Buddhism and the Baha'i Faith

Thoughts on a blog post titled “The Coming Buddha” by Alexander Duncan [1]

Being the one who mentioned the book “The God of the Buddha” by Jamshed Fozdar[2], I was thrilled that Mr. Duncan would offer such a well-prepared talk in a spirit of an ongoing interfaith dialogue, at once sincere, courteous and friendly. While listening to his talk, I wrote down a few thoughts of my own, and what follows is a revised, expanded version of those notes.

Bear in mind that nothing that I or any other Bahá'í says personally should be taken as an authoritative interpretation of the Bahá'í teachings, but only our limited understanding of them. Neither do I claim to be an expert on Buddhism, so please accept this as my humble contribution – the best I have to offer – to that dialog.

GOD IN THE SEMITIC SENSE?

Not all concepts of God must necessarily be the Judeo-Christian-Islamic concepts, merely because the same terms are used to refer to that Ultimate Reality. Bahá'ís perceive God, not as an anthropomorphic construct, but as an unknowable Essence. However, we also do not see God as ‘impersonal’, because the Source of all things must necessarily have at least the same characteristics as that which it creates, which include conscience, knowledge, volition, etc. No created thing that is not in the Source of all creation can exist, as Buddha said: “Oh disciples, there is a non-born, a non-produced, [a] non-created, a non-formed, if there were not, oh disciples, a non-born, a non-produced, a non-created and a non-formed, there would be no issue for the born, the produced, the created, the formed.” [3] The Bahá'í teachings state:

“What is meant by personal God is a God Who is conscious of His creation, Who has a Mind, a Will, a Purpose… Such conception of the Divine Being, as the Supreme and ever present Reality in the world, is not anthropomorphic, for it transcends all human limitations and forms, and does by no means attempt to define the essence of Divinity which is obviously beyond any human comprehension. To say that God is a personal Reality does not mean that He has a physical form, or does in any way resemble a human being.” [4]

GOD AND GENDER

The use of the pronoun ‘He’ does not imply that we see God as male, but rather is due to the lack of non-gender-specific personal pronouns in Arabic and Persian–the languages of Bahá’u’lláh’s original writings, to which the English translation seeks to be as faithful as possible. Those writings are full of both ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ descriptions of the divine qualities: justice and mercy, power and compassion, etc.

“Like previous Messengers of God, Bahá'u'lláh used the masculine pronoun when referring to the Creator. To have done anything else would have violated all conventions of Arabic – the principal language in which Bahá'u'lláh wrote. Bahá'u'lláh stated explicitly, however, that God is beyond any comparison to human form or gender.” [5]

DERIVED FROM SEMITIC TRADITIONS?

Physically, Bahá’u’lláh [1817-1892] was born, lived and died in the Middle East, as He passed through successive stages of exile and incarceration from Persia to the Ottoman Empire to Palestine (modern-day Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and Israel). However, His Teachings are universal and unique, not ‘derived from’ the traditions of any of the other world religions that also arose in that area, any more than Buddhism could be described as a mere derivative of Hinduism.

Even a cursory glance at the vast body of Bahá’u’lláh’s writings will reveal aspects that coincide with every one of the great world religions, others that contrast with the teachings of each, and others that are entirely novel and not found in any of them. Bahá’u’lláh claims–and Bahá'ís believe–that His teachings are a new divine Revelation of God’s eternal will and ongoing guidance to humanity.

BUDDHA AS A ‘MANIFESTATION OF GOD’

Bahá’u’lláh teaches that God’s will can be read in two ‘books’–Creation and Revelation–both of which are eternal processes with neither beginning nor end. The former is the object of science, while the latter comes to us through God’s chosen Messengers, Prophets, Enlightened Ones, or what Bahá'ís call "Manifestations of God" because their relationship to God is seen as analogous to that of the Sun in a mirror.

The Sun does not descend to Earth, but sends its light, warmth and life through its rays, which all beings reflect according to their nature and capacity, while only a pure mirror can reflect the Sun in all its glory. Similarly, the Divine Spirit that issues from God is the source of all Creation, but manifests itself most fully in the pure mirrors of specially chosen ‘Manifestations’ of divine wisdom and love, will and guidance. Bahá'ís believe that the Buddha was one of such Manifestations of the Divine Spirit.

NINE WORLD RELIGIONS?

These Manifestations–Baha'u'llah states–have appeared and will continue to appear on this physical plane from all eternity to all eternity and to all peoples, in an ongoing succession Bahá'ís call “progressive revelation”. They have sown the seeds of what flourished into the great civilizations known to us today and many others lost to history, in a never-ending process of education and guidance of humankind.

