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Common Ground - Islam and Buddhism

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Acknowledgements<br />

I would like to express deep gratitude to the two moving spirits behind<br />

this historic initiative to bring Muslims <strong>and</strong> Buddhists closer<br />

together in respect, compassion <strong>and</strong> mutual underst<strong>and</strong>ing: His Holiness<br />

the Dalai Lama, <strong>and</strong> His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi bin<br />

Muhammad. May the grace of the All-Compassionate bless their<br />

lofty vision <strong>and</strong> noble intentions with rich fruit in the barely cultivated<br />

but immensely fertile common ground upon which these two<br />

great traditions st<strong>and</strong>.<br />

I must also humbly <strong>and</strong> thankfully acknowledge the inestimable<br />

help given to me by Richard Weingarten in regard to the Buddhist<br />

side of this book. After having read my first draft, he not only made<br />

several important comments <strong>and</strong> corrections, but also directed me<br />

to a whole range of key Buddhist texts which were most pertinent<br />

to the central arguments being advanced here. I would also like to<br />

thank Paul Towsey for reading through the initial draft of the text<br />

<strong>and</strong> for making some very helpful comments.<br />

Special heartfelt thanks go to the superb editorial team at Fons<br />

Vitae: Gray Henry, Neville Blakemore, Eli Brown, Anne Ogden,<br />

Valerie Turner <strong>and</strong> Uzma Husaini, all of whom worked on this text<br />

with both meticulous care <strong>and</strong> palpable concern. It has been a delight<br />

working with such a dedicated group of people.<br />

Reza Shah-Kazemi<br />

Westerham<br />

April 2010<br />

xxii

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