From Nothigness to Personhood

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.