How Deification Of Buddha And Mahavir Took Place
By
Sumit Paul, New Age Islam
12 January
2023
I fully
agree with the erudite editor Mr.
Sultan Shahin that the deification process might end up turning
Muhammad into a god which's not desirable or acceptable as he was a human
being. He cited the example of ironical deification of Buddha who's now god to
his followers and is called Bhagwan Buddha! This is indeed ridiculous. Buddha
didn't believe in god/s, heaven and esoteric beliefs but ironically himself
became a god to his followers.
Buddha and Mahavir
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But at the
same time, a distinct difference between Semitic and Eastern consciousness
should also be taken into account. Buddha rejected the hierarchical (read
Brahminical) Hinduism that deified everything.
In the
words of Iqbal, 'Tujh Se Pahle Ajab Tha Jahan Ka Manzar/ Kahin Ma'abood Thay
Patthar Kahin Masjood Shajar' ( The world was weird before you, Allah/
Stones were being worshipped and people were genuflecting before trees:
Shikwa).
Buddha
repudiated all and also pooh-poohed all Vedas. That's why, Buddha was called a Vednindak,
Dharmnindak and Ghor Nastik (courtesy, Pind Paribhasham, circa 1st
century). He was not an Agnostic/Skeptic or a Sanshyatma but an outright
rejecter of anything divine.
Early
Hindus (read Brahmins) called him Pritrim (enemy of god). Mind you, he
was evolved and he could do away with the very idea of god and godhood. But his
followers, almost all erstwhile Hindus and Dalits, were not so enlightened like
him. They had a juvenile and primitive notion of god/s and deities that was
engrained in their psyche.
In other
words, their consciousness accepted carved and graven images of god/s. And here
this man (Buddha) was saying that there was no god and nothing was
worth-worshipping! Isn't it so difficult for commoners to have no belief in any
celestial power?
The same
happened simultaneously in Jainism. By the way, Jainism and Buddhism are
roughly coeval faiths. Mahavir of Jainism was just like Buddha (some scholars
even believe that either of the two existed!). He too challenged the Vedas and
disdained ritualistic Hinduism. He believed in Kaivalya (philosophical
ex nihilo: nothing comes out of nothing). Can you believe, for the first 4
centuries of Jainism (it's 2,600-yr-old), the followers of Jainism worshipped
the back posture of Mahavir and regular facial icons of Mahavir began to appear
only 2200 years ago (Read Dr Bimal Krishna Matilal's ' A non-idolatrous mind '
OUP, 1972 and Kedarnath Pandey aka Rahul Sankrityayan's 'Devatva-viheen Dharm',
1965)?
The
followers of Mahavir were also erstwhile
Hindus or non-denominational idolaters, who had the perceptions of idols
deep down in their system.
So,
Buddhists as well as Jains started idolising Buddhas and Mahavir as a collective
percolatory nature (from their erstwhile faiths and beliefs) and started
calling them gods because general mind cannot be non-idolatrous. You've to have
an image to believe in. This is a common human proclivity and no human is
completely non-idolatrous in the broadest sense of the word.
Tell me,
what's a Kaaba, a Sang-e-Aswad or a mosque? These are all images to
focus on for Muslims.
Agreed,
Muhammad is not to be adored as he was a human. But an occasional painting is
no felony. As I mentioned in my last essay, did his paintings in mid-13th and
14th centuries turn Muslims into worshippers of Muhammad? Drawing a picture of
a personality or photographing him/her (in modern context) is a natural human
tendency. Going hyper or paranoid over a mere painting of a so-called messenger
is the weakness of your belief.
Those who
believe in Allah will continue to believe in it. A painting cannot dislodge or
dissuade them from their unflinching belief or dilute it. All humans need an
earthly manifestation to relate to. This is known as Necessary Alternative
Dimension (NAD) in the parlance of Theology. Whether you believe in the idol of
Shankar (though I've a zero faith in such things) or have a casual look at
Muhammad's rare painting, your ultimate faith (or no faith) does matter.
All the
more important is your humanity and your duty towards mankind. All your Allah,
Muhammad, Jesus or Moses are subservient to a pure heart. By the way, my
Iranian professor of Persian mysticism had two paintings of Muhammad. I saw
them but the learned and devout professor never bowed to Muhammad and remained
loyal to his Allah. All the apprehensions that Muhammad's picture or painting
will turn Muslims into idolaters are unfounded.
Humans need to grow up.
----
A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul
is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He
has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several
languages including Persian.
URL: https://newageislam.com/interfaith-dialogue/deification-buddha-mahavir-/d/128855
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