Adi Shankara, Avatarhood, and the Assimilation of Buddhism: Neutralizing Rebellion into Worship

In history, there are two ways to crush any revolutionary idea: first, to slaughter it by force of the sword and violence; and second, an even deadlier way—to sanctify that revolutionary, enshrine him in a temple, and lock away his original revolutionary teachings.

This is precisely what happened to Tathagata Buddha in India. The very colossus who rejected the apaurusheyata (divine, superhuman authorship) of the Vedas, tore the birth-based varna (caste) system to shreds, and uprooted the hypocrisy of yajna-bali (sacrificial rituals and animal slaughter), was in later times declared ‘the ninth avatar of Lord Vishnu’ among Hinduism’s Dashavataras (ten incarnations of Vishnu)! This was the cleverest and most insidious assimilation in history.

Exposing this ideological conspiracy in his thought-provoking book ‘Buddha Dhamma aur Bharat’ (Buddha Dhamma [the path of truth and righteousness] and India), N. Singh writes:

‘When priesthood could not counter Buddha’s ideas on the front of logic, science, and public welfare, it stole the core elements of Buddhist philosophy itself and fashioned a new garb. Adi Shankaracharya laid the foundation of Advaita Vedanta by adopting Buddhist philosophy’s ‘Shunyavada’ (doctrine of emptiness) and ‘Vijnanavada’ (doctrine of consciousness), leading contemporary scholars to go so far as to label Shankaracharya a ‘Prachhanna Bauddha’ (a Buddhist in disguise)!
Yet an even bigger game was turning the Buddha into an avatar in the Puranas. It was written in the Vishnu Purana and Bhagavata Purana that Lord Vishnu assumed the form of ‘Buddha’ to mislead the asuras and daityas (demons) from the path of the Vedas and turn them away from sacrificial rituals! Just consider: the Buddha was made into God, and simultaneously it was established that his teachings were a deceptive illusion designed to lead demons astray! This single strategic manoeuvre completely neutralised the Tathagata’s social rebellion.’
— ‘Buddha Dhamma aur Bharat’

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The Three-Pronged Strategy of Assimilation

1. Philosophical Co-optation: Shankaracharya borrowed the monastic order (sannyasa system), the monastic tradition (mathamnaya), and logic from the Buddhists themselves. Four mathas (monasteries) were established across the four dhams (sacred pilgrimage centres) modelled on the Buddhist sangha (monastic community). However, the crucial difference remained that while the doors of Buddhist monasteries were open to all castes and classes, in these new monasteries, the varna system and priestly supremacy were reinstated.
2. The Sweet Poison-Vine of Avatarhood: Avatarhood is such an enchanting vice in which any rebel can be co-opted. Once the Buddha was accepted as Vishnu’s avatar, a misconception spread among the general populace that there was no fundamental difference between the Buddha and Hinduism. When no difference was left, what was the need for a separate Buddhist dhamma and sangha?
3. Distortion of Teachings: An avatar he was made, but the Buddha’s teachings of the ‘Four Noble Truths’, ‘Pratityasamutpada’ (dependent origination), and ‘Anatmavada’ (doctrine of non-self) were completely erased from schools and society. The statues of the Buddha were retained, but his ideas were buried.

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The Very Same Tactics in Today’s Era

This process was not confined to ancient times alone; even today, the exact same strategy is being employed in modern politics and society:

• The ‘Photo-isation’ of Revolutionaries: Even today, whenever the establishment feels threatened by the ideas of a revolutionary thinker (such as Bhagat Singh, Ambedkar, Periyar, or the Buddha), it starts celebrating their birth anniversaries, erecting colossal statues, and garlanding their portraits, so that the younger generation merely worships them, rather than reading their ideas and questioning the establishment!
• Rewriting of History: Even today, strenuous efforts are made to prove that Buddhist dhamma was not an independent philosophy of life, but merely a minor offshoot of Hinduism, in order to blunt its egalitarian and anti-caste edge.

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Fundamental Differences Between Tathagata Buddha and Avatarhood

We must clearly understand that the Buddha was neither an incarnation of any God, nor was he the emissary of any supernatural power:

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What Should We Do Today?

1. Recognising Buddha as a ‘Teacher’, Not an ‘Avatar’: Rather than treating the Buddha as a deity locked away in a temple, accept him as a great scientist, psychologist, and humanist teacher.
2. Self-study of Original Sources: Do not rely merely on fabricated tales concocted by others; directly study the Pali Tipitaka (Buddhist canon), the Dhammapada, and the authentic discourses of the Buddha.
3. Beware the Politics of Symbols: Whenever a leader or organisation stages the charade of worshipping a great personality, ask them how much they actually practice that great figure’s principles of equality, education, and justice.

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A Question Worth Contemplating

If the Buddha was merely an incarnation of Vishnu, then why were his follower monks persecuted for centuries, and why were the lakhs of Buddhist manuscripts at Nalanda set ablaze?

To understand this historical conspiracy of strangling a revolution by transmuting rebellion into devotion, this chapter from the book ‘Buddha Dhamma aur Bharat’ must be read by every seeker of truth.