Buddhism, Gautama Buddha and the Baha'i Faith?

All research or scholarship questions
Ian Mayes
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Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 4:44 pm

Buddhism, Gautama Buddha and the Baha'i Faith?

Postby Ian Mayes » Tue Apr 14, 2009 12:49 pm

Hey all,

Greetings!

I was wondering - are there any good books or writings out there on the subject of Buddhism, the Buddha, and the Baha'i Faith? If so, could you please point me to them?

I ask, because I recall hearing multiple times from multiple sources claims that the Baha'i Faith is compatible with Buddhism and that Baha'u'llah and the Bab are Manifestations of God just like Gautama Buddha. However, I wonder - how is this the case? Have the Bab, Baha'u'llah, Abdu'l-Baha or Shoghi Effendi ever written in depth on the subject? If so, where?

As far as my own personal religious path goes, both Buddhism (particularly Theravada Buddhism) and the Baha'i Faith appeal to me the most. However, I do not know how they reconcile with each other. A bunch of Buddhists (particularly of the Theravada school) often say that Gautama Buddha never really talked about God or life after death (aside from reincarnation, which the Baha'i Faith does not believe in). So I really do not see how these two fit together really.

Any help here on this subject would be much appreciated. Thanks!

- Ian

AdibM
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Re: Buddhism, Gautama Buddha and the Baha'i Faith?

Postby AdibM » Tue Apr 14, 2009 6:55 pm

"To be a Bahá'í simply means to love all the world; to love humanity and try to serve it; to work for universal peace and universal brotherhood." -- `Abdu'l-Bahá

BritishBahai
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Location: UK

Re: Buddhism, Gautama Buddha and the Baha'i Faith?

Postby BritishBahai » Tue Apr 14, 2009 7:19 pm

"I have desired only what Thou didst desire, and love only what Thou dost love"

BruceDLimber
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Location: Rockville, Maryland, USA

Re: Buddhism, Gautama Buddha and the Baha'i Faith?

Postby BruceDLimber » Wed Apr 15, 2009 7:42 am

Hi!

Another title is Fozdar's Buddha Maitreya Amitabha Has Appeared.

Regards, :-)

Bruce

Ian Mayes
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Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 4:44 pm

Re: Buddhism, Gautama Buddha and the Baha'i Faith?

Postby Ian Mayes » Wed Apr 15, 2009 1:27 pm

Wow!

Thanks all!!!

- Ian

coatofmanycolours
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Re: Buddhism, Gautama Buddha and the Baha'i Faith?

Postby coatofmanycolours » Wed Apr 15, 2009 3:37 pm

I am a Baha'i from a Roman Catholic background and am sure that Christianity has been altered
from what Jesus had intended. The same is likely true of Buddhism, in my opinion.

-Peter

SpiritualSeeker
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Joined: Mon Mar 30, 2009 8:01 pm

Re: Buddhism, Gautama Buddha and the Baha'i Faith?

Postby SpiritualSeeker » Sun Apr 26, 2009 3:34 pm

Hello Ian,

So how has your journey and reading been? I am also stuck choosing between 3 ways. 1 Buddhism, 2. the bahai faith or 3. just practice shamanic disciplines. The bahai faith is really appealing but so is buddhism especially.

So i myself am still searching

hope to hear from you

-juan
Live your daily life in a way that you never lose yourself. When you are carried away with your worries, fears, cravings, anger, and desire, you run away from yourself and you lose yourself. The practice is always to go back to oneself.Thich Nhat Hanh

SpiritualSeeker
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Re: Buddhism, Gautama Buddha and the Baha'i Faith?

Postby SpiritualSeeker » Mon Apr 27, 2009 7:41 am

I seem to only read Abdul baha speaking of Buddha as a manifestation. Did Baha'ullah proclaim that Buddha was a manifestation?
Live your daily life in a way that you never lose yourself. When you are carried away with your worries, fears, cravings, anger, and desire, you run away from yourself and you lose yourself. The practice is always to go back to oneself.Thich Nhat Hanh

BruceDLimber
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Location: Rockville, Maryland, USA

Re: Buddhism, Gautama Buddha and the Baha'i Faith?

Postby BruceDLimber » Mon Apr 27, 2009 8:04 am

Greetings! :-)

SpiritualSeeker wrote:I seem to only read Abdul baha speaking of Buddha as a manifestation. Did Baha'ullah proclaim that Buddha was a manifestation?


Baha'u'llah didn't mention Him (or at least, not in any of the works we already have available in English). He primarily concentrated on the Abrahamic religions and their Divine Messengers.

But you're correct in that both 'Abdu'l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi confirmed that Buddha and Krishna were also Messengers.

(And for the record, there have been others throughout history whose religions are now extinct, including a few whose names we still know.)

