Buddhism and Islam

Because I am the representative of Buddhism, I will prefer to have a dialogue over the Buddhism and Islam. Beside some dissimilarity, which are not of much importance for the purpose of co-existence, I find some important similarities between Islam and Buddhism in history and in present in different countries of the eastern region and also in Indian subcontinent as are under:
Buddhism does not believe in idol worship; Islam also does not believe in idol worship.
Both religions believe in equality irrespective of religion, caste, sex, race and colour. Both religions believe in equality before law and equal opportunities for all.
Both religions do not believe in untouchability with the men. Is there a religion in India which loves animals but propagates hate among people on basis of caste so much so touching or looking at them is sin?
Both religions do not believe in using force upon other people to enter their religion or belief. Both Lord Buddha and Prophet Muhammad taught his followers not to use force for this purpose. History says some Muslim rulers converted people by force, but it is not the teaching of Islam, it is their individual view and has no relation with religion.
In India Muslims and Buddhists both are from backward poor and exploited section of the society.
In Buddhism much importance has been given for “Dan” and regarded respectable, just as “Zakat” is very important tenet of Islam.
Buddhism is a religion of “Sheel” i.e. morality. They are “Panchsheel”.
(i) No-violence (Ahimsa). It teaches there should not be use of force without reason, as such Islam also believes in such type of non-violence.
(ii) Prohibition of theft.
(iii) Prohibition of telling lie.
(iv) Prohibition of sexual abuse.
(v) Prohibition of any type of intoxication.
These teachings are very similar to Islam. In fact, in some cases, Islam imposes heavy punishment for the contravention of moral rule.
In Islam, there is provision for ‘Haj’. Namaz should be performed collectively as such Buddhists also perform “Dhamma Charcha” (religious discussion) collectively on every “Poornima”.
Buddhism believes in global brotherhood, which is wider in sense, as such Islam also believes in brotherhood. But some people say that their brotherhood is limited to their religion only. If it is so it should be made wider to include every human being.
Both religions teach “Karuna” (Love) with all human being.
With concern about the problems of globalization and global warming becoming increasingly widespread, the importance of what His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama calls “universal responsibility” is becoming increasingly evident. Sustainable development, and even survival, depends on nations, cultures, religions, and individual persons taking shared responsibility to try to solve these universal problems.
By discovering and affirming shared basic human values – such as that all of us are interconnected members of all communities, not only the Buddhist and Muslims – we can pool resources and focus our efforts on trying to solve pressing issues of global concern.

Tek Chand Rahul, State President, Bhartiya Baudh Mahasabha, Rajasthan.

Without any doubts unity is the demand of rationalism, symbol of nationalism, necessity for the inclusive development of the community, society and nation, and above all is obligatory by religion. It is unity through which any organization, community, society or any other formation of people can achieve its motives and attain prominence. Goal of promoting unity must be pursued by everyone who believes in democracy, human rights and in ensuring positive values in the society.
Every nation, community, society endeavours for development and prosperity. This can only be ensued through peace and justice, which requires the unity of the stakeholders. Forces which are committed to promote unity must be acknowledged, praised and supported by the concerning members of the society. Likewise forces promoting disharmony and chaos must be condemned by right thinking persons at all possible levels and forums, and the best way to do this is to support unity.

Tariq Khan, Secretary, Foundation for Education and Economic Development

Support efforts at unity and peace

Any effort at unity and peace deserves anyone’s support, because people everywhere need it, to end humanity’s pain and suffering.
But peace and unity will not come about merely by slogans and appeals: it calls for committed and consistent effort. It has to be achieved through justice, based on understanding and accommodation of each other’s legitimate interests and concerns. It also calls for truth, mutual forgiveness and reconciliation.
Like charity, peace and unity must begin at home. Without achieving it themselves, if a people preach unity and peace to others they are likely to be told: Physician first heal thyself.
Finally, while peace and unity should begin at home, it should not end there. It should be extended to all fellow human beings. The goal should be all encompassing and indivisible peace and unity.

Ishrat Aziz
(Indian Foreign Service, Retd.)

How to live in a Multi-faith Society?

