- Buddha prophesised the advent of a Maitreya:
- Almost all Buddhist books contain this prophecy. It is in Chakkavatti Sinhnad Suttanta D. III, 76:
"There will arise in the world a Buddha named Maitreya (the benevolent one) a holy one, a supreme one, an enlightened one, endowed with wisdom in conduct, auspicious, knowing the universe:
"What he has realized by his own supernatural knowledge he will publish to this universe. He will preach his religion, glorious in its origin, glorious at its climax, glorious at the goal, in the spirit and the letter. He will proclaim a religious life, wholly perfect and thoroughly pure; even as I now preach my religion and a like life do proclaim. He will keep up the society of monks numbering many thousands, even as now I keep up a society of monks numbering many hundreds". - According to Sacred Books of the East volume 35 pg. 225:
"It is said that I am not an only Buddha upon whom the leadership and order is dependent. After me another Buddha maitreya of such and such virtues will come. I am now the leader of hundreds, he will be the leader of thousands." - According to the Gospel of Buddha by Carus pg. 217 and 218 (From Ceylon sources):
"Ananda said to the Blessed One, 'Who shall teach us when thou art gone?"
And the Blessed one replied, 'I am not the first Buddha who came upon the earth nor shall I be the last. In due time another Buddha will arise in the world, a holy one, a supremely enlightened one, endowed with wisdom in conduct, auspicious, knowing the universe, an incomparable leader of men, a master of angels and mortals. He will reveal to you the same eternal truths, which I have taught you. He will preach his religion, glorious in its origin, glorious at the climax and glorious at the goal. He will proclaim a religious life, wholly perfect and pure such as I now proclaim. His disciples will number many thousands while mine number many hundreds.'
- Ananda said, 'How shall we know him?'
The Blessed one replied, 'He will be known as Maitreya'."- The Sanskrit word 'Maitreya' or its
equivalent in Pali 'Metteyya' means loving, compassionate, merciful and
benevolent. It also means kindness and friendliness, sympathy, etc. One
Arabic word which is equivalent to all these words is 'Rahmat'. In
Surah Al-Anbiya:
"We sent thee not, but as a mercy for all creatures."[Al-Qur'an 21:107]
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was called the merciful, which is 'Maitri'. - The words Mercy and Merciful are mentioned in the Holy Qur'an no less than 409 times.
- Every chapter of the Glorious Qur'an, except Chapter 9, i.e. Surah Taubah begins with the beautiful formula, 'Bismillah Hir-Rahman Nir-Rahim', which means 'In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful'.
- The Word Muhammad is also spelt as 'Mahamet' or 'Mahomet' and in various other ways in different languages. The word 'Maho' or 'Maha' in Pali and Sanskrit mean Great and Illustrious and 'Metta' means mercy. Therefore 'Mahomet' means 'Great Mercy'.
- The Sanskrit word 'Maitreya' or its
equivalent in Pali 'Metteyya' means loving, compassionate, merciful and
benevolent. It also means kindness and friendliness, sympathy, etc. One
Arabic word which is equivalent to all these words is 'Rahmat'. In
Surah Al-Anbiya:
- Almost all Buddhist books contain this prophecy. It is in Chakkavatti Sinhnad Suttanta D. III, 76:
- Buddha's doctrine was Esoteric and Exoteric:
According to Sacred Books of the East, volume 11, pg. 36 Maha-Parinibbana Sutta chapter 2 verse 32:
"I have preached the truth without making any distinction between exoteric and esoteric doctrine, for in respect of truths, Ananda, the Tathagata has no such thing as the closed fist of a teacher, who keeps something back".
Muhammad (pbuh) on the commandment of Almighty God delivered the message and doctrine without making any distinction between esoteric and exoteric. The Qur'an was recited in public in the days of the Prophet and is being done so till date. The Prophet had strictly forbidden the Muslims from hiding the doctrine - Devoted Servitors of the Buddhas:
According to Sacred Books of the East volume 11 pg. 97 Maha-Parinibbana Sutta Chapter 5 verse 36:
"Then the Blessed one addressed the brethren, and said, 'Whosoever, brethren have been Arahat-Buddhas through the long ages of the past, they were servitors just as devoted to those Blessed ones as Ananda has been to me. And whosoever brethren shall be the Arahat-Buddhas of the future, there shall be servitors as devoted to those Blessed ones as Ananda has been to me'."
