I recently came across an article on Chinese Buddhism by Ritzinger, where the author repeatedly described Mahāyāna texts such as the Lotus Sūtra as “crypto-Hindu” (!). I have never come across such expression although I am aware of a body of scholarly works which explore how Mahāyāna appropriated non-Buddhist materials of other traditions in the later periods. Stephen Hodge appears to have used the term “crypto-Hindu” rhetorically in an Indology-list thread in 2000 :

I found online also some discussions of Śaṅkara as being “crypto-Buddhist”. Can anyone enlighten me the contemporary usage of “crypto-“ in South Indian religious discourse, and its historical source.

--
Bill M. Mak, PhD

Visiting research scholar
Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW)
New York University
15 East 84th Street
New York, NY 10028
US

Associate Professor
Institute for Research in Humanities, Kyoto University
Yoshidahonmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan 606-8501
〒606-8501 京都市左京区吉田本町
京都大学人文科学研究所

email: mak@zinbun.kyoto-u.ac.jp
Tel:+81-75-753-6961
Fax:+81-75-753-6903

copies of my publications may be found at:
http://www.billmak.com