zarzari: > I do not believe in the origin of advaita in > the Vedic gods, but rather a recast of Yogacara > Buddhism... > It may be that Shankara was in fact, opposed to classical yoga and to tantric yoga practice. If Shankara supported tantric ritual practice and the practice of yoga as a means to liberation, he would have had a perfect opportunity to do so in his sub-commentary to Vyasa's Vivarana on Patanjali's Yoga Sutra.
The fact is that Shankara did not even mention tantric practice in his commentary on Mandukhya Upanishad. However, even a casual reader of Shankara's work would conclude that he was very much influenced by Vajrayana Buddhism. Many scholars have gone so far as to label Shankar a "crypto-Buddhist". It is also a fact that most of the works supposedly authored by Shankara consist of a refutation of Madhyamika Buddhism. Scholars have pointed out that in one instance, Shankara quotes directly from the famous dialectition Dharmakirti. That Dharmakirti lived and taught in the seventh century A.D. is confirmed by that famous visitor and translator Huan Tsang, who came over from China during that period. Based on a reading of the texts, it is also apparent to most readers that the Paramguru of Shankara was greatly influenced by Mahayana Buddhism. Gaudapadacharya's adoption of the "appearance only" doctrine is clear evidence that Adwaita is a close cousin to the Yogacara "consciousness only" school of Vasubandhu and his brother Asanga. In Gauda's commentary or karika on Madukhya he specifically mentions the appearance only doctrine and supports his conclusions on the idea of the "turiya" - a clear reference to the Nirvana taught by Shakya the Muni in the fourth century B.C. Thus it is clear that, far from being a polemic AGAINST the Yogacara teaching, Shankara's Adwaita in fact, seeks to preserve all that is good in the Vijnanavada!
