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Oldenberg correct, then nirvānā would be annihilation, which Buddha repudiates." (IP. p. 886). 18
One of the features of SR's style is that he states his views and proceeds to quote, without any prefatonry remarks sometimes, other writers. To illustrate, In the context of "Buddhism and the Upanişads" he writes that "the only metaphysics that justify Buddha's ethical discipline is the metaphysics underlying the Upanişads. Buddhism is only a later phase of the general movement of thought of which the Upanişads were the earlier," (IP. p. 470) and he proceeds immediately then afer the abovequoted remark, without any prefatory remark, to quote MaxMüller, (SBE, Vol. XV Introduction, p. xxxvii; vide Ip. p. 470, fn. 1) who observes : “Many of the doctrines of the Upanişads are no doubt pure Buddhism, or rather Buddhism is on many points the Consistent carrying out of the principle laid down in the Upanişads” (IP. p. 470) and then he (i.e. SR) comments that “ Buddha did not look upon himself as an innovator, but only a restorer of the ancient way i.e. the way of the Upanişads” (IP. p. 470). He has leaning towards Upanişads, but "he is quite quick to see the positive elements in other systems and he gives something refreshingly new in heterodox systems."14
His criticism in constructive, appreciative and sympathetic also. These features are noticeable, when he states that "Buddhism helped to demorcratise the philosophy of the Upanişads, which was till then confined to a select few... It was Buddha's mission to accept the idealism of the Upanişads at its best and make it available for the daily needs of mankind. Historical Buddhism means the spread of Upanişad-doctrines among the people". (IP. p. 471).
He is equally dispassionate, critical and magnanimous, unprejudicial and unscathing, when he proceeds to state the defects of Buddhism, viz, "the central defect of Buddha's teaching is that in liis etlical earnostness he took up and magnified one half of the truth and made it look as if it were the whole. His distate for metaphysics prevented him from seeing that the partial truth had a necessary complement and rested on principles which carried it beyond its imposed limits.". (IP. p. 471; for inadequacies in Buddha's thought vide DP, Introduction, pp. 56-57).
Sometimes his remarks/observations are very brief, beautiful and pregrant with meaning, erg. "Dislike for mere speculation is the distinguishing mark of the Buddha's teaching. (DP, Introduction, p, 23). How lacomically and aptly SR brings out an important feature of Buddha's teaching !
Citations of parallels are not restricted only to the body of the text; but they also occur in footnotes, from Brahmanical literature as well as