Although Bahá'ís often refer to only nine–Krishna, Abraham, Moses, Zoroaster, Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad, the Báb, and Bahá’u’lláh–there have been and will be many more. For example, the indigenous peoples of the Andes, where I live, speak of Viracocha as a Spiritual Teacher who sowed the seeds of what would become the great Inca civilization. As Tseten mentioned in his talk, countless Buddhas (Enlightened Ones) have come and countless more will come, perhaps based on the following:

"I am not the first Buddha who came upon 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, in the spirit and in the letter. 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." [6]

IS BAHÁ’U’LLÁH THE MAITREYA?

All of these Manifestations of the Divine are illumined by one and the same Divine Spirit, and therefore each is the "return" of all the others. The specific coming of that Spirit that the Buddha called the Fifth Buddha or Maitreya was not to be the only, or even next, Enlightened One, but specifically the Buddha of universal brotherhood, which is the mission that Baha'u'llah claimed to have been sent to fulfill in the world in this day and age.

When asked “How shall we know Him?” the Buddha replied, “He will be known as Metteyya, which means 'he whose name is kindness.” Baha'u'llah's given name, Husayn, is Arabic for "kindness." Now I do not want to get into a long discussion on all the reasons Bahá’u’lláh could be the promised Maitreya, nor would I be the best qualified to do so.

I will suggest, however, that listing the many people who have claimed a given station is no proof that the true holder of that station is false. If this were the case, then the appearance of the many who claimed to be "enlightened ones" before and after the Buddha would be evidence of the Buddha's falsehood, which neither Buddhists nor Bahá'ís believe. Before and after Jesus’ life on earth there were also many claiming to be the Messiah or Christ, and so it has been with all of the divine Manifestations.

THE APOCALYPSE

The "end of the world" does not refer to the destruction humanity, according to Baha'i teachings, but rather to the death of one era and the birth of another. Every divine Manifestation has come at a time of “bad government, poverty, stealing, violence, killing, lying, wrongful sex, gossip, false opinions, and loss of respect for parents and elders”, and the wholesome seeds sown through their teachings grow into a bright, new civilization.

The old normative ways of thinking and acting fall into decay, and new normative ways of thinking and acting (a new heaven and new earth, in Christian terms) are created. This may be what is referred to by "degeneration" and "forgetfulness" – our collective, normative ways of thought and action eventually deviates from the original teachings, which then need to be "renewed" – the coming of a new spiritual Springtime.

The decline of each world religion in turn, through its crystallization under faulty human understandings and frailties, began prior to the coming of the next divine Manifestation. Perhaps this is what the “invisible Dharma” refers to, when true religion – that mystical relationship of love with the divine – is relegated to individual, private practice, gradually depriving it of its collective or normative influence on society. This, in turn, would tend to bring about the decline of the civilization that grew from the pure seed of the original teachings. As Krishna said,

“Know thou this, O Prince, that whenever the world declineth in virtue and righteousness, and vice and injustice mount the throne - then come I, the Lord, and revisit My world in visible form, and mingle as a man with men, and by My influence and teachings do I destroy the evil and injustice, and reestablish virtue and righteousness, many times have I thus appeared; many times hereafter shall I come again." [7]

DATES AND NUMBERS

The reference to days, weeks and years may be symbolic. In some Holy Books, a "day" refers sometimes to 1000 years, sometimes to the time that passes between the coming of one divine Manifestation and the next, or at other times to the life span of a human being. It is important to bear in mind the symbolic, allegoric nature of prophesy. In this light, it might be useful to compare the references to five thousand years, five epochs of five hundred years, and the mention of a Fifth Buddha. 

REVOLVING AROUND HIS OWN PERSON?

Tseten refers to Bahá’u’lláh as one "whose teachings revolve around his person." The original Bahá'í teachings were written by Bahá’u’lláh Himself, mostly in His own hand, during His 40 years of exile and imprisonment. I say “mostly”, because after He was poisoned almost to death, His hands shook so much that He needed an amanuensis to help Him write.

However, Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings revolve, not around Himself, but around God and the Message that God was conveying to humankind through Him. The fact that some of His writings are phrased from God’s viewpoint (for example, “I loved thy creation; therefore I created thee”) is better understood in light of the concept that each divine Manifestation is the ‘mouthpiece’ of God, through which He speaks to humankind:

“…and as the sound and melodies do not come from the reed, but from the flute player who blows upon it, so the sanctified heart of that blessed Being is free and emptied from all save God, pure and exempt from the attachments of all human conditions, and is the companion of the Divine Spirit. Whatever He utters is not from Himself, but from the real flute player, and it is a divine inspiration.” [8]

Individual Bahá'ís are even counseled not to keep a copy of Bahá’u’lláh’s only photograph, taken for His passport when He was exiled from Adrianople to the prison-city of Akka. This, among other things, is to avoid centering their attention on the physical person of Bahá’u’lláh, but rather on His teachings. We do keep photographs of His son, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, but only to remind us to try to follow his example of virtue and service.

