Buddhist Mysticism Influenced Islamic Sufism in a Big Way
Islamic
Sufism Borrowed Many Doctrines and Practices from Buddhist Mysticism
Main
Points:
1. Buddhism influenced Islamic
Sufism in a big way
2. Muslim Sufis Hussayn bin
Mansoor, Attar and Bayazid Bustami travelled to India.
3. Ibrahim Bin Adham was
influenced by Buddhist mysticism.
4. Khanqah originated on the
lines of Buddhist Vihars.
5. Spiritual practices of
breath control, Chakras and Perfections influenced Sufism.
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By New Age Islam Staff Writer
25 November 2021
Courtesy: .cilecenter.org
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Ibn Arabi institutionalized Sufism on the
lines of Vendantist philosophy and Buddhist mysticism. Until then, Islamic
Sufism meant strict adherence to the Quranic injunctions on purity of heart,
piety, love for humanity and abstention from violence and violent religious
ideology. Islamic Sufism till the second century Hijra was based on the Quranic
principles and hadiths and the stress was laid on Zikr and Tilawat and
inner piety. However, after the 3rd century, Islamic Sufism was influenced by
the mystic practices of Vedantic philosophy, Buddhism and Nath Panth that
emerged during 7th or 8th century AD. This happened due to the interaction of
Muslim Sufis with Hindu Vedantic mystics and Buddhist mystics in India and
Afghanistan. Ibn Arabi’s Sufi treatise Fususul Hikam was based on a Sanskrit
book Amrit Kund on Vedantiic Advaitavad (Monism). Fususul Hikam popularized
Advaitavad (Wahdat ul Wujud) among Islamic sufis. The idea of dissolution of
self in the Supreme Soul romanticized the mystic circle. Many Sufis of 8th to
12rh century travelled India and Afghanistan including Sindh which was a seat
of Buddhism during that age and leant about the mystic practices of involving
physical discipline to acquire greater spiritual development. Hussain Bin
Mansur Hallaj, Bayazid Bustami and Fariduddin Attar travelled to India were
influenced by the Buddhist mystic practices.
Hadhrat Junaid Baghdadi was influenced by Buddhist mystic philosophy
which brought moderateness in his mystic thinking as Buddhism preached moderate
path in religious and social practices.
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Also Read: Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam Must Discover Their Spiritual Symbiosis for
a Conflict-Free, Environment Conscious World
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During the middle ages, Buddhism was the
dominant religion in the Khorasan and Indian region. Balkh was the centre of
Buddhism where famous Sufi Ibrahim bin Adham was based. He had renunciated his kingship and lived the
life an ascetic. His story is very similar to that of Gautam Buddha who
renunciated the life of a prince and became a mystic.
Therefore, Islamic Sufism borrowed many
practices and it coined Sufi terms on the basis of Buddhist mysticism. The practice of deep meditation called Muraqba was based on Dhyan of Buddhism.
Islamic Sufism borrowed the practice of rosary for Zikr from Buddhism.
Mahatma Buddha
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The tradition of monasteries (Khanqah)
originated in Islamic Sufism due to the impact of Buddhism tradition of Buddha
VIhars. Since Sufis engages in zikr for the most part of the day and night
apart from Quran recitation and prayers, they needed a place where they could
sit in seclusion. Therefore, Khanqahs on the lines of Buddhist Vihars
flourished in the Islamic world from the third century Hijra. The first Khanqah
was built in Ramalla in Syria in the third century hijra. In the Khanqahs, Majlis of Tarana and Sama’
would be regularly held. The rules for becoming a member of a Khanqah were also
formulated on the lines of Buddha Vihar.
In Buddhist mysticism, a spiritual aspirant
had to apply for the membership of the Sangha. After he was granted the
membership, he would be able to live in a Vihar. There were Ten Commandments
for a spiritual aspirant to follow to be a member of Sangha and live in a
Vihar. The Ten Commandments or undertakings were as follows:
Ten
Commandments of Buddhism for the spiritual aspirants applying for membership of
Buddhist Monasteries
I swear that I will not kill any living
being.
I swear that I will not commit theft.
I will abstain from uncleanliness.
I swear that I will Not consume
intoxicants.
I swear that I will Not tell a lie.
I swear that I will Not eat in forbidden
hours.
I swear that I will Not indulge in dance,
song and music.
I swear that I will Not use wide and high
cot.
I swear that I will Not use scent, oil,
ornaments and garlands.
I swear that I will Not accept gold or
silver from anybody.
The spiritual aspirants had to abide by ten
rules to enter and live in a Khanqah.
Cleanliness of body and clothes.
Sitting at home and mosque.
Offering prayers in congregation on time.
Night prayers (Tahajjud)
Istaghfar at morning.
Recitation of the Quran in the morning.
Darood and Zikr between the prayers of Maghrib
and Isha.
