Original Buddhism&Vaishnavism Same

[Guest guest]

KRISHNA-VISHNU REVEALED HIMSELF IN THE BHAGAVAD-GITA

AND THE PURE LAND BUDDHIST SADDHARMAPUNDARIKA

Note: forwarded message attached.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Bhakti Ananda Goswami" bhakti.eohn

"Vrin Parker" vrnparker

Fw: KRISHNA-VISHNU REVEALED HIMSELF IN THE BHAGAVAD-GITA AND THE PURE

LAND BUDDHIST SADDHARMAPUNDARIKA

Thu, 7 Aug 2003 04:28:31 -0700

 

- Bhakti Ananda Goswami

FrScottB

Wednesday, August 06, 2003 8:07 AM

Fw: KRISHNA-VISHNU REVEALED HIMSELF IN THE BHAGAVAD-GITA AND THE PURE

LAND BUDDHIST SADDHARMAPUNDARIKA

 

- Bhakti Ananda Goswami

vina (AT) wva-vvrs (DOT) org

Sunday, August 03, 2003 6:03 AM

KRISHNA-VISHNU REVEALED HIMSELF IN THE BHAGAVAD-GITA AND THE PURE LAND

BUDDHIST SADDHARMAPUNDARIKA

ONE ADI PURUSHA AND TWO SCRIPTURES...AN INTRODUCTION TO THE WORSHIP OF HRIH IN PURE LAND BUDDHISM

KRISHNA-VISHNU REVEALED HIMSELF IN BOTH THE BHAGAVAD-GITA AND THE PURE LAND

BUDDHIST SADDHARMAPUNDARIKA

By H.H. Bhakti Ananda Goswami of the WVA Interfaith Committee

Pure Land Buddhism is historically the original Buddhism. Closely related to

Krishna-centric Vaishnavism, evidence for the early existence of the Pure Land

Buddhist Bhakti Tradition can be found from North Africa / Egypt to India and

Asia. Although Pure Land Buddhism eventually became corrupted with atheistic

Theravadin teachings, its Vaishnava-related origins should still be readily

apparent to any Vaishnava scholar studying the evidence.

Two important areas of evidence are the Sanskrit Scriptures and Sacred Murtis /

Icons of the various regional Pure Land Traditions.

AN EXAMPLE OF THE PURE LAND BUDDHIST ICONOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE

Like Sho ('Flute') Kannon (Amida HRIH), this flute-playing Nepalese-style Pure

Land Murti of Infinite Light graces the Great Lantern at the Todaiji Temple in

Nara Japan. ONE MAY STILL SEE NUMEROUS SIMILAR ICONS IN TIBETAN AND NEPALESE

SACRED BUDDHIST ART, WHERE THEY ARE CLEARLY RELATED TO THE VAISHNAVA

ICONOGRAPHY OF THE REGION.

In "The Arts of Japan Ancient and Medieval" (Seiroku Noma, 1966), the Great

Lantern is described as one of the finest relics of the Golden Age of Nara in

Eighth Century Pure Land Buddhism . The Great Lantern is 15.33 feet in height.

 

[PLEASE ATTACH FORWARDED ICON 1 HERE]

Gilt-bronze Octagonal Lantern http://academic.csuohio.edu/makelaa/odyssey/TodaijiDetails01.jpg

Todaiji Temple is still the largest wooden building in the world. The

importance of the Icon on its Geat Lantern can be seen in its use on the Nippon

stamp below. http://www2.biglobe.ne.jp/~t-iwata/nara/todai/714.jpg

 

SHO KANNON is also called Amitabha in Sanskrit, and AMIDA in Japan. He is the

Adi Purusha, and His First Emanation or Expansion is clearly Balarama-Vishnu.

They (Amitabha-Amitayus) also have an all-pervasive Form Who is the Lord of the

Heart (Paramatma). Any of These Three Persons, the First, Second or Third

Person / Purusha of this (Trinity) Trikaya Godhead, may be called HRIH,

Bhagavan, or other Vaishnava Divine Names in Pure Land Buddhism.

Here is Sho-Kannon, also from Nara in the Eighth Century (Yakushiji Shrine). He

is 74.1 inches tall. Noma's text says:

"The ideals which engendered this figure must have fluctuated between those of

physical beauty and those of transcendental faith."

