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Avathaarams

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Sampath Rengarajan • January 4, 1996 


> Ramakrishna mutt (even though there thought is irrelevant to
> Vaishnavites), followers think that Buddha reached the fourth state and
> he possibly did not go the fourth state at all. So he might have preached
> "Agnana" or "we go from existence to nothing when we attain nirvana".
> This is just to throw light of the analogy of buddha's goal (nirvana) and
> goal of hindus(the interpretation of the fourth state might be different
> for the three cults of hinduism).
>

The Final Goal as described you is "closer" to more of the advaitin school's
existance of paramaatman and the union of aatman with the same and having no
attributes.  That may very well find support from the concept of "nirvaanaa"
preached by budhdha. I am not surprised that the advaitin schools support
Budhdha as an avathaaram of Vishnu and indirectly try to derive support for
their "final goal".  But HE (budhdhaa) is certanly not one of the "Top Ten" of
Srivaihsnavaas. When it is true that Budhdhaas preachings are not as venomous
as portrayed here earlier by some, they are very abstractive in nature and may
not be useful to a common man seeking a direction for salvation. When he said
"desire" is the main cause of misery and should be avoided, do we therfore
"desir e" to avoid misery and hence avoid desires ? IS it confusing ?
Nothing could be so simpler than saranaagathi in seeking salvation.   Goal of
HIndus is not to attain the fourth stage and stop there simply, as there are
further stages in the path to salvation. That is where nirvaana and advaitin
concepts stops due to lack of authority in them.

Sampath Rengi
note: however, I thank for your quote from the upanishad.