India is a multi-religious society. Muti-religious society is one where people have to live with differences. Now, difference is not simply a part of religion. In fact it is an essential part of nature. It is a part of God’s creation plan itself. So we have no option other than to live with differences.
To deal with this problem we need a formula for difference management rather than a formula for eliminating these differences.
I have studied almost all major religions. I found that every religion including Islam provides the art of difference management. Every religion tells us how to live in a multi-religious society with peace and harmony. We find this formula in the famous words of Jesus Christ: “Love your enemy.”
Love your enemy means: to manage the problem of enmity by the power of love.
The same principle is given in the Quran in these words:
“Do good deed in return for bad deed and you will find that your enemy has become your dearest friend.” 41:34
There is nothing mysterious about it. It is a well-known law of nature. It means that everyone is your potential friend. We have only to turn this potential into actual.
This Islamic principle was best represented by the Muslim Sufis in India. One Sufi poet has described this principle in this line in Persian:
We don’t know the stories of kings and generals. We know only the stories of love and compassion.
Muslim Sufis have devoted themselves to spreading this universal message of love and compassion for centuries. Due to these peaceful efforts on the part of the Sufis and saints this spirit of love and compassion was so deeply embedded in our society that it became part and parcel of our value system.
The social integration we find today in India owes greatly to the efforts made by our Sufis and saints.
In every field of life in India people of different faiths are working together in a peaceful atmosphere. This owes to a large extent due to the religious and spiritual spirit the Sufis and saints inculcated among the Indian people.
According to the Indian experience multi-religious or multi-cultural society is not an evil. Rather it is a blessing. For, trying to eliminate differences destroys the very fabric of our own interests. So we have no way other than to adjust with differences.
It means that mutli-religious society leads us to necessary adjustment. Consciously or unconsciously this principle has been adopted on a large scale by the Indian people. We can see its effects all around us.
We have a great lesson in India’s experience in this regard. As we know India sub-continent was divided into two parts in 1947—India and Pakistan. After the partition the two countries adopted two different systems. Pakistan chose religious political system, that is, theocratic state while India opted for non-religious system, that is, secular state.
Now after passing of more than half a century, we are in a position to judge both the systems on merit. It is an unavoidable fact that India is progressing very fast, while Pakistan is lagging behind in every field of life.
This difference in result gives a very important lesson. India’s successful experiment shows that secular system is a better choice for a multi-religious society. While theocratic system results in fundamentalism, extremism, and sometimes even in violence, whereas secular system always brings about peace, tolerance and harmony.