[PLEASE ATTACHED FORWARDED ICON 2 HERE]

Many Icons / Murtis at Japanese, Korean, Chinese,Tibetan and other Pure Land

Buddhist Temples would interest Vaishnavas. I have made a 30+ year study of

Pure Land Buddhist Murtis and Sacred Symbols, and have viewed (received the

blessed darshan of) thousands of these. I viewed over 5,000 just in Nepal

alone, and can attest that there is a close relationship between these and

Vaishnava Murtis and Sacred Symbols. Art historians account for the close

similarities by pointing out that the first Buddhist Sacred Images were created

in two Vaishnava centers, Mathura Gandhara ! Yes, Mathura was also a Pure Land

Buddhist center, and it is said that Asoka's Buddhist Guru had an ashram in

Mathura with 10,000 monks !

Bahujan/message/1893

aryabuddha Sun Nov 4, 2001 6:31 pm The reign of

King Asoka (2) Reposted from India Archaeology group,From Than Hsiang Temple

Site: The reign of King Asoka,The Maurya Dynasty:

(cont. from part 1)

"Asoka's visit to Bodh Gaya and his devotion to the Bodhi tree is shown by a

sculpture on the eastern gate at Sanchi which represents the emperor's visit to

the sacred tree. It was followed by many other pilgrimages on which both legends

and inscriptions throw some light according to northern tradition confirmed by

Yuan Chwang.. Asoka's preceptor in Buddhism was Upagupta of Mathura the son of

a performer, Gupta of Benares who took Asoka on an extensive pilgrimage to the

principal holy places of Buddhism such as Lumbini Garden where the Buddha was

born, Kapilavastu where he renounced the world, Bodhi-tree at Gaya where he

attained enlightenment. Isipatana (Sarnath) where he first preached. Kusinagara

where He died, Sravasti where He mostly lived and taught. At each of these

places, Asoka gave gold and built a chaitya."

This scholar also describes that Asoka did something that an atheist would not

do. He patronized the worship of Vaishnava-like Pure Land Buddhist Murtis.

So it is strange indeed that the atheistic so-called Buddhists of Sri Lanka

insist that Asoka sent atheistic Theravadin Buddhism to that Island.

 

Asoka devoted himself strenuously to the moral uplift of the community. As

stated in Minor Rock Edict 1, the gods were popularized so that the people in

Jambudvipa who knew nothing of them i.e. the wild tribes now became associated

with them and adopted them as objects of their worship. A further appeal to the

religious instincts of the people was made by the emperor's organization of

shows and processions exhibiting images of the gods in their celestial cars,

which were accompanied by elephants, bonfires or illuminations and other

heavenly sights (Rock Edict IV). The institution of Buddhist processions

continued at Pataliputra down to Fa-hien's time (4th century A.D.). Thus the

originator of Buddhist processions seems to be Asoka. Asoka's intention when he

started this was not for his own material gain but for the spiritual advantage

of his people by bringing their gods before their eyes..

 

EXAMPLES OF COMMONALITIES BETWEEN VAISHNAVA AND PURE LAND BUDDHIST SCRIPTURES

Sanskrit, pervaded with Vaishnava Deity Names and religious terms, is the

original language of the eastern Pure Land Buddhist Scriptures, and can also be

found in Pure Land Buddhist hymns, litanies and liturgies. Vestiges of

Vedic-Vaishnava Sanskrit have even reached as far as Japan in Pure Land

Buddhism.

Even in Japan today HRIH remains the 'Seed Mantra' Name of the ADI BUDDHA or ADI

PURUSHA AMITABHA (AMIDA) as SHO KANNON, Who is the ADI PURUSHA FORM OF KANNON

WHO PLAYS A FLUTE. (KANAN is an important Name of Sri Krishna in South India,

and is also a Name of God in the Hebrew 'Old Testament' of the BIble.) From

Tibet to Japan, Amitabha the ADI PURUSHA and His TRI-KAYA Expansions of

Amitayus-Lokeshvara, all may be invoked by their Nama Mantra HRIH. Any

Vaishnava should recognise this Holy Name as a form of the Name HARI. In fact,

in India I have seen various names related to Sri Krishna-Vishnu's important

Name HARI, such as HRIH, HARIH, SUREH, SARIH, SURYAH, HAREYAH AND EVEN HARYA.

Below are some basic facts to introduce Vaishnavas to the Worship of HRIH in

Pure Land Buddhism.

THE YUGA DHARMA FROM A PURE LAND SCRIPTURE:

 

Regarding Vaishnava Theology and Practice, Pure land Buddhism (P L B) is also a

religion of Divine Grace. The Masters of P L B are also intercessors, who as

Bodhisattvas, have vowed to take all of their disciples, or even all beings TO

THE PURE LAND. To accomplish this goal, they practice and preach the constant

invocation of the Name(s) of HRIH (Amitabha-Amitayus-Lokeshvara).

