Buddhists say, there is nothing - a nonentity. Sage Sankara says there is some reality, even though things are not what they appear to be.+

Buddhists say, there is nothing - a nonentity. Sage Sankara says there is some reality, even though things are not what they appear to be.

As one goes deeper in self-search one realizes the fact that the non-entity (formless) itself is a reality. If one knows the truth, he will know nonentity means the absence of ignorance.

Absent of ignorance means the absence of duality.

Absent of duality means the absence of the Mind (I).

Absent of mind (I) means the absence of the universe.

Absent of the universe means the absence of waking.

Absent of waking means absence of illusion.

Absent of illusion means the presence of reality (Soul or consciousness).

The truth pursuit is to realize 'what it that is the real hidden by dualistic illusion or Maya.

Remember:~

Buddha gave up yoga after practicing it for six years. He saw it could not yield truth.

Buddha gave up his austerities of yoga as impossible and useless. Thus,  Buddha got enlightenment only after he gave up Yoga. (Page.70/71 "Buddhism In Translation” by Warren)

Unless one exercise his Buddhi--reason--there is no chance of getting the ultimate truth or Brahman

Buddhism has not proved the truth of Nonduality. Buddha pointed out the unreality of the world, we agree. He told people they were foolish to cling to it. However, he stopped there. He came nearest to Advaita in speech but not to Advaita fully.

Dalai Lama said: Buddhism need not be the best religion though it is most scientific and religion and inquisitive. But Buddhism has no answer to certain questions like the existence of Atama [Soul] and rebirth. Dali Lama said that as an individual he believes in rebirth as he had come across a few cases of rebirth. Modern science, Dalai Lama hoped would unearth the mystery behind the rebirth. (In DH –dec-212009-Gulbarga).

Only when we independently search the truth without religion and its doctrine then we will be able to realize the truth beyond form, time, and space.

Bhagavan Buddha: ~ "It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell."

OSHO: Buddhists do not believe in God, they believe in emptiness First tell them that Buddhists don't believe in God, and secondly you tell them they believe in emptiness. That's worse! That they believe in "nothingness!" That's worse!

That's why you need to explain. Because when Buddhists say they do not believe in God, it does not mean that Buddhists don't believe in the nature of God! Because the nature of God is the nature of truth, is the Shunyata, or emptiness. The same! But Buddhists do not believe in the concept of God. Because in many ways you, you see, however, good the concepts are, it does not do justice for the Absolute. All the concepts of God will not describe, really, what God is.

Do you know what I'm saying? There is a wonderful saying by a great Buddhist master called Shantideva, who is a very great compassionate master. He said, "Absolute is beyond the mind." That which is within the realm of mind is called the relative. "Absolute is beyond the mind." Since God is beyond the mind, it is beyond the concept. Therefore empty, empty means free, open, like the sky. It doesn't mean emptiness in a nihilistic sense like my cup is empty of tea or something. (OSHO)

The point of Bhagwan Buddha is that if God is non-existent, the entire creation including the ‘Self’ is non-existent. Sage Sankara wanted to establish the existence of the Brahman. For this purpose, He made the Atman as  Brahman or God in truth. He brought out the identity of the ‘Self’ with the consciousness and made the Atman the Brahman. Since one will not negate the existence of his Self, he will accept the existence of the Brahman, which is the Atman or Soul, the innermost Self. Both Bhagavan Buddha and Sage Sankara kept silent about the absolute unimaginable God. The same philosophy was dealt with by them from different angles in different situations.

Sage Sankara opposed the Buddhists only, who misunderstood Bhagavan Buddha and became atheists. According to Sage Sankara meditation always means the critical analysis about the Self to get salvation from worldly tensions. Due to the eccentric ego of the then atheists, Sage Sankara did not go beyond this since the atheists will not accept God beyond themselves. This limitation is not due to limited knowledge of Sage Sankara but is due to the then-existing situation of the psychology of the surrounding society. Even Bhagavan Buddha kept silent about God because the society that dealt with Him consisted of Purvamimamsakas, who were strong atheists. 

Bhagavan Buddha told that everything including the Self is only relatively real (Sunya). This is correct because the Self is a part of the universe, which is relatively real with respect to the absolute unimaginable God. Bhagavan Buddha stopped at this point because the atheists cannot realize the existence of the unimaginable God indicated through His silence.  : ~ Santthosh Kumaar