Ironically, Edward Conze's belief in a transcendent magical reality in which "all is one" and "A is not-A" has no counterpart in any form of #Buddhism AFAIK.

The religion in which we do find this kind of thinking is #Hinduism, especially forms of Advaita #Vedanta.

#Conze had a lot more in common with Vedanta, especially as interpreted through the mind of Madam #Blavatsky, than he did with Buddhism.

#indianphilosophy #buddhiststudies

Conze confesses to having a messianic delusion in his memoir (1979: I 55): “From early times onwards it has been my conviction that I have come from a higher realm... and that I was sent to the Western barbarians so as to soften their hearts by teaching them the Holy Prajñāpāramitā”.

#buddhiststudies #buddhism #conze