 

“Seek rebirth in Ultimate Bliss with serious intent By putting down defiled

thoughts and returning to the pure. The Master delivered the following

instruction during a seven-day recitation session in Kiangsi :

“The Dharma-door of reciting the Buddha’s name is also called the Pure Land

Dharma-door. By means of this method all can enter the Pure Land, for it

receives those of all three dispositions and gathers the intelligent and

deluded. Wise people with superior wisdom, average people with ordinary

intelligence, and inferior, deluded people—those of all three dispositions need

only RECITE THE NAME and they will be reborn in the Pure Land. Thus it is the

convenient means within the convenient means, the short cut among short cuts,

and is most suited to beings in the DHARMA-ENDING AGE.”

NOTE THAT THE DHARMA ENDING AGE IS KALI YUGA. SO HERE WE HAVE THE DIRECT PURE

LAND BUDDHIST PARALLEL TO THE GAUDIYA VAISHNAVA DOCTRINE OF HARI NAMA

INVOCATION / RECITATION BEING THE YUGA DHARMA (AGE = YUGA).

Page 82 continued:

“If one is simply able to recite ‘Namo Amitabha Buddha’, one will certainly be

reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, where, transformationally born from a

lotus, one will see the Buddha and awaken to the patience of the uncreated,

never again to retreat to the Small Vehicle [HINAYANA], or to the status of a

common person. If what I say is not so, I will gladly descend into the hells.

“Yesterday someone asked me, ‘When I recite the Buddha’s name, I have too much

idle thinking. How can I stop it?’

“Pay no attention to how much idle thinking you are doing. Just keep reciting

the Buddha’s name with all your heart. There is a common saying,

When the clear-water pearlis thrown in muddy water,the muddy water turns clear.

When the Buddha’s nameenters the deluded mind,the deluded mind becomes the Buddha.

“Recitation itself is the cure for idle thinking. Why add a head on top of your

head by looking for another method?”

The Pure Land Dharma Door is RECOMMENDED FOR ALL BEINGS IN THE DHARMA ENDING

(Kali Yuga) AGE. This is the simple INVOCATION OF THE OTHER-POWER OF

AMITABHA-LOKESHVARA-HRIH, WHO IS HISTORICALLY

KRISHNA-BALARAMAVISHNU-PARAMATMAN, AND THE CATHOLIC HOLY TRINITY.

HERE ARE THE BHAGAVAD-GITA AND PRINCIPLE PURE LAND BUDDHIST SCRIPTURE VERSES COMPARED:

Here is some extremely important evidence of the relationship between

Krishna-Vishnu worship and Pure Land Buddhism. In the below, I compare a few

of the many verses in the Bhagavad gita and the essential Pure Land Text, the

Saddharmapundarika, which are written in the same Vaishnava Sanskrit (full of

specifically Krishna-centric Vaishnava cultus Deity Names and terms) and teach

the same doctrines.

 

[PLEASE EXCUSE ALL UPPER CASE, AS THIS WAS TYPED WHEN I COULD NOT SEE WELL.) A

BHIKSHU'S QUESTION TO BHAKTI ANANDA GOSWAMI"YOU WROTE THAT THERE ARE

SIMILARITIES BETWEEN KRISHNA'S BHAGAVAD GITA SELF-REVELATION AND THAT OF

BUDDHA'S SELF REVELATION IN THE MAIN MAHAYANA BUDDHIST SCRIPTURE CALLED THE

SADDHARMAPUNDARIKA. WHERE IS THE SIMILARITY ? "

(BA G) BHAKTI ANANDA GOSWAMI'S ANSWER:

 

THERE ARE FAR MORE THAN SIMILARITIES. FIRST YOU MUST REALIZE THAT THE WHOLE PL

BUDDHIST SCRIPTURE IS IN VAISHNAVA-RELATED SANSKRIT, AND THAT IT IS PERVADED

WITH A VAISHNAVA SYSTEM OF REFERENCE IN GENERAL. THEN MANY SPECIFIC DEITY

NAMES OF KRISHNA-VISHNU AND THEIR EMANATIONS / EXPANSIONS AND INCARNATIONS ARE

CENTRAL TO THE TEXT.

BHIKSHU

 

"WHY HAVE I NOT HEARD ABOUT THIS BEFORE ?"

