Post by Nitaidas on Feb 1, 2012 14:08:24 GMT -6
Yes the text by Dimock. However, the story with Prakasananda Saraswati does not seem to be true as his work does not reflect his conversion. Another thing, Kdk says CM said never to hear any "mayavada" and at the same time accepts sridhara swami. So there also the contradiction is there to separate sridhara swami from the tradition of sankara. There is no specific argument given about debates with Buddhists and also with tattvavadis in Udippi. Again I thank for answering my questions.
What work? Are you confusing him with Prabodhananda Sarasvati? I don't think the two were the same. The story does not ring true for me for other reasons. It is unlikely that such a great Advaitin as he is portrayed to be would be defeated so easily and on the basis of such weak arguments. I think KdK was misled as many of his colleagues were during that time about who or what was a mayavadin. KdK operated with the best knowledge of the day and it happened to be wrong. So many of his opinions are also wrong. We are only today discovering more about the real teachings of Sankara and his tradition. Mayavada emerges later with Vacaspati Misra's (9th cent. CE?) blending of Sankara's Advaita with the Advaita of Mandana Misra. That in turn was boosted by Vidyaranya and his brother Sayana (14th cent. CE) who bring in the identification of Sankara with Siva. Again the Buddhists were no sloughs. I doubt whether Mahaprabhu would have been able to defeat them if they knew their stuff. So perhaps they did not know their stuff. Same with the Madhvites. Anyway, there may be truth in these accounts, but perhaps not the complete truth.