The Servitor of Buddha was Ananda. Muhammad (pbuh) also had a servitor by the name Anas (r.a.) who was the son of Malik. Anas (r.a...) was presented to the Prophet by his parents. Anas (r.a...) relates: "My mother said to him, 'Oh Messenger of God, here is your little servant'." Further Anas relates, "I served him from the time I was 8 years old and the Prophet called me his son and his little beloved". Anas (r.a...) stayed by the Prophet in peace and in war, in safety as well as in danger till the end of his life.
- Anas (r.a.), even though he was only 11 years old stayed beside the Prophet during the battle of Uhud where the Prophet's life was in great danger.
- Even during the battle of Honain when the Prophet was surrounded by the enemies who were archers, Anas (r.a...) who was only 16 years old stood by the Prophet
- Six Criteria for Identifying Buddha:
According to the Gospel of Buddha by Carus pg. 214:
"The Blessed one said, 'There are two occasions on which a Tathagata's appearance becomes clear and exceedingly bright. In the night Ananda, in which a Tathagata attains to the supreme and perfect insight, and in the night in which he passes finally away in that ultra passing which leaves nothing whatever of his earthly existence to remain.' "
According to Gautam Buddha, following are the six criteria for identifying a Buddha.- A Buddha attains supreme and perfect insight at night-time.
- On the occasion of his complete enlightenment he looks exceedingly bright
- A Buddha dies a natural death.
- He dies at night-time.
- He looks exceedingly bright before his death.
- After his death a Buddha ceases to exist on earth.
- Muhammad (pbuh) attained supreme insight and Prophethood at night-time.
According to Surah Dukhan:
"By the books that makes thing clear – We sent it down during a blessed night."[Al-Qur'an 44:2-3]
According to Surah Al-Qadar:
"We have indeed revealed this (message) in the night of power."[Al-Qur'an 97:1] - Muhammad (pbuh) instantly felt his understanding illumined with celestial light.
- Muhammad (pbuh) died a natural death.
- According to Ayesha (r.a.), Muhammad (pbuh) expired at night-time. When he was dying there was no oil in the lamp and his wife Ayesha (r.a.) had to borrow oil for the lamp.
- According to Anas (r.a.), Muhammad (pbuh) looked exceedingly bright in the night of his death.
- After the burial of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) he was never seen again in his bodily form on this earth.
- Buddhas are only Preachers:
According to Dhammapada, Sacred Books of East volume 10 pg., 67:
"The Jathagatas (Buddhas) are only Preachers."
The Qur'an says in Surah Ghashiya:
"Therefore do thou give admonition, for thou art one to admonish. Thou art not one to manage (men's) affairs." [Al-Qur'an 88:21-22] - Identification of Maitreya by Buddha:
According to Dhammapada, Mattaya Sutta, 151:
"The promised one will be:- Compassionate for the whole creation
- A messenger of peace, a peace-maker
- The most successful in the world.
- The Maitreya as a Preacher of morals will be:
- Truthful
- Self-respecting
- Gentle and noble
- Not proud
- As a king to creatures
- An example to others in deeds and in words".
Sunday, 22 September 2013
Muhammad(PBUH) in Buddhist Scriptires
Parallel Sayings of Buddha and Muhammad (PBUH)
- Buddha: They agreed among
themselves, friends, here comes the recluse, Gotama, who lives
luxuriously, who gives up his striving and reverted to luxury.
Muhammad (saw): Allah has given one of His followers the choice of receiving the splendor and luxury of the worldly life whatever he likes or to accept the good (of the Hereafter) which is with Allah. So he has chosen that good which is with Allah. - Buddha: With the relinquishing of all thought and egotism, the enlightened one is liberated through not clinging.
Muhammad (saw): Wealth is not in vast riches but wealth is in self-contentment. The most enviable of my friends in my estimation is a believer with little property who finds pleasure in prayer, who performs the worship of his Lord well, who obeys Him in secret, who is obscure among men, who is not pointed out by people, and whose provision is bare sufficiency with which he is content. - Buddha: One is the way to
gain, the other is the way to Nirvana, knowing this fact, students of
the Buddha should not take pleasure in being honored, but, should
practice detachment.