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

All men and women are born with the concept of God

Many different kind of studies: anthropological, psychological, historical, religious… have shown that, since time immemorial, the concept of God has been deeply interwoven in human nature. Indeed, the concept of God is quite indispensable to man. Consciously or unconsciously, he is compelled to give this concept the central position in his life. Even apparent atheists, when faced with some crisis, spontaneously call out to God. In this matter, there is no known exception.
Man requires a proper goal for his activities, in order that he may continue his journey through life with satisfaction and a sense of fulfillment. At the same time, being an explanation-seeking animal, he seeks to explain his existence and the world around him. But, owing to his limitations, he feels helpless. Unaided, he can neither set himself the correct goals, nor can he fathom the meaning of human life. It is only by accepting a limitless Being like God that this feeling of helplessness can be overcome. As experience has shown, most men and women live lives of largely unfulfilled desires. It is God alone who can give any ray of hope for their fulfillment, just as it is God alone who can give man the correct objectives. But perhaps most important, man, owing to his peculiar nature, wants to lead his life with the courage of conviction. And there is no other source of this conviction save God.
As studies have shown, all men and women believe in God in one way or the other. Now the question arises as to why these believers in God do not arrive at the result they expect from their ‘belief’. Why are even the believers in God deprived of divine inspiration? Why do they not at least enjoy peace of mind? Even those who have put up plaques in their homes and offices with such legends as: “We trust in God” are denied that blessing of God, which should have come to them because of their trusting in Him in the real sense. These believers in God inevitably feel that they have not been able to establish a genuine ‘communion’ with Him. Despite belief in God, people’s lives are sadly lacking in divine blessings.
This is the problem facing all men and women. Every man and woman believes, ideologically, in one god or the other. But so far as the result of such belief is concerned, it is not forthcoming. Every individual, from his own personal experience can understand that this problem is not one of lack of belief but rather of an absence of any outcome of belief in God. This is a universal truth which anyone can understand just by taking stock of the events of his own life.
There could be only one possible reason for this gap between faith and the result of faith. And that is the so-called believer may be worshipping some non-God in the name of God. In such a case it is but natural that, in spite of believing in some god, he/she will not receive the result of belief.
The reason for this is that people usually associate themselves with some non-God or the other. Although they utter such words as ‘We believe in God’, in practice they have made themselves subservient to some non-deity. There are times, when some living or dead human being is placed upon the pedestal of divinity. Some, under the influence of humanism, have accorded the seat of God to man – what is called ‘transfer of the seat from God to Man’ in the jargon of Humanism. Others have ‘discovered’ the law of nature as an alternative to God, while yet others believe in the monistic concept of God, according to which God is a vague spirit, rather than a Being with whom contact may be established.
If you misdial a number on your telephone, you will very likely hear this recorded voice from the telephone office: “This number does not exist.” This is exactly the state of affairs today. People are calling upon such beings, in the name of God, as have no existence in reality. That is why their call receives the answer: “This god does not exist.”
The Way to Attain Peace
Peace is essential for a better way of living-peace of mind, peace in the family and peace in nature. Today, in our modern, technological world, man apparently has access to everything he desires. In the absence of peace, however, everything has been rendered meaningless. What is needed to redress the balance is love, compassion, tolerance, forbearance and the spirit of co-existence.
How can we attain peace? The formula is very simple. Take your share without usurping that of others. Fulfill your needs without depriving others of theirs. Satisfy your desires without thwarting others and fulfill your ambitions without denying others the right to do likewise. In short, solve your own problems without creating problems for your fellow creatures. Peaceful co-existence is the only way of existence in this world.
However, a peaceful life can be achieved only when human beings learn what their limitations ought to be. According to the Divine law, you can take from the world whatever will satisfy your need – not your greed. You may do business with others, but you may not exploit them. You may also establish your individuality, but not at the cost of the family and society. In daily existence, you may lead your life by maintaining social traditions and not by destroying them. You have the freedom to lead your own life, but by caring in the process for the rest of your society and not by neglecting it. Resources may be utilized for the benefit of humanity, but not for the sake of destruction. You are free to use peaceful methods, but you are not entitled to use violence. You can make use of nature, but only by maintaining its balance: the equilibrium of nature must never be disturbed. You have the freedom to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, but not to manufacture destructive weapons. You are at liberty to nurture feelings of love and compassion, but not to give way to hatred and prejudice. You are free to fulfill your physical desires, but not by spiritually killing your soul. In short, you have the freedom to enjoy life by sharing with others, but certainly not by eliminating them.
The Price of Peace
We cannot have anything in this world without paying for it. Everything has its price and this is particularly true of peace. If we want peace, we should be ready to pay for it or stand deprived of it. What is the price of peace? It is simply tolerance. We live in world of differences, and these differences cannot be eliminated. Therefore, we have only two options before us: adopting the policy of either tolerance or intolerance. While the latter leads to violence, the former ensures peace. Where there is tolerance there is peace, and where there is intolerance, there is war and violence. This is the only universal formula of tolerance for peace, and this same formula may be successfully applied to one’s family life and to social life, at the national level as well as at the international level. Peace requires us to foster a culture of tolerance, for intolerance can lead only to war.

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

“Satanic forces always have division on agenda”

I am very happy to know that ‘Life Watch’ is bringing out a special issue on the subject of ‘Co-Existence’. I have been told that the issue is related to Almustafa University’s two-day seminar on the subject of peace and co-existence in various religions, to be held in IICC, Delhi.
The subject you have chosen is extremely important in the present day context. Like minded people, feeling the need of the hour, have started working on re-propagating the forlorned context and values related to Peace and Co-Existence. Sane voices are coming together and those on the wrong are themselves getting exposed; it is a good sign and beginning.
Peace and co-existence have been a legacy that we Indians have always been proud of. Indian society has always been peace-loving. Innumerable faiths and believes have co-existed at one and the same time, since times immemorial. Various religions, cultures, languages and races have been living amicably, even when such concepts were unheard of in Western countries.
Lately, a small section of society, due to its own vested interests, be it political or otherwise, have tried to create a wedge between various communities not only on the basis of religion, but also on the basis of sects, regions, languages, castes and creeds. If you look deeply, it is not only a Hindu-Muslim issue. Satanic forces always have division on agenda in contrast to the forces of unity, referred to in Quran, as the followers of Sirat-e-Mustaqeem (the straight path).

