Common Ground - Islam and Buddhism
Common Ground - Islam and Buddhism
Common Ground - Islam and Buddhism
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Setting the Scene<br />
enment as such, <strong>and</strong> the specific contents or the ‘message’—the<br />
risāla—conveyed through that enlightenment, by means of which<br />
others can be helped to achieve enlightenment themselves:<br />
The Conquerors are masters of various <strong>and</strong> manifold means<br />
whereby the Tathāgata reveals the supreme light to the<br />
world of gods <strong>and</strong> men—means adapted to their temperaments<br />
<strong>and</strong> prejudices. 26<br />
In the light of the above discussion we can interpret this verse from<br />
the Saddharmapundarīka Sūtra as follows: the revelation of the<br />
Tathāgata is the revelation of the Buddha-nature (Buddhadhātu), the<br />
principle, <strong>and</strong> not Shakyamuni the man; it is the revelation of the<br />
Absolute, which is bestowed upon human communities in the form<br />
of a sāsana (‘dispensation’) communicated by an upāya (‘skilful<br />
means’) adapted to their conditions. Thomas Cleary, commenting<br />
upon the ‘infinity <strong>and</strong> eternity of Buddha’, writes as follows: ‘enlightened<br />
guides present various teachings to people in accord with<br />
their needs, potentials <strong>and</strong> conditions … This principle of adaptation<br />
<strong>and</strong> specific prescription is known as “skill in means”.’ This principle<br />
reminds one of the Qur’ānic perspective: And We never sent<br />
a messenger save with the language of his people, so that he might<br />
make it clear to them (14:4).<br />
Given these premises, it should be possible for Muslims to mount<br />
a serious argument in favour of the proposition that the Buddha was<br />
a ‘messenger of God’, however much such a designation be resisted<br />
by Buddhists themselves. By doing so, they will be reflecting the<br />
fact that many Buddhists are able to recognize the Prophet Muhammad<br />
as one of the individuals in whose mission the function of the<br />
Dharma-kāya 27 was manifested—even if many Muslims themselves<br />
will resist such a designation. According to Suzuki:<br />
Perceiving an incarnation of the Dharmakāya in every spiritual<br />
leader regardless of his nationality <strong>and</strong> professed creed, Mahayanists<br />
recognized a Buddha in Socrates, Mohammad, Jesus,<br />
Francis of Assisi, Confucius, Laotze, <strong>and</strong> many others. 28<br />
26. Saddharmapundarīka Sūtra 2:36 <strong>and</strong> 73; cited in Coomaraswamy, Buddha<br />
<strong>and</strong> the Gospel of <strong>Buddhism</strong>, op. cit., p. 159.<br />
27. Literally: the body of the Dharma. We shall be addressing this important<br />
concept below.<br />
28. D.T. Suzuki, Outlines of Mahayana <strong>Buddhism</strong>, p. 63; cited in ibid., p. 159.<br />
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