Sunday Times 2
Theravada Buddhism and Islamic Sufism: An ‘I’ less state
Yusuf Ali's translation explains many mystic passages in the Qur'an
Buddhist Abhidhamma is found aplenty in the mystic passages of the Qur’an and simultaneously is unfailingly in the Bible. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth are certainly far removed from the mysticism that the Qur’an offers leaving one to believe that some of its chapters such as Bakara have been misinterpreted to demonise the religion of Islam. The ISIS is simply playing into western hands.
The surahs (chapters) Adiya, Zaria, Qariya, Mudatthir, Muzammill, Naml, Nahl and Ankabut where profound truths are centred using the tiniest of God’s creations such as ant (naml), bee (nahl), and spider (ankabut), the awakening of the ‘self’, the blossoming of one’s soul, the rebellion against evil of jealously, vengeance, animosity, pride – enemies within — are literally taken as essential for enemy killing. But which Madrasa will teach such truths and which mullah is intellectually equipped to deliver the gems contained in Imam Yusuf Ali’s translation?
Regrettably, Marmaduke Pikthall, a western translator plant, was so helpful to the West’s agenda in demonising this profound religion, leaving the Muslims to get caught in the trap they are in now. The Muslims who have read Marmaduke quote chapter and verse but I have yet to see a Sri Lankan Muslim going into the elegance and beauty of the Quran’s unquestionable dignity in its mystic passages Yusuf Ali has tirelessly and so effortlessly explained in his footnotes.
Abhidhamma the link with the unconnected reality
Impermanence is the theme song in Abhidamma and a parallel thought driven home in the Qur’an is in Sura Ankabut where the prophet cites the spider to deliver a home truth that aligns so well with the Quran. The spider’s web with one forefinger is effaced and so be it with all what one thinks are his own – (Innama amruhu izaa Arada Shai-an wayaqulalahu qun fayakoon ) – family, property, kith and kin and all other assets — a lifetime striving.
The unconditioned state of ultimate bliss or nirvana — unfailingly reminded in this writer’s in-depth study of Abhidhamma — finds compatibility with Sura Yaseen’s “salaamun qaulam-min rabbir raheem.” In fact, it is compulsory that this stanza is recited thrice to realise that state of peace or nirvana. Abidhamma’s ever green teaching of impermanence that Buddhism holds out so vehemently places emphasis in finding the pearl inside the oyster underscoring insightfulness in connecting with a superior dimension, sadly a shortfall in contemporary intellectual resources, certainly found aplenty in a historic past. This is why to this day Arankale in Kurunegala is a renowned burial place of numerous Buddhist Arahats. Sufis or Auliyas, who disown violence, are the Muslim equivalent of Arahat. Not surprising then the Auliya mosques were the target of recent misguided elements. In Saudi Arabia, the celebration of prophet’s name is prohibited only to be replaced by a ‘killer God’ projected as authentic Islam to demonise this much celebrated religion in keeping with the West’s aim.
Saudi Arabian Wahhabism, a recent entry into this country, contradicted and confronted conservative traditional Islam, Sufistic by nature. Ironically, though Sufism runs contrary to Wahhabism, it strikes compatibility with Buddhist Abhidamma. It is primary state duty to protect Abhidamma. If not, the fate that befell Sufism in giving rise to Wahhabism creating extremism will surely be the lot of Theravada Buddhism. Signs of this are already in the horizon. Contemporary Buddhists have lost sight of the dimension beyond the beyond as taught in Abhidhamma as much as the absence of Sri Lankan Muslim scholars in this country to deliver Quranic Sufism.
Spatial constraints do no permit me to explain the Sufi renditions that do not refer to a ‘killer God’. In Sura Naml or the Chapter Ant, we see the highest respect that Islam gives for even the tiniest of creation, needless to speak of human sanctity. Abhidamma, like Sufism, sanctifies life and a ‘killer God’ is not entertained. In this Quranic chapter, the queen ant in intuitively knowing prophet Suleiman or Solomon to go down the street warns her army of ants to disperse, for should Solomon even by accident trample them he would be grievously hurt. The highest degree of receptivity and sensitivity the human mind needs to perceive is contained therein which Abhidhamma is all about. This highest teaching was bestowed on the Buddha on the fourth week of his enlightenment similar to the prophet’s enlightenment in Mount Hira and likewise Jesus atop Mount Olives and Moses in the Sinai desert. They were not the only ones on the road to enlightenment, for, from the dawn of creation, the saints, sages and Arahats that trod this path belonging to a variety of beliefs and religions are far too many. But they remain the only four highlighted and today formed into rival clubs. The celebration of the Holy Prophet’s name itself has been disowned by the ISIS themselves.