 

BA G

 

MODERN INDIAN VAISHNAVAS GENERALLY THINK THAT ALL BUDDHISM IS ATHEISTIC, AND

THUS DON'T BOTHER TO STUDY PURE LAND BUDDHISM. BUDDHISTS DON'T GENERALLY

STUDY VAISHNAVISM. WESTERNERS WHO STUDY BOTH TRADITIONS GENERALLY HAVE NO

INTEREST IN GETTING BUDDHISTS AND VAISHNAVAS TOGETHER. THE IDENTITY OF

BUDDHA-LOKESHVARA AS KRISHNA-VISHNU IN PURE LAND TEXTS WAS RECOGNIZED BY

WESTERN SCHOLARS MORE THAN 100 YEARS AGO. IN THE ORIGINAL FOOTNOTES TO THE

OXFORD TRANSLATION OF THE SADDHARMAPUNDARIKA, BUDDHA, WHO IS THE SPEAKER AND

CENTRAL FIGURE IN THE SUTRA, IS IDENTIFIED WITH VISHNU. THE ATHEISTIC FORM OF

BUDDHISM HAS LONG SUPPRESSED THE TRUTH ABOUT THE VAISHNAVA GENEALOGY OF

BUDDHISM IN GENERAL. VAISHNAVAS ARE LIKEWISE IN DENIAL ABOUT THEIR HISTORICAL

CONNECTIONS TO BOTH BUDDHISM AND THE JUDEO-CATHOLIC TRADITION. ....IN THREE

WORDS, THE PROBLEM CAN BE SUMMED UP AS 1. UNKNOWING, 2. PREJUDICE, 3.

'SPIRITUAL PRIDE' OR THE SECTARIAN SUPERIORITY MENTALITY. PREJUDICE IS

PREVENTING THE HUMAN RACE IN GENERAL FROM HAVING ANY PERCEPTION OF THIS

PROFOUNDLY IMPORTANT TRUTH. WHEN COMMUNICATION IS POSSIBLE, ETHNO-CENTRIC OR

RELIGIOUS PRIDE AND PREJUDICE PERPETUATE UNKNOWING, BY BLOCKING COMPLETE AND

REALIZED / EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AND LEARNING. I WILL USE A REPRINT OF THIS

OLD TEXT TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF VAISHNAVA TEACHINGS IN PURE LAND BUDDHIST

SHASTRA. THE FOLLOWING QUOTATIONS ARE FROM THE 1963 DOVER (NEW YORK USA)