Taking care of the needs of the needy and the
old.
Not eating eatables of each other without
consent.
Not leaving one another without
information.
Another point of similarity between Islamic
Sufism and Buddhist mysticism is the development of ten virtues or spiritual
qualities. In Buddhism, they are called Paramita (perfections). The Buddhist
mystic needs to develop these ten spiritual perfection in them. They are
following:
Ten
Perfections of Buddhism
Generosity
Good manners
Piety
Intuitive wisdom (pragya)
Steadfastness
Perseverance
Truthfulness
Endurance
Empathy
Equanimity
Similarly,
the Islamic spiritual aspirants also tried to develop ten spiritual virtues
(Haal) in them;
Meditation
Closeness to God
Love
Fear
Hope
Compassion
Attachment
Equanimity
Vision
Belief
According to Buddhist and Hindu Tantra, there
are six spiritual chakras in the body. A spiritual aspirant gradually ascends
the chakras beginning from the lower chakra to the top chakra.
SiX spiritual Chakras in the body in
Buddhism
Muladhar
Chakra
Swadhisthan
Chakra
Manipur
Chakra
Visuddha
Chakra
Agya
Chakra
Sahasrar
Chakra
Muladhar Chakra is situated at the base of
vertebral column where the spiritual power is coiled up like a snake. This is
why it is called Kundalini Shakti
(serpent power). The spiritual aspirant tries to awaken this spiritual power
which after being awakened rise up and crosses through the different chakras
reaching the Sahasrar Chakra in the head. At each Chakra, a subtle sound is
heard. This sound is called Anahat Nad.
In Islamic Sufism. This is called Lataif-e-Sitta (six subtleties) which is an
idea borrowed from Buddhist Tantra.
These six Lataif are as follows:
Latifa-e-Nafs
(from Navel)
Latifa-e-Qalb
(from heart)
Latifa-e-Ruh
(From the chest)
Latifa-e-Sarmahal (From the abdomen)
Latifa-e-Khafi (From the forehead)
Latifa-e-Akhfa
(Skull of the head)
At every stage, the aspirant hears a subtle
sound of Allah. In Vedic or Hindu Tantra, the aspirant hears the sound of Om at
every stage of Chakra.
The practice of controlling the breath in
Buddhism or Hindu Tantra also influenced Islamic Sufism. The Pranayam of
Buddhism or Hindu Tantra was adopted by Islamic Sufis and it was termed Paas-e-Anfas. Rechak and Kumbhak in
Islamic Sufism was called Habs-e-Dum
and Hasr-e-Nafs.
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Buddhism and Vedanta preach dissolution of
self in the Supreme Self which leads to Mukti from the cycle of birth and
death. Islamic Sufism adopted this doctrine from Buddhism. The Quran does not
preach dissolution of self in the Supreme soul and therefore the doctrine of Fana
and Baqa was borrowed from Buddhist and Vedantic doctrine of Monism. In Islamic
Sufism, the doctrine of Fana and Baqa was introduced by Sufi Abu Sayeed
Kharazi of the 3rd century Hijra. Therefore, from the third century onwards,
Islamic Sufism emerged as a distinct religious sect and Sufism was
institutionalized by Islamic sufis. They formulated rules and doctrines
involving stages of spiritual attainment (haal0 and Maqamat, the institution of Murshid and Mureed and the philosophy of Tariqat vis a vis Shariat was
discussed.
It
is due to the influence of Buddhism that the tradition of Tarana and Sama and
religious poetry flourished in Islamic Sufism. The Buddhist mystic songs called
Charyageet discovered in 1907 by a Bengali litterateur and researcher Dr
Harprasad Shastri from the Nepal Durbar Library showed that Buddhist siddhas
(accomplished sadhus) composed mystic songs that were sung in accompaniment of
musical instruments and dance in the private assemblies of Siddhas. These songs
were composed during the 6th and 12th century. Therefore, it can be said that
the tradition of Tarana, qawwali and Sama with dance is due to the influence of
Buddhist mystic practices.
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Therefore, it can also be said that the
tradition ofsufi poetry also has its root in Buddhist mystic poetry. The first
Arabic Sufi poet was Yahya Maz Razi in the 8th century AD. Junaid Baghdadi was
also an Arabic Sufi poet. Ibrahim Ghawwas, Hussain bin Mansur Hallaj and Ibn
Arabi also composed Sufi poetry in the 9th and 10th century AD. Inspired by the
Arab Sufi poets, Persian poets also started presenting mystic thoughts and
subjects in poetry. Maghribi, Jami, Shabistari, Sherazi, Attar and Rumi are
some of the sufi poets who lived between 10th and 12th century AD. Buddhism
declined after the 12th century before institutionalizing Islamic Sufism in the
Indian subcontinent in particular and Muslim world in general.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/interfaith-dialogue/buddhist-mysticism-islamic-sufism/d/125839
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