MEDITATION AND SELF-PERFECTION

It is possible that Tseten did not understand fully what his Bahá'í acquaintance said about meditation, so it might be good to go back and ask for clarification. The Baha'i teachings do prescribe daily meditation, but do not establish any set formulae for it. Rather, they encourage us to seek methods that best suit us. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says,

     “…there is a sign (from God) in every phenomenon: the sign of the intellect is contemplation and the sign of contemplation is silence, because it is impossible for a man to do two things at one time – he cannot both speak and meditate.

     “It is an axiomatic fact that while you meditate you are speaking with your own spirit. In that state of mind, you put certain questions to your spirit and the spirit answers: the light breaks forth and the reality is revealed.

     “You cannot apply the name 'man' to any being void of this faculty of meditation; without it he would be a mere animal, lower than the beasts.” [9]

Self-perfection is enjoined on Bahá'ís. In fact, the very purpose of our existence is to develop our innate ‘spiritual qualities’ such as love, compassion, forgiveness, generosity, tolerance, humility, trustworthiness, and many more. This is sought primarily through prayer, studying the divine teachings, meditation, daily effort to overcome our weaknesses, and service to humankind. We were put on this earthly plane of existence to help build an ever-advancing civilization, which both depends on and contributes the development of such spiritual qualities. Service to others in a spirit of love and excellence is deemed an act of worship.

REBIRTH AND REINCARNATION

Bahá'ís do believe in rebirth, but perhaps not in the same way most Buddhists do. Just as a baby child dies to the womb world and is born to this broader world, so too will we die from this limited world and be reborn into a higher plane of existence, and from there to another, and so on, through infinite worlds or planes in our journey from God back to God. Just as the baby cannot return to the womb if it fails to develop its body perfectly the first time, so too we will not return to this material world if we fail to develop fully part of our spiritual potential. Bahá’u’lláh says,

“Sorrow not if, in these days and on this earthly plane, things contrary to your wishes have been ordained and manifested by God, for days of blissful joy, of heavenly delight, are assuredly in store for you. Worlds, holy and spiritually glorious, will be unveiled to your eyes. You are destined by Him, in this world and hereafter, to partake of their benefits, to share in their joys, and to obtain a portion of their sustaining grace. To each and every one of them you will, no doubt, attain.” [10]

* * * * *

So I hope that this explanation has served to familiarize you more fully with the spirit of Baha'u'llah’s teachings and how they might relate to Buddhism, and thank you once again for accepting to participate in a sincere, courteous, friendly inter-faith dialog.

REFERENCES:

1.    URL: http://palisuttas.com/2014/10/11/the-coming-buddha/

2.    Jamshed K. Fozdar, The God of the Buddha. Arricia, Italy: Casa Editrice Bahá’í, 1995.

3.    Buddha Shakyamuni, Patalagami, a Pali text attributed to Sariputra.

4.    From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, April 21, 1939. Published in Hornby, Helen (Ed.), ed. (1983). Lights of Guidance: A Bahá'í Reference File. Bahá'í Publishing Trust, New Delhi, India.

5.    URL: http://info.bahai.org/article-1-4-2-1.html

6.    Digha-nikaya, IV.26

7.    Bhagavad-Gita, 4;7,8

8.    ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions. Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1990, p. 45.

9.    ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks. UK Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1972, p. 174.

10.  Shoghi Effendi, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh. US Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1990, p. 329.

FURTHER INFORMATION:

1. Bahá'í Faith and Buddhism Dialogue (1995). Eleven email postings from Bruce Burrill, Juan Cole, Moojan Momen, and Dann May, from the listserver Talisman 1. Essays and short articles. [about]
2. Buddha, Krishna, Zoroaster and Related Subjects, by Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi, in Compilation of Compilations, Volume 1 (1991). BWC Compilations. [about]
3. Buddhism and the Bahá'í Faith, by Moojan Momen (1995). Encyclopedia articles. [about]
4. Buddhism and the Bahá'í Faith: Warwick Leaflets, by Warwick Bahá'í Bookshop (2002). Essays and short articles.[about]
5. Buddhism and the Bahá'í Writings: An Ontological Rapprochement, by Ian Kluge, in Lights of Irfan, Volume 8 (2007). Published Articles. [about]
6. Common Grounds between Buddhism, Quantum Physics, and the Bahá'í Faith, by Jack Coleman (1997). Some parallels and similarities between the Baha'i Faith, Buddhism, and physics. Essays and short articles. [about]

Note: The opinions and views expressed in this article are those of the author only and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of VirtualBahai or any institution of the Baha’i Faith.