From Nothingness To Personhood: A Collection Of Essays On Buddhism From A Vaishnava Hindu Perspective

by Steven J. Rosen

"From Nothingness to Personhood" is an important work that explores Buddhism and the deeply buried roots of the Buddhist tradition. These roots are found in pre-Buddhist India, where little-known Sanskrit texts and the commentaries of Vaishnava sages illuminated the identity of the Buddha and his path to enlightenment. With this as a focus, "From Nothingness to Personhood" affords its readers a unique look at Buddhism from the perspective of its parent faith, Vaishnava-Hinduism, the primary seed from which the tree of Buddhist dharma originally sprouted.
Both parent and child are part of the same tree of truth, with branches and fruits such as reincarnation, meditation, yoga, renunciation, vegetarianism and reverence for all life. But Vaishnavism and Buddhism - parent and child - have differences as well. "Thus, From Nothingness to Personhood" illuminates not only their intertwined branches, as mentioned above. It also sheds light on the many creepers and twigs that shoot off in opposite directions. The result is at times uncomfortable but always informative and edifying.
"Rosen's book invites us, as Buddhists, to re-examine our own tradition. If his research is accurate, it beckons us to be better Buddhists, to look within and to discover the Absolute truth, the Adi Buddha, within our heart of hearts. It also asks us to look without - at the Vedic scriptures of ancient India. Here, we may unlock the mysteries of our own heritage." - The Venerable Bodhi Santosh Roshi, The Indo-American Zen Buddhist Society of New York.
Steven J. Rosen is the author of several books on Vaishnava related subjects. He is an initiated disciple of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Vaishnava Studies, an internationally recognized publication on the academic study of Vaishnavism. His recent books include "Gita on the Green" and "Holy War: Violence and the Bhagavad Gita".

114 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Steven J. Rosen, also known as Satyaraja Das is an American writer. He is the founding editor of The Journal of Vaishnava Studies and an associate editor of Back to Godhead, the magazine of the Hare Krishna movement. He has authored more than 30 books on Vaishnavism and related subjects, including Black Lotus: The Spiritual Journey of an Urban Mystic (2007), which is the life story of Bhakti Tirtha Swami.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

There is some genuinely interesting material in this book, but overall I was left with a feeling of utter disappointment. Rosen is sadly very patronising of Buddhism. Ironically he repeatedly mentions that Sanskrit is frequently misunderstood, and yet as frequently misses the point that Buddhism is getting at.