Muhammad speaking about himself (saw): Do not glorify me in the same manner as the Christians glorify Jesus, son of Mary, but say, "He is a slave of Allah and His Messenger." - Buddha: Just as a mother
would protect her only child at the risk of her own life, even so,
cultivate a boundless heart towards all beings. Let your thoughts of
boundless love pervade the whole world.
Muhammad (saw): All creatures are God's children, and those dearest to God are the ones who treat His children kindly. - Buddha: If you do not tend to one another then who is there to tend to you? Whoever who would tend me, he should tend the sick.
Muhammad (saw): Feed the hungry, visit the sick and free the captive. - Buddha: Consider others as yourself
Muhammad (saw): "Do not be a people without a will of your own saying: If others treat well you will also treat well and if they do wrong we will do wrong; but accustom yourselves to do good if people do good and do not do wrong if they do evil." - Buddha: One who acts on truth is happy, in this world and beyond.
Muhammad (saw): "You must tell the truth. Truthfulness leads to right action. Right action leads to Heaven.
Friday, 20 September 2013
Concept of GOD in Buddhism
Buddha was silent about the existence or non-existence of God. It may be
that since India was drowned in idol worship and anthropomorphism that a
sudden step to monotheism would have been drastic and hence Buddha may
have chosen to remain silent on the issue of God.
He did not deny the existence of God. Buddha was once asked by a
disciple whether God exists? He refused to reply. When pressed, he said
that if you are suffering from a stomach ache would you concentrate on
relieving the pain or studying the prescription of the physician. "It is
not my business or yours to find out whether there is God – our
business is to remove the sufferings of the world".
Buddhism provided Dhamma or the 'impersonal law' in place of God.
However this could not satisfy the craving of human beings and the
religion of self-help had to be converted into a religion of promise and
hope. The Hinayana sect could not hold out any promise of external help
to the people. The Mahayana sect taught that Buddha's watchful and
compassionate eyes are on all miserable beings, thus making a God out of
Buddha. Many scholars consider the evolution of God within Buddhism as
an effect of Hinduism.
What is Buddhism?
In Buddhism, the ultimate goal is to break the cycle of rebirth and
achieve enlightenment or nirvana. Nirvana is a transcendental state in
which there is no suffering, desire, or sense of self. The Buddha
however, did not give a complete definition of nirvana. It is worth
noting that the term Buddha most commonly refers to the founder of
Buddhism, Siddartha Gautama, however any person who has achieved full
enlightenment, or nirvana, may be referred to as a Buddha.
In most religious groups and traditions the key belief is the acceptance
of a Supreme Being, in other words, a Creator God. In all Buddhist
traditions however, the key belief is the importance of meditation. It
is considered the path to liberation – the end of human suffering.
Buddhists do not believe in either a creator or personal God, in fact
Buddhism rejects such a notion and considers God a response to human
fright and frustration. According to Buddhist ideology humans create the
idea of God to console themselves in a fear filled and hostile world.
Primitive man lived in fear of wild animals and natural phenomena such
as thunder and lightning. Buddhists believe that the concept of God
arose out of this fear; they also consider that there is no evidence or
research to prove that God exists thus God is not necessary for human
beings to have a happy or meaningful life. After all, Buddhists say,
millions of people are, and have been happy without any belief in gods
or God. On the other hand, Muslims know with certainty that true
happiness is not achievable without submission to the will of God. Fear
and frustration, says Islam, can only be conquered by complete and
total trust in God.
Although Buddhism has no one all powerful Creator God, Mahayana
Buddhists worship bodhisattvas. They are god-like people who have
gained enlightenment and could enter Nirvana but chose to stay in the
world to help others. Some Mahayana schools that flourished outside
India do ascribe some degree of divinity to a transcendent Buddha
(anyone who has attained enlightenment), however this is not comparable
to the God of monotheistic religions such as Islam. In some Buddhist
sacred texts Buddha (Siddartha) refutes the claims of one of these gods
and shows him to be subject to Karmic law.
"If you do good, you do good for your ownselves, and if you do evil (you do it) against yourselves." (Quran 17:7)
In direct contrast to Buddhist belief Islam teaches that there is One, All Powerful Creator God, Sustainer of the universe, all merciful and oft forgiving. He is alone, without partners or associates.
