Kashmir, Tamilnadu, Panini, Abhinavagupta, etc.

[Narayan S. Raja]

On Fri, 19 Feb 1999, N. Ganesan wrote:

> Raja wrote:
>
>> No offence intended, but could you
>> please post, in their entirety,
>> Prof. Yu's exact words, where she/he
>> definitely identifies Mt. Potalaka
>> as Mt. Potikai/Potiyil?
>> Raja.


>   No offence intended. Will dig up from boxes,
>   & do it in a journal article. The selection
                                  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>   of words from she/he and time of release will
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>   be my choice. Will you give me that option?


I think it would only be fair
to provide Prof. Yu's exact
words, in their entirety,
without editing.  "Selection
of words" will create doubt.


Another crucial point: as you know,
Avalokitesvara/Tara/Kuan Yin
(almost more so than Buddha!)
are absolutely central figures
in "Pure Land" and Vajrayana
Buddhism.

Potalaka, as Avalokitesvara's
abode, is approx. as important
to a Buddhist as Mt. Kailasa to
a Saivite, or Vaikuntam to a
Vaishnavite.

Therefore, if Buddhists
considered Potikai/Potiyil
to be Potalaka, there must
be clear and unmistakable
evidence that **Potikai/Potiyil**
was an extremely important
Buddhist center.  Is there
such evidence?

Repeat: the evidence must show that
**Potikai/Potiyil** (not merely the
unidentified "Po-to-lo-chia") was a
very important Buddhist site.  It
is welcome to be an important Saivite
center as well.  But it MUST be a
very important BUDDHIST site.

Best wishes,


Raja.