Two Pitchers: the Co-evolution of Sufism and Buddhism

by Bennet Hoffman through Professor Rev. Dr. James Kenneth Powell II, opensourcebuddhism.org This very interesting work examines how Buddhism shaped the origins of this distinct mystical Islamic tradition as Muslim powers took over the old Afghani and Persian and Pakistani cultures of the classic world. Ever wonder where the Bamiyan Buddha came from? It's destruction reveals that the influence is not just from one source, but Buddhism permeated Islam in the form of Sufism. Maybe the Muslims destroyed the physical structure of countless Buddhist artifacts, but Buddhists destroyed any rigid monotheism in Islam through the great poets Rumi et. al.

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• Sufism
• Buddhism
• philosophy
• religion
• comparative
• india
• pakistan
• ethics
• islam
• hinduism
• afghanistan
• persia
• iran
• mysticism
• Professor
• Rev.
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• James
• Kenneth
• Powell
• II
• opensourcebuddhism.org

[hokulani78]

Buddhism was already spread throughout the Middle East during the time of Ashoka who adopted Buddhism in the 4th century BCE. He had sent out Greek and Aramaic speakers throughout the world and Bacteria, modern day Afghanistan, was a center of Buddhist missionary work. Also Buddhism does not discourage monotheism or polytheism. It is more focused on ending suffering than in slavery to thrones, caste, and to deities like in Hinduism.

[pixusbubblejet]

Buddhism started 1000 years before Muhammad and Islam.. What is now Pakistan, Aghanistan, Eastern Iran, and Central Asia were in fact important centers of Buddhism.. Many of the monks, philosophers and translators who introduced Buddhism to the Chinese, Koreans and Japanese were actually Persians and Afghans.. Later the Persians were conquered by the Arabs and forced into Islam.. Sufism and Rumi reflects the Buddhist heart that remained in the Persians, but expressed though an Islamic exterior..

[TCHLITDK]

@arnotkaling Hi... there is no flaw in buddhism for not believing in a god... Buddhists believe that Nirvana lies within oneself... I'm not saying it's wrong to believe in a god but that does not mean there is a god... and if you think logically and scientifically you might understand that there is no flaw in buddhism...

[Chachaman111]

@BeamSurfer we think that Buddha and original buddhism was good, and ashoka was an acceptable person, saying , buddhism that time was possibly a correction to hinduism, i blame kanishka and ghandhara, they made buddhism back to it's atheistic shramana tradition

i think Shramana is sataninism and that it is an underground secret agenda that also existed in greece, middle east and egypt. It is the religion of Satan, Buddhists don't worship Buddha, neither do jains to Mahavira ,they want liberation

[Chachaman111]

@BeamSurfer we think that Buddha and original buddhism was good, and ashoka was an acceptable person, saying , buddhism that time was possibly a correction to hinduism, i blame kanishka and ghandhara, they made buddhism back to it's atheistic shramana tradition

i think Shramana is sataninism and that it is an underground secret agenda that also existed in greece, middle east and egypt. It is the religion of Satan, Buddhists don't worship Buddha, neither do jains to mahavira ,they want liberation

[Chachaman111]

dude, most sufis hate buddhism, virtually all muslims hate Buddhism, because every teaching in buddhism go's againts islam, it's like the direct opposite..... The Pali Canon, i read it , it's like the book of hell .... Jainism and Buddhism are from the Shramana Tradition, and therefore the Shramana is what Islam is not. the only thing similar is that both teach to do good and be compassionate and kind, but change one on each and you get the faith of Satan :) Sufis call Buddhist like Sufis wrong

[BeamSurfer]

@hokulani78 well something interesting, Islam sais it was created from the start of humanity. :)/

[Ehuatl]

Why is Zoroastrianism left out of the picture? I think its influence on Islam is by far better suited to explain the points brought up about Sufism than Buddhism...

[bicconsulting1234]

This shows that all religion which have the same root and these 2 religions found a similar origins so that it can be syncreticed. Sidharta was a prophet among other 128,000. Nothing can change the Kalu Bela, and the Elest.

[pure0islam]

امن الرومي بالسمع للموسيقي الروحية مع الدوران كسبيل أكيد للوصول إلى الله. تساعد المريد على التركيز على الله بقوة لدرجة أن المريد يفنى ثم يعود إلى الواقع بشكل مختلف و الرقص الدائري في (( تركيا )) والبلدان الاسلامية ومجالس الذكر التي يقال فيها (لا اله الا هو) أو هو أو -hou-