Aupmanyav
Be your own guru
Answer one question: Was Buddha a nihilist? He was definitely not. He did not answer "then what is there?". Because it was not important in his scheme of things. And I completely agree with him. Whether I know Brahman or not is not going to effect the world. He said these things are "Acinteyya". Don't think about them, Be concerned with your own life and how can that be made better. Later Buddhists said it was Dhammakaya, Buddhadhatu, Tathagatagarbha, all of which were never described in detail. Hinduism has no problem in discussing this subject. That alone is the difference between Hinduism and Buddhism.
As for interaction between Hinduism and Buddhism or even Jainism, no one can deny that. After all they existed in the same region, debated with each other frequently. In Samannaphala Sutta, Buddha talked about 5 Hindu and one Jain philosopher (Niggantha Nataputta) - (Samaññaphala Sutta - Wikipedia). Buddha studied under Hindu ascetics, Ārāḍa Kālāma and Udraka Rāmaputra (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha#Ascetic_life_and_Awakening). It is immaterial if he branched out. There was never a bar on branching out in Hinduism. So no one should say that it was a one way affair. I have studied Buddha as well as Sankara, but I differ from both. That is how it is in Hinduism.
As for interaction between Hinduism and Buddhism or even Jainism, no one can deny that. After all they existed in the same region, debated with each other frequently. In Samannaphala Sutta, Buddha talked about 5 Hindu and one Jain philosopher (Niggantha Nataputta) - (Samaññaphala Sutta - Wikipedia). Buddha studied under Hindu ascetics, Ārāḍa Kālāma and Udraka Rāmaputra (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha#Ascetic_life_and_Awakening). It is immaterial if he branched out. There was never a bar on branching out in Hinduism. So no one should say that it was a one way affair. I have studied Buddha as well as Sankara, but I differ from both. That is how it is in Hinduism.
