Vedanta, Buddhism, Theosophy

Helena Petrovna Blavatsky · Confusing Words Series · 7 pages

The claim is that there is no difference whatever between Esoteric Buddhism and those Vedantins who understand the correct meaning of Shankaracharya's teachings — the advanced Advaitins. The esotericisms of the Buddhists and the Vedantins are held to be one and identical, and to differ only in their expressions. The example given first is a straightforward matter of vocabulary: what is called Linga-sharira, the interior subtle body of the gross, the Sukshma of the Sthula-sharira, is what the Vedantins call the Karana-sharira or causal body.

The middle section is a short catechism, set out as a run of questions and answers on Parabrahm as the Vedantins define it — is God kind, do you pray, are you then a nastika or atheist, are you a Mussulman or a Christian, what religion do you then belong to. It is the briskest passage in this section and does more to place the three words of the title against each other than the expository pages around it. A final section takes up Vedanta and Theosophy directly, and the file closes with the standing suggested reading and the list of the other confusing words.

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