EDITION REPUBLICATION OF THE OLD OXFORD UNIVERSITY, 1884 CLAREDON PRESS

PUBLICATION OF VOLUME XXI OF "THE SACRED BOOKS OF THE EAST" THIS VOLUME IS

ENTITLED "SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA or THE LOTUS OF THE TRUE LAW". IT WAS TRANSLATED

BY PROF. H. KERN. FROM THE RE-PRINTERS NOTES... " THE SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA (THE

LOTUS OF THE TRUE LAW), ONE OF THE MAHAYANA SUTRAS, IS PERHAPS THE SINGLE MOST

IMPORTANT MAHAYANA BUDDHIST WORK. COMPOSED ORIGINALLY IN INDIA, SOME SECTIONS

WRITTEN AS EARLY AS THE BEGINNING OF THE CHRISTIAN ERA, THE LOTUS IS HELD IN

ENORMOUS ESTEEM BY THE NORTHERN SCHOOLS OF BUDDHISM AND BY CHINESE AND JAPANESE

BUDDHISTS, PARTICULARLY TENDAI AND LATER DEVELOPMENTS. DESCRIBED AS 'THE MOST

EMINENT,' OF ALL THE SUTRAS, 'THE CROWN JEWEL,' IN WHICH 'ALL THE BUDDHA-LAWS

ARE SUCCINCTLY TAUGHT,' THE LOTUS IS A KEYSTONE IN THE EDUCATION OF EVERY

SERIOUS BUDDHIST." ALTHOUGH BOTH KERN'S TRANSLATION AND COMMENTARY ARE

ATHEISTIC, HE DOES MENTION PARALLELS TO THE GITA, AND ADMITS THAT THERE IS

EVIDENCE THAT THE MAHAYANA TRADITION WAS ONCE DEVOTIONAL. IN FACT HIS

INTRODUCTION MAKES REPEATED REFERENCES TO SRI KRISHNA'S SELF REVELATION IN THE

BHAGAVAD-GITA. HOWEVER HIS OWN MONISTIC (MAYAVADI) VIEW OF THE GITA

REINFORCES HIS ATHEISTIC INTERPRETATION OF THE LOTUS SUTRA. THERE ARE SCORES

OF IMPORTANT VAISHNAVA PARALLELS IN THE TEXT, BUT BECAUSE KERNS WAS NOT TRAINED

IN VAISHNAVISM, HE COULD NOT RECOGNIZE THEM. FURTHERMORE HIS ADVAITI

PERSPECTIVE MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM TO REALLY GRASP THE TRINITARIAN

VAISHNAVA-RELATED REVELATION OF THE SUTRA.THIS IS A FOOTNOTE TO PAGE 5 OF THE

ACTUAL INTRODUCTORY TEXT OF THE SUTRA. (KERN) " IT MAY BE REMARKED THAT IN THE

ENUMERATION OF THE GODS, BETWEEN SIVA AND BRAHMA, VISHNU IS WANTING. THOSE WHO

ADOPT THE VIEW THAT SAKYAMUNI IS AN AVATARA OF VISHNU, CONSEQUENTLY A MYTHICAL

BEING, WILL READILY ACCOUNT FOR THAT OMISSION BY SAYING THAT VISHNU AND THE

LORD BUDDHA ARE IDENTICAL, SO THAT VISHNU IS PRESENT IN THE GATHERING, UNDER

THE DISGUISE OF BUDDHA." THIS IS SUCH AN OUTRAGEOUS STATEMENT, BECAUSE ANY

HONEST PERSON STUDYING AVALOKITESHVARA OR LOKESHVARA IN RELATION TO VISHNU MUST

ADMIT THAT THEY ARE THE SAME BEING. SINCE THE LOTUS SUTRA ITSELF DECLARES, OUT

OF BUDDHA'S OWN MOUTH, THAT AVALOKITESHVARA APPEARS AS BUDDHA TO PREACH THE

DHARMA, THE LOTUS SUTRA ITSELF ASSERTS THE VIEW THAT BUDDHA IS AN INCARNATION

OF VISHNU. THE ADI BUDDHA MANIFESTS AMITAYUS-LOKESVARA, WHO THEN INCARNATES AS

INNUMERABLE BUDDHAS. SAKYAMUNI IS ONE SUCH BUDDHA INCARNATION. BUDDHA IN THE

'HEARTS' OF ALL THE ASSEMBLED BEINGS IS THE IMMANENT FORM OF HRIH OR LOKESVARA.

THUS THE THREE IRREDUCIBLE FORMS, PERSONS OR BODIES OF THE BUDDHA (OR PURUSHA)

ARE THE TRI-KAYA OF THE 1. DHARMA KAYA, 2. SAMBHOGYA KAYA (SOMETIMES CALLED

NIRMANYA KAYA) AND 3. RUPA KAYA. CHAPTER XXIV THE ALL-SIDED ONE, CONTAINING A

DESCRIPTION OF THE TRANSFORMATIONS OF AVALOKITESVARA PAGES 410 & 411 (GET OUT

YOUR BHAGAVAD-GITAS TO COMPARE HOW SRI KRISHNA DESCRIBES HIS MANIFESTATIONS)

