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Dear Sri Malolan,

Very pertinent question, indeed, and one which must be
sincerely and seriously addressed by scholars in this
group. There is no point in bringing in tangential or
extraneous issues to bear on this question.

Let me begin by asking you, Sri Malolan, what are the
specific passages in the Brahma Sutras which you have
said "refer to Buddhist/Jaina/Naasthika doctrines"?
For our benefit can you please quote them verbatim
from the original text?

The Brahma Sutra is a very, very terse and aphoristic
work. It is my take that from a plain reading of the
text one would never come across any explicit
references to Buddhism or Jainism at all. 

There might of course be passages in the Sutra which
are probably suggestive of Buddhist/Jainistic thought
and philosophy (especially Nihilistic world-views
which always existed in India even before the days of
Buddhism). But it is highly unlikely that one will
come across anywhere in the Sutra passages (or the
'sUtrAs') themselves which specifically name Buddha or
Mahaveera, or which otherwise specifically deal with
typically Buddhistic or Jainistic thoughts/doctrines. 

If one however does find in the Sutra a passage here
and there that seems to deal with ideas or thoughts
having strong Buddhistic flavor, one should only
regard it either as (a) the Sutra having anticipated
Buddhistic slant of thought long before Buddhism was
even born as a system of philosophy in India or (b) as
a case of mere historical coincidence.

I am not a "expert" on the Brahma Sutra. I am open to
correction by scholars in this and other lists.

Thanks and regards,
dAsan,
Sudarshan    



--- Malolan Cadambi <mcadambi@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Dear Scholars,
> 
> I have some basic questions about the date of the
> Brahma Sutras of
> Badarayana. 
> 
> Sampradaya identifies the identity of badarayana
> with Veda Vyasa, the
> redactor of the Vedas, Itihaasa-s and Purana-s. The
> latter's age is
> said to be around the end of the Treta Yuga, i.e
> around 3100 BCE.
> 
> If Badarayana is identified with Veda Vyasa, some
> problems arise. 
> 
> This is because the brahma Sutras of badarayana
> refer to
> Buddhist/Jaina/Naasthika doctrines which are known
> to have
> historically been existent only after 400 BCE.
> 
> If such be the case above, how is badarayana the
> same as Veda Vyasa?
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Malolan





                
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