Vedanta and Buddhism are two great traditions which have come out of India and were never in conflict. They existed in a state of beautiful cooperation that is an example for the whole world to follow.
US President Richard Nixon was sitting between a Shinto priest and a Zen monk at an event in Japan. It was an inter-faith conference and President Nixon asked the Shinto priest, “What is the percentage of Shintos in Japan?” The priest replied, “Shintos represent 80 percent of the population in Japan.” President Nixon then turned to the Zen monk and asked, “What is the percentage of Buddhists in Japan?” The monk said “80 percent”. President Nixon was confused. He asked, “How is it possible?” The priest and the monk said it was possible because in every Shinto shrine, there was a statue of the Buddha and, in every Buddhist shrine, the Shinto faith was honored.
The greatness of Buddhism is that it has always honoured the Buddhas of the past, the present and the future. The Vedantic tradition has also always honoured the Gurus and Rishis of the past, the present and the future.
Vedanta has always been fighting against any form of discrimination, superstitions and ritualistic practices. It has always stood for uniting mankind.
The second verse of the Rigveda says, “Rishih Purverbhirnutanedo Sadevamyeh”. Honouring wisdom, which is timeless and which comes up from time to time with differences in interpretation, is a specialty of this part of the world.
Buddhism has always honoured the Buddhas of the past, the present and the future. The Vedantic tradition has always honoured the Gurus and Rishis of the past, the present and the future.
– Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Within Hinduism, there are so many schools of thought. There is Bhakti Pant, Advaita, Vishishta Advaita, Shakti Vishishta Advaita and so on. There are some good things in every school of thought, something very practical. It is wisdom that focuses on those beneficial aspects, the unity amongst them and moves forward.
Look at the problems facing Myanmar, Sri Lanka or even in India where violence has taken a front seat. The land of the Buddha, the land of Adi Shankara, the land of Mahavira is today facing the Maoist problem, domestic violence, alcoholism and drugs. These issues are prevalent in the world and we have to jointly address them.
Solution to Ills of Today’s Society
It is usually thought that monks or Vedantis should simply confine themselves to their meditation practices and not intervene in society. This is a wrong notion. The monks have to be agents of social change and only monks can do this because they do not have any personal or selfish interest. All that you need to say is “Sarve Jana Sukhino Bhavantu” (Bhavatu Sabba Mangalam)
Today, Japan tops the list of depressed people with 20 million people. Young people are getting so depressed. Around 27 percent of people in Europe are living in depression. We, the Buddhist tradition and the Vedantic tradition, have the solution for these ills of society. Buddhism takes one inward to that meditative state, deep within one self, from where one can combat the social ills of today – depression, discrimination, violence.
Vedanta says it’s all full and Buddhism says, “It is nothing.” Yoga Vashista says the self is so empty like the sky and so full like the ocean. These are two different ways of looking at the truth
– Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Buddhism stresses on meditation and nirvana. Buddhism sees nothingness in everything while Vedanta sees fullness in everything. Vedanta says it’s all full and Buddhism says, “It is nothing.”
A couplet in the Yoga Vashista illustrates this by saying the self is so empty like the sky and so full like the ocean. These are two different ways of looking at the truth.
Adi Shankaracharya was against the Mimamsa system because the followers were sacrificing souls in the name of religion. Buddhism also spoke against various Vedic sacrificial ceremonies which were prevalent in those days. The two systems have seen the same reality from two different sides and have presented them to the world which is full of conflicts today.