THE SETTING IS SAKYAMUNI BUDDHA ADDRESSING A VAST NUMBERLESS SEA OF BEINGS FROM

MANY WORLDS AND DIMENSIONS. DEMIGODS, ANGELS, SAINTS, BODHISATTVAS, ALL ARE

THERE TO HEAR HIM GIVE THIS SUPREME REVELATION OF THE PURE LAND DHARMA. A

BODHISATTVA APPROACHES HIM WITH THIS QUESTION... "HOW, OH LORD, IS IT THAT THE

BODHISATTVA MAHASATTVA AVALOKITESVARA FREQUENTS THIS SAHA WORLD ? AND HOW DOES

HE PREACH THE LAW ? AND WHICH IS THE RANGE OF SKILLFULNESS OF THE BODHISATTVA

MAHASATTVA AVALOKITESVARA ? SO ASKED, THE LORD REPLIED TO THE BODHISATTVA

MAHASATTVA AKSHAYAMATI: IN SOME WORLDS, YOUNG MAN OF GOOD FAMILY, THE

BODHISATTVA MAHASATTVA AVALOKITESVARA PREACHES THE LAW TO CREATURES IN THE

SHAPE OF A BUDDHA; IN OTHERS HE DOES SO IN THE SHAPE OF A BODHISATTVA. TO SOME

BEINGS HE SHOWS THE LAW IN THE SHAPE OF A PRATYEKABUDDHA; TO OTHERS HE DOES SO

IN THE SHAPE OF A DISCIPLE; TO OTHERS AGAIN UNDER THAT OF BRAHMA, INDRA OR A

GANDHARVA. TO THOSE WHO ARE TO BE CONVERTED BY A GOBLIN, HE PREACHES THE LAW

ASSUMING THE SHAPE OF A GOBLIN; TO THOSE WHO ARE TO BE CONVERTED BY ISHVARA, HE

PREACHES THE LAW IN THE SHAPE OF ISHVARA; TO THOSE WHO ARE TO BE CONVERTED BY

MAHESVARA, HE PREACHES ASSUMING THE SHAPE OF MAHESVARA. TO THOSE WHO ARE TO BE

CONVERTED BY A KAKRAVARTIN (1), HE SHOWS THE LAW AFTER ASSUMING THE SHAPE OF A

KAKRAVARTIN; TO THOSE WHO ARE TO BE CONVERTED BY AN IMP, HE SHOWS THE LAW UNDER

THE SHAPE OF AN IMP; TO THOSE WHO ARE TO BE CONVERTED BY KUBERA, HE SHOWS THE

LAW BY APPEARING IN THE SHAPE OF KUBERA; TO THOSE WHO ARE TO BE CONVERTED BY

SENAPATI (2), HE PREACHES IN THE SHAPE OF SENAPATI; TO THOSE WHO ARE TO BE

CONVERTED BY ASSUMING A BRAHMAN (3), HE PREACHES IN THE SHAPE OF A BRAHMAN;

.......[HE] AFFORDS SAFETY TO THOSE WHO ARE IN ANXIETY. ON THAT ACCOUNT ONE

CALLS HIM IN THIS SAHA-WORLD ABHAYANDADA (I.E. GIVER OF SAFETY)." PAGE 413

(BUDDHA) " LISTEN TO THE CONDUCT OF AVALOKITESVARA. 3. HEAR FROM MY INDICATION

HOW FOR NUMEROUS, INCONCEIVABLE AEONS HE HAS ACCOMPLISHED HIS VOTE [VOW] UNDER

MANY THOUSAND KOTIS OF BUDDHAS. 4. HEARING, SEEING, REGULARLY AND CONSTANTLY

THINKING (3) WILL INFALLIBLY DESTROY ALL SUFFERING, (MUNDANE) EXISTENCE, AND

GRIEF OF LIVING BEINGS HERE ON EARTH. " BELOW EXCERPTED FROM KERN'S

FOOTNOTES... PAGES 410 AND 411 (1) MOVER OF THE WHEEL, I.E. VISHNU (2) SKANDA

(3) BRIHASPATI

 

*************************************************************************

 

BHAKTI ANANDA GOSWAMI'S COMMENTS ON THE FOOTNOTES

 

ACTUALLY (1) CAKRAVARTIN IS A NAME OF SRI KRISHNA, AND HIS DISCUS-WIELDING

VISHNU MANIFESTATION. KRISHNA'S CIRCLE / CYCLE KYKLOS / CAKRA SYMBOL ACTUALLY

IS THE COMMON SYMBOL FOR HIS NAME IN THE ANCIENT WORLD. THUS IN EGYPT FOR

EXAMPLE, THE CIRCLE GLYPH ALWAYS REPRESENTS HERU, AND IS 'READ' HERU (HIS

NAME). IN JUDEA THE 'SOLAR' CIRCLE REPRESENTS ELI. AMONG THE GREEKS IT

REPRESENTS KOUROS HELIOS OF RHODES. IN INDIA THE CAKRA ALWAYS BELONGS TO

KRISHNA OR VISHNU OR THEIR SURYA-NARAYANA FORM. IN ASIA, THE 'SOLAR SYMBOL' IS

ASSOCIATED WITH AMITABHA, WHO WESTERN SCHOLARS HAVE LONG CONSIDERED ONE OF THE

'CLASS OF SUPREME SOLAR DEITIES'. THE MISTAKE OF THESE SCHOLARS HAS BEEN TO

MISUNDERSTAND THIS ONE DEITY'S WIDESPREAD WORSHIP AS NOTHING MORE, OR OTHER,

THAN SOME KIND OF SUN WORSHIP.

 

SKANDA (2) SENAPATI OR SKANDA-MARUGAN WAS WORSHIPED AS MARS IN ROME, WHERE GANESHA WAS JANUS.

