Islam and Buddhism

It is interesting how we define religion especially in relation to Buddhism and Hinduism to some degree since it is not a �system of faith�. It does not require worship or prayer owing any obedience or allegiance to a higher power or the Buddha himself.

The Buddha (wisdom and knowledge) was not a supernatural being. He did not claim to be under the monopoly of higher spirits or deities as believed by some to achieve Nirvana or Nibbana (cessation to extuinguish). Nibbana is not otherworldly or a transcendental state but it is something that can be achieved in this life rather than weighting for fruition in a supposed rebirth or afterlife.

He achieved Nibbana through his own mental exertion. He is not a saviour as such who goes freeing other beings from their woes. The Buddha discourages reliance on supernatural powers and others since it is a surrender of ones own efforts and responsibilities. He does not claim to have absolute truth but rather encourages devotees to use their own rationale and based on their own analysis think what they see fit. 

Self dependence is emphasized by the Buddha for ones own deliverance and purity of mind depends on oneself. Through his sermons he makes plain the relationship with his followers pointing out the importance of self �reliance and individual striving, the Buddha states in exhorting his disciples to be self-reliant in the Parinibb�na Sutta: �Be ye islands unto yourselves, be ye a refuge unto yourselves, seek not for refuge in others�. Furthermore the Buddha does not elevate his status amongst other known religious teachers or prophets at that time. He tells us anybody may achieve Nibbana if someone makes the necessary exertion.

�The Buddha does not call men wretched sinners but he gladdens them by saying that they are pure in conception�. According to the Buddha the �world is not wicked but is deluded by ignorance". Instead of reserving the exalted state to himself he encourages others to practice a wholesome and compassionate way of life since Buddhahood is within all who aspire to be one. One who aspires to become a Buddha is called a Bodhisattva.

Another mistake I said Nirvana/Nibbana to mean wisdom and knowledge, it should be replaced by Buddha. Nirvana or Nibbana actually means cessation or to extinguish.Yes there were Buddha�s before Siddhartha I don�t know how many but years of seclusion and the complexity of such an undertaking made it difficult to explain such a way of thought. Even I had trouble trying to explain the meaning of achieving Buddhahood when I was in my teens.

The importance of Siddhartha Gautama is quite significant as it was he who was first to be able to describe the best way to end suffering. Now suffering can mean hatred, greed, craving, sadness these are mental sufferings and also we can include physical suffering sickness and old age. Off course we can�t do much about physical suffering but a good state of mind and positive attitude can help to deal with such situations with contentment. The extinguishing of these mental delusions is called Nibbana.

Mahayana until recently being the larger of the two major branches in Buddhism had a significant impact on most Buddhist schools of thought. It exists now primarily in Vietnam, Cambodia, Japan some parts of China and also dotted throughout the Asian subcontinent. Prior to the 11^th century Mahayana had been wide spread as far as Central Asia (Afghanistan, northern parts of Persia, Hindu Kush region and the countries north to Afghanistan). 

According to Mahayana and most Buddhists the extinguishing of such mental delusions leads to the escape of the Samsara that is the escape of the cycle of rebirth. Some Buddhists from Zen practices and Theravada may emphasize reincarnation based on their understanding. Generally speaking if in your undertaking of a wholesome nature (Dhamma or Dharma that which is natural) leads you to believe that reincarnation and God exists that�s fine according to Buddhism since it�s on your own investigation not of others.

AhmadJoyia wrote: I really couldn't understand your views on the karma with regard to intentions or am I missing something here?

Buddhism is mainly concerned about Kamma Niy�ma and Kamma Citta Niy�ma since these are the ones that we have control over. Check definitions in my first posting. We must have deliverance to fulfil the intention; some intentions require a greater self-effort than others. Here�s a simple analogy preparation for an exam requires a lot more self-effort than making a cup of tea if we don�t there is no one else that can do it for you apart from yourself.

I think most people would agree what we now think and feel is due to the way we were brought up. In other words whatever thoughts we have now are likely to shape what we are like (the way we think and act) in future. You will find one who speaks gently of others and is kind generally has a history of doing good deeds, being patient this all shapes what he/she is now. Similarly one who speaks foul of another and is disruptive has a history of doing bad deeds, engages in illicit activities etc. This does not mean a bad person will always remain bad. In other words if you truly take the time to recognise your own faults and through deliverance and self effort we attempt to break whatever habit we have you condition the mind for purification of thoughts and compassion.

