshwar (to represent the 'yin/yang' cosmic balance of Shiva/Shakti).


Aren't you missing the Virgin Mary?

Sahasranama
05 January 2013, 06:49 AM
Don't give him any ideas.