According to many Buddhist web sites and books Buddhism is not about believing or not believing in God, it is about recognizing that such a belief is not useful when trying to attain enlightenment. Buddhism is not atheism it is essentially nontheism. Why then, you may wonder, is it common to see people throughout Asia praying to, or making devotional offerings to representations or iconography of the Buddha?
When a Buddhist makes offerings of flowers or food he is showing respect to Buddha, he gives flowers and incense for the shrine and food for the monks. When a Buddhist prostrates before an image, he acknowledges that the Buddha attained perfect enlightenment. In contrast, when a Muslim prostrates there are no images or iconography; the Muslim touches his forehead to the ground declaring his complete submission to God, who is alone without partners, offspring or intermediaries.
In the 5th century BCE, after Siddartha supposedly achieved enlightenment, the Buddha and his followers travelled widely throughout India spreading the message. Buddhism, in its various forms, was soon found across India and in Sri Lanka, South East Asia, China, Korea, Japan, Tibet, Nepal and Mongolia. Even now, so many years later, Buddhism continues to spread into the western world.
Basic Buddhist Teachings
Buddhism is divided into two main divisions and several sub divisions
based on country and culture, however most traditions share a
fundamental set of beliefs. One fundamental belief of Buddhism is often
referred to as reincarnation however this is not strictly correct. The
Buddhist belief is rebirth rather than reincarnation. The internet site Religious Tolerance explains it in the following way.
"In reincarnation, the individual may recur repeatedly. In rebirth, a
person does not necessarily return to Earth as the same entity ever
again. He compares it to a leaf growing on a tree. When the withering
leaf falls off, a new leaf will eventually replace it. It is similar to
the old leaf, but it is not identical to the original leaf."
Other fundamental beliefs include the three jewels, the four noble truths, the eightfold path and the five precepts. The three
jewels are the Buddha, the Dharma (the teachings), and the Sangha (the
community) and taking refuge in them is the basis of Buddhist practice.
The four noble truths are the universality of
suffering, the origin of suffering, the overcoming of suffering and the
way leading to the suppression of suffering.
The way or path is known as the eightfold path and
consists of ditthi: viewing reality as it is, not just as it appears to
be, sankappa: intention of renunciation, freedom and harmlessness, vāc
(vāca): speaking in a truthful and non-hurtful way, karman (kammanta):
acting in a non-harmful way, ājīvana (ājīva): a non-harmful livelihood,
vyāyāma (vāyāma): making an effort to improve, sati: awareness to see
things for what they are with clear consciousness, being aware of the
present reality within oneself, without any craving or aversion, samādhi
(samādhi): correct meditation or concentration.
The five precepts outline Buddhist ethics. Do not
kill, be kind to all creatures. Do not steal, give rather than take.
Do not lie, be honest and open. Do not misuse sex and do not consume
alcohol or use recreational drugs.
Who was The Buddha?
At age 29 the prince escaped confinement and had several encounters with the outside world. These encounters became known in scripture as the four sights.
When Siddartha saw an old man, a sick person, a corpse and an aesthetic who had renounced all worldly goods he resolved to embark on a spiritual quest. This quest was to find a permanent end to the suffering he observed. He studied with the best religious teachers but found they could not put a permanent end to suffering. He next practised extreme aestheticism, believing that he could free the human spirit by denying the flesh. Siddartha underwent prolonged fasting, breath-holding, exposure to pain and almost starved himself to death before he realised that this was not the way to put an end to human suffering.
Siddartha did not abandon his quest but decided to trust his own inner feelings and practice meditation. He sat under a fig tree, known as the Bodhi tree, in the town of Bodh Gaya, India, and vowed not to rise before achieving enlightenment. After a number of days he destroyed the restraints of his mind, liberating himself from the cycle of suffering and rebirth, thus becoming a fully enlightened being. It was through this meditation that Siddartha discovered what Buddhists call the Middle Way, a path of moderation between the extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification. Shortly after enlightenment Buddha (the awakened one) previously known as Siddartha formed a monastic order and spent the rest of his life travelling and teaching the path to enlightenment. The Buddha died at around 80 years of age in Kushinagar, India.
This account is according to the Theravada school of thought and differs somewhat from other accounts. The historical accuracy has also been called into question but according to author Michael Carrithers, "the outline of the life must be true: birth, maturity, renunciation, search, awakening and liberation, teaching, death".
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)