Is Nanananda view actually hinduist monism?

There have been some discussion on “the other forum” about Nanananda. Unfortunately, as some might already know, criticism of Nanananda or Nanavira over there is generally forbidden and of course has been met with censorship. Therefore, I have come here to discuss it.

About Nanavira and Nanamoli I am already pretty well informed and know it is a kind of postodernism. They openly believe in solipsism and are against logic and reasoning. It’s pretty standard postmodern stuff with a buddhist hat, just like secular buddhism is materialism with a buddhist hat.

The problem is with Nanananda. I kept hearing Nanananda view is different than the standard postmodernism of Nanavira&Nanamoli, but I never knew in what way. Recently, one informed poster showed it’s actually pretty standard hinduist monism, with uniting the internal and the external, something like that. More discussion can be found here in case it doesn’t get censored in the meantime: https://dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&p=442010#p441985

I know there are some pretty informed people here and am curious to find out more about this problem. My biggest question is: If this is hiduist monism, as shown in that thread, then how about the solipsist part ? I once asked followers of Nanananda weather if one dies, will their family, the city, etc. continue to exist and after being asked 5 times, the eventually answered that they have no idea. Besides his followers being solipsist, there are also quotes from Nanananda supporting solipsism such as this one:

The world appears as real to one who is fettered to delusion. He imagines it to be reliable. And so the fool, relying on his as­sets, is encompassed by the darkness. To him the world appears as eternal. But the one who has the right vision, knows that in reality there is nothing.

So my question is, how does these solipsit parts fit in with the main hinduist monism that is preached by Nanananda ? I’ve asked that on the other forum too but I think that will get censored too after it gets spotted by the dhamma police.

In conclusion, could someone explain me in short Nanananda view ? I understand it is hinduist monism, I understand it is somewhat solipsistic, but I don’t understand the bigger picture, how it all fits together.

The quote you give sounds quite consistent with EBTs. Not sure why you consider it solipsistic. Could you elaborate?

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I would suggest you read his work, like the Magic of the Mind and the Nibbana sermons.

Also, Analayo has a new series of lectures out.

In short, his view is very closely tied to the early suttas and is definitely not monism.

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If you die tomorrow, will your family, your city, etc. continue to exist ?

I am pretty sure they will. Did Nanananda say otherwise?

I don’t know about Nanananda, but his followers say otherwise.

It may save some confusion to note that the Nanamoli mentioned here is not the contemporary of Nanavira, but the much more recent N. Nanamoli: Bhikkhu’s Notebook – Path Press

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I thought they were the ‘thought police’ - maybe the Dhamma police are a fully owned subsidiary? There may be different departments at HQ!

post modernism solipsism hindu monism these r just slur words

"Yet it is just within this fathom-long body, with its perception & intellect, that I declare that there is the cosmos, the origination of the cosmos, the cessation of the cosmos, and the path of practice leading to the cessation of the cosmos.”

"The monk who hasn’t slipped past or turned back, transcending all this objectification, sloughs off the near shore & far — as a snake, its decrepit old skin. The monk who hasn’t slipped past or turned back, knowing with regard to the world that “All this is unreal,” sloughs off the near shore & far — as a snake, its decrepit old skin. The monk who hasn’t slipped past or turned back, without greed, as “All this is unreal,” sloughs off the near shore & far — as a snake, its decrepit old skin. The monk who hasn’t slipped past or turned back, without aversion, as “All this is unreal,” sloughs off the near shore & far — as a snake, its decrepit old skin. The monk who hasn’t slipped past or turned back, without delusion, as “All this is unreal,” sloughs off the near shore & far — as a snake, its decrepit old skin.
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/snp/snp.1.01.than.html

"By & large, Kaccayana, this world is supported by (takes as its object) a polarity, that of existence & non-existence. But when one sees the origination of the world as it actually is with right discernment, ‘non-existence’ with reference to the world does not occur to one. When one sees the cessation of the world as it actually is with right discernment, ‘existence’ with reference to the world does not occur to one.
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn12/sn12.015.than.html

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