Saiyed Hamid
IAS (Rtd.) and Former VC-Aligarh Muslim University

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE RELIGIOUS

There is great misunderstanding both among believers and non-believers about what it means to be religious. For most of the believers religion is a set of rituals, appearance or even a set of dogmas and superstitions whereas for non-believers (rationalists and empiricists) it is nothing but irrational beliefs, dogmas and superstitions which impede human progress and also cause of violence and destruction. Even terrorism, they believe, is due to religion.
Then the question arises why millions of people believe in religion? The rationalists maintain it is because of illiteracy and irrationalism. But then many highly educated people also believe in religion so it is not easy to assign it only to illiteracy alone. And all those who believe in religion are not superstitious. Many of them are quite rational and even accept science and scientific methods without reservation. Sir Syed even maintained that there cannot be contradiction between word of God (Qur’an) and work of God (Nature and laws of nature). Moreover many great scientists have been believers in religion)
Then the question arises what it means to be truly religious? For ordinary people (including educated ones) religion is mixed bag. It comprises dogmas, customs and traditions which come from our culture rather than religion. Religion, once it becomes a powerful establishment, represents more of vested interests than religious teachings and values. It loses its dynamism. Interests become supreme rather than real spirit of religion.
Also, dogmas become more central than change as change for many believers bring a sense of insecurity and uncertainty whereas they believe in religion to ensure inner security. Also, dogmas ensure constancy of leadership as any change brings shift from orthodox leadership to modern leadership and orthodox leadership is better able to manipulate and control peoples for most people religion is a matter of belief rather than thinking and reflection.
In fact in its higher reaches religion is neither superstition, nor dogma and mere rituals. Religion poses problems when it is made to serve different human needs and interests. As water finds its own level, religion too finds its own level in unevenly developed society. For those who remain illiterate and backward it becomes a source of solace which is better served by dogmas and superst6itions rather than thinking and change.
However for highly educated and developed sections of society it becomes a source of values and philosophy and invites them to reflect on God’s creation. Qur’an repeatedly says why don’t you think? Why don’t you reflect on God’s creation? Qur’an, if understood in its proper spirit creates intellectual ferment and dynamism rather than stagnation and dogmas. Dogmas were created by theologians and they put basic emphasis on these dogmas as they serve their needs and interests.

Also, for many, religion is ritual-oriented rather than value-oriented. By performing certain rituals and maintaining certain appearances they think they are religious. For many others, religion is a source of values rather than rituals. Rituals serve a sense of community and identity and often become mechanical exercises and hardly inspire any inner change.
Then how should one look at religion and being religious? There are five most fundamental qualities for being truly religious without which one can claim to be religious but can hardly qualify to be one. These four fundamental qualities are 1) constant quest for truth; 2) to be humble; 3) to be compassionate and 4) to be anti-establishment 5) to be transcendent in vision.
We would like to throw some light on these essential qualities to be religious. In every religious tradition God’s name is truth. In Islamic tradition one of Allah’s name is Haq i.e. Truth. Without being truthful and engaged in constant quest for truth one can hardly be religious. All great founders of religion from Buddha to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) spent years of their lives in quest for truth and got inspiration to understand truth. It should be mission of one’s life to search for truth, in all its manifestations. Also, truth does not have one form and one manifestation. It is not stagnant or a dogma but dynamic and intellectually challenging.

2) Along with constant quest for truth humility is required. Any sense of truth being any ones monopoly leads to sense of arrogance and destroys the very quality of truth. That is why Qur’an says that All previous prophets came with truth and requires Muslims not to distinguish between one and the other prophets, those who do so are not true believers. All prophets and great religious thinkers were committed to quest for truth. Also, Qur’an maintains that Allah has created diversity, not unifr4moity so that one could understand different forms of truth without leading to arrogance. Anyone engaged in quest for truth has to have a quality of humility. Qur’an strongly denounces mustakbitin (the powerful and arrogant). Most of the Prophets mentioned in the Qur’an were of humble origin.
Third important quality for being truly religious is being compassionate i.e. being sensitive to others suffering. Anyone who is not compassionate cannot be a true human being, let alone religious. Allah’s name in Qur’an is Compassionate Merciful (Al-Rahman al-Rahim) and Prophet Muhammad has been described as Mercy of the Worlds (Rahmatan li-Al’alamin). Any Muslim who is not compassionate would never be a true Muslim.
Similarly a true religious person has to be anti-establishment as most of the establishments represent vested interest rather than values. Some people try to control these establishments and do anything to retain their control over it. They tend to become authoritarian and try to eliminate their rivals. Also, a truly religious person would always be inspired by future vision rather than what is given. He would be engaged in creating new world as what is given is never perfect. Those who have these qualities would indeed be really truly religious people.

By Asghar Ali Engineer