Traverses on Less Trodden Path of Indian Philosophy and Religion

Author(s): Yajneshwar S Shastri
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

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UPANIŞADIC INFLUENCE ON MAHĀYĀNASŪTRĀLANKĀRA
The Upanişads indeed occupy a unique place in the development of Indian thought. The secds of almost all the systems of Indian philosophy are to be found in the Upanişads. The Upanişads are the original source of Indian philosophy as a whole. They can be termed as Himalayas of Indian philosophy. Just as different rivers having origin in the Himalayas flow in different directions; similarly, all the schools of Indian thought including Cārvāka, Buddhism and Jainism have their roots in and, are influenced by Upanişadic philosophy. Upanişads are regarded as the fountain-head of different schools of Indian pbilosophy. Dr. R. D. Ranade rightly pointed out that the Upanişads supply us with various principles of thought and may tbus be called the Berecynthia of all the later systems of Indian philosophy. Just like a mountain which from its various sides gives birth to rivers which run in different directions, the Upanişads also constitute that lofty eminence of philosophy wbich from its various sides give birth to rivulets of thoughts which as they progress towards the sea of life, gather strength by the inflow of inumerable tributaries of speculation which intermittently join these rivulets, so as to make a huge expanse of waters at the place where they meet the ocean of life. There are many direct and indirect evidences to prove that Buddhism has its roots in the Upanişads. Buddha's utterances about Reality such as unborn, unmade, non-becoming and uncompounded, 2 and the word immortality8 etc., show that his conception of Reality is the same as that of the Upanişadic thinkers. In the Martavilāsaprahasana' written by King Mahendra Vikramavarma (7th C. A.D.) we find a statement of a Kapalika saying that in the matter of thieving the Buddha was a greater hand than Khara pața (the promulgator of the science of theft) as he has built his Pitakas and Koşas with the things stolen from
1. Ranade, R. D.: A Constructive Survey of Upanişadic Philosopby. Pub : Bharatiya
vidya Bhavan, Bombay, 1968, p. 131. 2, Ajätam, akstam, abhūtam, asamskptam. Udána. 3. Amộtamadhigatam.-Vinayapițaka, Mahāvagga, 1.1.7.
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