 

BRIHASPATI (3) LIKE SKANDA AND KUBERA, INDRA, BRAHMA ETC. ARE ALL

MANIFESTATIONS OF SRI KRISHNA FOUND NOT ONLY IN THE GITA, BUT IN NUMEROUS OTHER

ANCIENT VAISHNAVA TEXTS AS WELL. MANY OF THESE FORMS COME THROUGH CHINA AND

KOREA, ALL THE WAY INTO JAPAN, WHERE THEY CONTINUE TO BE WORSHIPED ALONGSIDE

AMITABHA HRIH (HARI KRISHNA) AND LOKESHVARA (VISHNU). In ancient Japanese Pure

Land Buddhism AMIDA is HRIH, and His two-armed SHO KANNON Form is the DHARMA

KAYA as AMITABHA-AMITAYUS or KRISHNA-BALARAMA. SHO KANNON THE ORIGINAL OR ADI

BUDDHA HAS A FLUTE. Lokeshvara is Vishnu, The Catholic Mary is Kichijo-ten and

SRI LAKSHMI, and Benzai-ten as SARASVATI. Emma is Yama. Surya & Chandra are

Nikko and Gakko. Taishaku-ten is Indra. Bonten is Brahma. The Alvar KANAN is

ASAKUSA SHO (FLUTE) KANNON IN TOKYO. The Tana Bata Festival is Radha-Krishna's

Rasa Lila Festival. JESUS-CHARAKA (BALARAMA) IS THE GREAT PHYSICIAN YAKUSHI JI

AT NARA. The Nepalese Form of Krishna as Infinite Light / Amitabha can be seen

with His Flute and peacock feather on the Great Lamp at Nara etc. The ecstatic

HARI NAM NEMBUTSU MOVEMENTS of HRIH, popularized by the Pure Land Saints like

Honen, Shinran, Ippen and Nichiren Shonin in Japan were all AMIDA-LOKESHVARA

CENTRIC BHAKTI DEVOTIONAL MOVEMENTS. These continue today in the present SOKA

GAKKAI and other current Nembutsu and Jewel-Lotus Prayer Japanese Buddhist

popular japa mantra phenomena. "Soka Gakkai International (SGI)-USA is an

American Buddhist association that promotes world peace and individual

happiness based on the teachings of the Nichiren school of Mahayana Buddhism."

 

*****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

THE BHAGAVAD GITA AND LOTUS SUTRA REVELATIONS COMPARED BY TRIDANDI SWAMI HH

BHAKTI ANANDA GOSWAMI

 

"SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA or THE LOTUS OF THE TRUE LAW", TRANSLATED BY PROF. H. KERN.

BUDDHA'S SELF-REVELATION IN THE SADDHARMAPUDARIKA

 

FORMS THAT THE ADI PURUSHA AS AVALOKITESVARA ASSUMES TO TEACH / CONVERT / SAVE

BEINGS IN THE WORLD OF SUFFERING (SAHA WORLD), LISTED IN ORDER FROM THE

ABOVE... I. BUDDHA 2. BODHISATTVA 3. PRATYEKABUDDHA 4. DISCIPLE 5. BRAHMA 6.

INDRA 7. GANDHARVA 8. GOBLIN 9. ISVARA 10. MAHESVARA 11. KAKRAVARTIN 12. IMP

13. KUBERA 14. SENAPATI / SKANDA 15. BRAHMAN / BRIHASPATI

COMPARE TO SRI KRISHNA'S SELF-REVELATION IN THE BAHGAVAD GITA ........................

 

FROM " BHAGAVAD-GITA AS IT IS" BY HIS DIVINE GRACE A.C. BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI

SRILA PRABHUPADA (1972 EDITION) SRI KRISHNA SAYS "I AM...." 1. BUDDHA CH. 4 TXT

7, PURPORT PAGE 225 2. AVALOKITESVARA BODHISATTVA = VISHNU CH. 7 TXT 4, PURPORT

PAGES 367 AND 368 KRISHNA'S VISHNU EXPANSIONS AND PURUSHA INCARNATIONS ARE

DESCRIBED. THESE ARE ALL FORMS OF AVALOKITESVARA IN NORTHERN BUDDHISM. 3. *

PRATYEKABUDDHA 4. DASA AVATARA IS WHEN KRISHNA APPEARS AS HIS OWN

DISCIPLE-SERVANT, LORD BALADEVA IS ALSO CALLED 'THE SERVITOR LORD'. 5. BRAHMA

CH. 10, TXT 33, PAGE 530 6. INDRA CH. 10, TXT 22, PAGES 520 - 521 7. GANDHARVA

CH. 10, TXT 26, PAGE 524 (CITRARATHA) 8. * GOBLIN 9. ISVARA CH. 9, TXT 11,

PURPORT PAGE 459 10. MAHESVARA CH. 7, TXT 14, PURPORT PAGE 380 MAHESVARAM CH.

