A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO NIRVANA When the Path of Vaishnava-Bhakti Crossed Amitåbha’s Pure Land.: Journal of Vaishnava Studies

Abstract

Hinduism and Buddhism have dominated Asia for thousands of years, often sharing in each other’s history and theology. Though
tolerance is a common fundamental, their intolerance for each other exists to this day. Each has clearly defined geographic domains; where boundaries are unclear, as in Sri Lanka, violence prevails. But aside from political and ethnic issues, theological polarization would appear to make these two Asian sisters permanently incompatible.
In an era of increasing pluralism, this Hindu/Buddhist tension poses a serious dilemma. A thoughtful believer from either camp wonders how much to accommodate the other’s beliefs. For example, from within the Vaishnava-Hindu tradition, can I accommodate nirvå∫a, believing as I do in the individual eternality of both Deity and the soul? Extinguishing individuality was so abhorrent a thought, Vaishnavas would avoid even seeing, much less speaking to a Buddhist. Yet, paradoxically, Vaishnavas count the Buddha as one of Vishnu’s avatåras.