Only some sufistic chapters that entail the profundity of thought in Abhidhamma, strangely enough have escaped tampering. The Prophet was divinely inspired for 40 days in a cave atop Mount Hira, like the Buddha under the Bo tree to that unconnected dimension of life into a larger happening devoid of labels such as religion, caste, race, creed, ethnicity, nationality, club, school, property and the like of worldly pursuits. Unfortunately, today’s many so-called Buddhists have not even heard of what Abhidamma or that unconnected reality is. But they seem to be knowledgeable on Mahayana, an exponent on worldly life. The western powers have been quick on the uptake in marketing Mahayana to upkeep worldly accessories. Theravada is the only threat to political and business Buddhism, for, if all were to attain arahathood, world trade would crumble. Similarly the ISIS sees Sufism as a threat to extremism.
Many do not accept Yusuf Ali’s translation either by choice or compulsion and we do not need to look into Marmaduke Pikthall, a western plant whose Quranic surface meaning demonises Islam. He has lost sight of some of the finest Qur’anic sufistic jewels that strike concord with Abhidhamma. Regrettably, Translator Yusuf Ali, enveloped in ingratitude, died at Trafalgar square in the biting winter cold and the Pakistan government of the day did nothing when informed to rescue this celebrated personage. Muslim clerics, ulemas and mullahs were antagonistic towards him. Their inability to grasp the lofty ideals therein was akin to present day Buddhists having missed out on the finer terrain of Abhidhamma.
Not a single Buddhist whom I contacted knew the Abhidhamma in depth or its ability to rise above accessories of what is material. A few of them referred to it as the vinayapitaka but failed to explain the highest dimension it enabled devoid of externalities — which was the cessation of the ‘I’. Sufism, too, strikes a perfect concord here. The Sufi thought cannot be achieved through Sharia, for sharia is man-made unlike Sufism which is divinely inspired. The more the rules, the greater the hindrance to perfection. Sharia upholds male chauvinism and a divinely inspired document will in no way encourage inequality . This is further proof of the western interference of Islam to present it as a satanic religion and tow the line of female exploitation to suit western economic interests similar to the status quo during the industrial revolution in Victorian times when women were treated like chattel.
Equality and inclusiveness are the nucleus of Islamic thought and is well fortified by the numerous Sufi saints. Sheikh AbdulQadir Jailani, Jaufer Sadik, Jalaaluddin Rumi, Rabia of Basra, Omar Khayyam, Nafeesathul Misriya, Chisti and Nagoor Meera are some Sufi saints popular among Sufi followers. In fact Rabia when asked for her hand in marriage had told Hassan al Basri, “how can I marry you when I do not exist .” This then is the essence of the Buddha’s teachings that Theravada offers – the total extinction of ‘I’. Whither then a “killer God?”
The Qur’an, particularly in many chapters, has lost its authenticity. The West’s operational tactics has successfully demonised it to portray the Muslims as a barbaric race. The survival of the untampered exceptions such as the mystic or sufistic chapters, only time will tell.
As Theravadic Abhidamma recedes paving the way for Mahayana’s firm grip, society is blinded into what is unreal or worldly. The higher the intensity of worldliness, the greater the chances of any religion being indoctrinated with what is phenomenal and metaphysical. Sufism and Abhidhamma unfortunately have gone through the same fate. The so-called Islamic or Buddhist states cannot uphold Theravada Abhidhamma nor Islamic Sufism due to an intellectual shortfall in Madrasas and Dhamma schools. To top it all, the Muslims themselves have no knowledge of translator Yusuf Ali. Of what use is the Oyster shell minus its pearl?
Significantly, at this juncture, the scholarly mind begins to punctuate its scholarship by reflecting on the presence of Islam in Saudi Arabia, Budhism in Sri Lanka and Christianity in America among other countries that profess same. The politicisation of religion is all too conspicuous for the survival of the fittest at the expense of the weak. It is indeed a tragic comedy that a ‘killer God’ — and one to whom one would sacrifice his life as a passport to heaven to see dancing houris and aromatic food — has robbed this community its share of academics, doctors, engineers and lawyers who could have in otherwise circumstances worked with their brains for the well being of humanity. Instead their brains literally jumped the gun in another externally calculated move.
(afreehajawad17@gmail.com)