9, TXT 11, PAGE 458 11. CAKRAVARTIN CH.11, TXT 46, PAGES 577& 578 CAKRA-HASTAM)

[CAKRAVARTIN COMMONLY] 12. *IMP 13. KUBERA CH. 10, TXT 23, PAGE 521 14. SKANDA

CH. 10, TXT 24, PAGE 522 15. BRHASPATI CH. 10, TXT 24, PAGE 522 * NOT

TRANSLITERATED BY KERNS.OBVIOUSLY THE DEITY SPEAKING THE GITA AND THE LOTUS

SUTRA IS THE SAME DEITY. THIS IS WHY ALL OF NORTHERN BUDDHISM WORSHIPS THE

FORMS OF KRISHNA-VISHNU AS THE FORMS OF AMITABHA-LOKESHVARA.

 

SOME EXAMPLES OF THE SAME LILA-AVATARA FORM OF LOKESHVARA AND VISHNU

 

VAISHNAVA .................PURE LAND BUDDHIST NARASINGHA VISHNU = NARASINGHA

LOKESVARA VARAHA VISHNU = BARAHA LOKESVARA HAYAGRIVA VISHNU = HAYAGRIVA

LOKESVARA MATSYA VISHNU = MACCHA LOKESVARA KALAH (MAHADEVA SHIVA ) VISHNU =

KALAH (MAHADEVA SHIVA) LOKESVARA

 

 

SOME OF THE OTHER FORMS IN COMMON BETWEEN BUDDHA-LOKESHVARA AND VISHNU

LOKESVARA ON THE CAUSAL WATERS = MAHA VISHNU

BUDDHA NILAKANTHA = GARBODAKSAYI VISHNU ON ANANTA SESHA NAGA IN THE GARBODAK OCEAN

 

MUCHILINDA BUDDHA = VISHNU-BUDDHA ON ANANTA NAGASANA

LOKESVARA (HRIH) in the HEART of ALL BEINGS = PARAMATMA VISHNU LOKESVARA AS ALL

THE PURUSHA AVATARAS = VISHNU AS ALL THE PURUSHA AVATARAS

 

LOKESHVARA AS BUDDHA, BRAHMA, MAHESHVARA (SHIVA), INDRA, SURYA, CHANDRA, SKANDA,

BRIHASPATI, KUBERA ETC. = VISHNU AS BUDDHA, BRAHMA, MAHESHVARA (SHIVA), INDRA,

SURYA, CHANDRA, SKANDA, BRIHASPATI, KUBERA ETC.

 

FROM NEPAL ALL THE WAY TO JAPAN, KRISHNA'S AND VISHNU'S NAMES CAN BE FOUND AS

THE NAMES OF THE ADI-BUDDHA (DHARMA KAYA) AND HIS PRIMARY 'REFLEX' OR

EXPANSION, LOKESHVARA (SAMBHOGYA KAYA).

 

PURE LAND BUDDHIST NAMES OF GOD

HRIH BHAGAVAN PURUSOTTAMA NARAYANA ADI PURUSHA CHAKRAVARTIN ETC.

THEIR ALL-PERVASIVE FORM, AS THE LORD IN THE HEART, IS HRIH IN ALL FORMS AS RUPA KAYA.

KRISHNA-VISHNU'S FORMS (RUPA) ARE FOUND EVERYWHERE WITH HIS NAMES (NAMA). HIS

HIGHEST 'ADI' OR ORIGINAL FORM IS HIS TWO-ARMED BEAUTIFUL 'SHO' (JAPANESE

'ORIGINAL' AND 'FLUTE') DHARMA KAYA FORM, WHO IS THE 'LOVER OF THE SOUL'

(KRISHNA or KOUROS), AND 'FATHER' OR CAUSELESS SOURCE OF ALL. HIS 1000 ARMED

FORM AS THE UNIVERSAL PURUSHA / VIRATA RUPA IS THE COSMIC PURUSHA FORM OF

LOKESVARA WITH HIS MANY HEADS AND 1000 ARMS.

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