Zenji Nio has lectured alongside top Hindu scholars including Professor Rukmani & Subhas Kak

As one of the only experts in the world to cite original Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit from memory, Zenji Nio has been invited to speak alongside many Hindu scholars including Professor Rukmani as well as at the Vedanta Society where Vivekananda cited Buddha as his ishta devata and the greatest being in the history of humanity. While Zenji Nio supports interfaith dialogue between Buddhists and Hindus, he is absolutely clear that Buddhism is not a branch of Hinduism but a unique, sovereign, separate religion - in many ways the opposite of Hinduism. In fact, most popular Buddhist traditions of East Asia have their origins in China -- not India where Buddhism = was severely persecuted by Hindus as documented in both Buddhist and Hindu historical records and texts. Any attempts by the Hindutva to pretend that Buddha was Hindu or Buddhism is a sect of Hinduism are countered by all Buddhists and all historians worldwide. Hence, any talks between Buddhists and Hindus would have to be based on mutual respect that today Buddhism is the majority religion of China and Japan -- and has not been known in India for over 1000 years. Hence, we must acknowledge and appreciate the Sino-Japanese origins of popular majority Buddhism instead of allow Hindu extremists to make claims on Buddhism or use the Buddha for Hindutva propaganda.