Buddhism is mixed up with regional culture and traditions of the local religion, wherever it existed. Thus, to get the full essence of Buddhism is very difficult.
The Buddhist scriptures were completely distorted by the time of Sage Sankara. Sage Sankara had to criticize the Buddhist literature prevailing then as the Buddhists themselves were confused as to what Shunyata is. Vasubandhu and his disciple Dignaga (the latter lived about a couple of centuries before Sage Sri, Sankara) could not retain the original teachings of Bhagavan Buddha.
At first, Vasubandhu did not agree with his half-brother Asanga and wrote one book on Abhidharma and later on, he went to the side of Asanga and wrote a second book, where? he opposed his own earlier views on Abhidharma. Sage Sankara had to criticize the Buddhist knowledge? and literature of his time as he wanted to bring back the Pure Vedantic knowledge through his work on the Prasthanatraya. That is why there is a reference to the writing of Dharmakirti in Sutrabashya.
There is another aspect that in: ~ Vishnu Purana also says that Bhagavan Buddha created confusion. In Sarnath, he first taught about the basic Moral code. He talked about Anatma. Then? two decades later he taught the concept of Shunyata and? the tenets of Mahayana Buddhism.? In spite of Nagarjuna's telling that Shunyata is not Nihilism and that Parajanaparamita also mentioning about the Shunyata after one leaves? the five?
Skandhas, there are and there will always be people who will go on calling Buddha's philosophy as Nihilism. About the origin of the? Tantric Buddhism also? there are controversies.
Hindus hold Bhagavan Buddha being an Avatara of Lord Vishnu. It seems that in many Buddha Viharas, probably more in Sri Lanka, there are statues of Lord Vishnu, which are looked at reverentially.
The religion, yoga, and scriptures are for the ignorant masses, who wholly accept the material world as it presents itself. Wisdom is for those who have begun to realize that things are not what they seem. :~ Santthosh Kumaar