You gave a example above regarding a office calculator AhmadJoyia. Suppose the calculator was stolen on purpose the results of this action only, in the mind might arise a guilty conscience, we may feel the urge to return it back on this guilt and admit our fault or we might get aroused by this act which can in turn be a precursor or conditioning for future bad deeds a robbery etc. Don�t get confused with Kamma as being an almighty punisher or praiser for things that we do, any external accidents are to do with changes beyond our control. What we have control over is our own minds, back to your example we can either choose to return the calculator and admit our fault or get into the bad habit of stealing. Offcourse if we were to take it by accident then one would naturally assume if you had a high standard of ethics you would return it back.

In the definitions Kamma is cause and effect, which obviously means there will be processes of change. See examples given so far. Even if we were to break down the steps even further to fractions of a second there are processes of change that result in some outcome that�s what I mean by Kamma is a continuum.

I think I exhausted the possibilities of explaining Kamma with regard to human behaviour but of course if I find another way of explaining it to you I�ll post it soon if you like. I�ll respond to your other post soon.

Sorry for the big delay in my response�s get caught up in uni work as usual. I know it can get a bit frustrating but I�m in third year now so big tasks to accomplish.

I think part of the difficulty in understanding the Buddha�s teaching for me personally for one I was told mystical stories about him and the state of Buddhahood wasn�t really made clear to me. Things like can a Buddha float six inches above ground can he really heal the wounded were questions that perplexed me as a younger person. Utter devotion to the faith without questioning the why of some issues such as reincarnation, God etc also led me to believe these things as true without the analysis. It soon came to my realization that the Buddha encouraged doubt on his own teachings so that any devotee would do his own self-investigation on the teachings, which is why the Tripitaka is not regarded as the only way since it is recognized guidance can come from anyone or anything but remember the devotee should do his own investigation on any claims before diving straight into his/her own way of practice. The Tripitaka itself contains sermons done by the Buddha and was compiled sometime after his death by some 500 or so faithful disciples and laymen. Whether we get guidance from a book or by word of mouth or whatever it doesn�t matter.

It�s is also recognized that the Siddhartha Gautama made the effort to spread the teachings by doing monthly retreats around the Ganges spreading what he had learnt from his earlier teaches and things he found for himself. In ancient Indian customs it was characteristic in those times for noble men once they had completed their family and social duties to investigate a harmonious way of life this quite characteristic pre Aryan cultural influences. I say cultural influences since there were disputes whether the Aryans came by force or peacefully settled in around Northern parts of India around 2500BC to 4000BC, the gathering of recent evidence suggests it was peaceful. Most noblemen were at old age when embarking on such a journey that if at all they had found a way to spiritual harmony they were to weak to spread their findings by foot but rather had students who were willing enough to learn what they had learned come to them. Most sages preferred to teach one student at a time. I am told by our Malaysian Bhante of one Buddha prior to the birth of Siddhartha Gotama strictly speaking Sambuddha I don�t know the specifics of what he taught but he only taught his closest disciples which numbered from memory about five to ten. Siddhartha embarked on his journey at a very early age 29 compared to most other sages around their sixties and seventies. Life expectancy in India in those days for some sages was up to around 80 and past 90 in some cases.

It�s important that the Buddha does not encourage others to denounce other beliefs since it�s highly disrespectful for anyone to do such a thing even if you don't believe in that faith. The Buddha himself dropped most of his beliefs and started anew but he encourages others to analyze for themselves before making any rash decision.

I think to get a fair understanding of the struggle some noblemen went to I see it fit to tell Siddhartha�s story. Of course with his own struggle his teachings are so freely available to analyze and doubt or perhaps believe after his death.

• Peter D. Santina, . 1984,Fundamentals Of Buddhism, (TCBBEF), Taiwan, pg12-pg19
• Gary Gach, . 2004,The Complete Idiot�s Guide to Buddhism, Alpha Books, U.S.A, pg6-pg9

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aryan_invasion_theory