Best regards, :-)

Bruce

SpiritualSeeker
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Joined: Mon Mar 30, 2009 8:01 pm

Re: Buddhism, Gautama Buddha and the Baha'i Faith?

Postby SpiritualSeeker » Mon Apr 27, 2009 6:43 pm

Thank you kindly bruce,

If you dont mind can you explain why Bahai's would accept Buddha as a manifestation since Baha'ullah didnt openly acknowledge him. I thought Abdul Baha was not a Manifestation himself but an interpretor of the Bahai teachings.

Thanks
-Juan
Live your daily life in a way that you never lose yourself. When you are carried away with your worries, fears, cravings, anger, and desire, you run away from yourself and you lose yourself. The practice is always to go back to oneself.Thich Nhat Hanh

BruceDLimber
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Location: Rockville, Maryland, USA

Re: Buddhism, Gautama Buddha and the Baha'i Faith?

Postby BruceDLimber » Tue Apr 28, 2009 8:19 am

Hi again! :-)

It's never been necessary for Baha'u'llah to have said something in order for it to be true!

Thus although He spoke about a number of Divine Messengers, there were clearly many others He never mentioned Himeself! Given the fact that there were two official interpreters after Him, however, they were fully empowered to make such statements about (for example) Krishna and Buddha.

And Baha'u'llah did, of course state this:
"There can be no doubt whatever that the peoples of the world, of whatever race or religion, derive their inspiration from one heavenly Source, and are the subjects of one God. The difference between the ordinances under which they abide should be attributed to the varying requirements and exigencies of the age in which they were revealed. ALL OF THEM, except a few which are the outcome of human perversity, were ordained of God, and are a reflection of His Will and Purpose. Arise and, armed with the power of faith, shatter to pieces the gods of your vain imaginings, the sowers of dissension amongst you. Cleave unto that which draweth you together and uniteth you." [emphasis added.]

—(The Proclamation of Baha'u'llah, p. 114;
also Gleanings, CXI, pp. 217-8)

Which can easily be taken as an implicit (or possibly even explicit) endorsement of these othere Messengers!

Best regards! :-)

Bruce

brettz9
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Re: Buddhism, Gautama Buddha and the Baha'i Faith?

Postby brettz9 » Tue Apr 28, 2009 7:03 pm

We might also mention that 'Abdu'l-Baha's role was not merely as infallible Interpreter. It was also as the Center of Baha'u'llah's Covenant and a perfect Exemplar of the Faith. His role and station is unique in religious history. Shoghi Effendi describes His station as, while being far from Baha'u'llah, even further from that of the believers:

For wide as is the gulf that separates `Abdu'l-Bahá from Him Who is the Source of an independent Revelation, it can never be regarded as commensurate with the greater distance that stands between Him Who is the Center of the Covenant and His ministers who are to carry on His work, whatever be their name, their rank, their functions or their future achievements.

(World Order of Baha'u'llah, p. 132)


The main documents of Baha'u'llah establishing 'Abdu'l-Baha's special authority and station (unless I'm missing any) are:

1) The Kitab-i-Ahd
2) The Kitab-i-Aqdas (see paragraphs 42, 121, and 174 and the notes linked to them
3) The Tablet of the Branch (an older translation)
4) See also Lawḥ-i-Arḍ-i-Bá

The definitive summary of 'Abdu'l-Baha's station is in Shoghi Effendi's World Order of Baha'u'llah, pp. 131-139, and includes various quotations of Baha'u'llah in attempting to explain it.

best wishes,
Brett

BruceDLimber
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Location: Rockville, Maryland, USA

Re: Buddhism, Gautama Buddha and the Baha'i Faith?

Postby BruceDLimber » Wed Apr 29, 2009 7:09 am

Brett, hi!

You may want to do your postings in the Times New Roman font, or even better Times Extended Roman font. (We use the latter for our book-preparation in the Baha'i Library project.)

This will allow all the letters to display properly in the posts, including those containing diacritical marks. Otherwise, some of them simply won't display and get replaced by a box.

Regards! :-)

Bruce

brettz9
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Re: Buddhism, Gautama Buddha and the Baha'i Faith?

Postby brettz9 » Wed Apr 29, 2009 7:42 am

Hi Bruce,

The diacritics are showing up for me...

Don't think we can control the font without enabling HTML anyways--not expecting to use diacritics frequently anyways (just copy-and-pasted that this time)--or by tinkering with the forums templates.

I understand that on Windows "Arial Unicode MS" supports the widest range of Unicode characters, but I believe your project can get by with Times Extended Roman because that at least supports the diacritics and you don't have to deal with that many other foreign characters.

Anyhow, thanks for the suggestion,
Brett


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