Wednesday, May 16, 2018

Making sense out of more nonsense.- 1

In Islam it came to my knowledge that there is such a state as 'fana.'


Fanaa (Arabic: فناء‎ fanāʾ ) is the Sufi term for "passing away" or "annihilation" (of the self). Fana means "to die before one dies", a concept highlighted by famous notable Muslim saints such as Rumi and later by Sultan Bahoo.Fana (Sufism) - Wikipedia
Anatta, (Pali: “non-self” or “substanceless”) Sanskrit anatman, in Buddhism, the doctrine that there is in humans no permanent, underlying substance that can be called the soul. Instead, the individual is compounded of five factors (Pali khandha; Sanskrit skandha) that are constantly changing.

Herein lies the connection that i found found between the teachings of Buddha and Islamic. Having been raised a Buddhist for twelve years of my life in the Hinayana tradition of Buddhism and later converted to Islam at the age of twelve, it has always been my driving force in life to discover the 'truth' that  is inherent within both religions although I have always held that Buddhism is not a religion and is more of a 'Way' of life or ways of living this life. Islam is a monotheism, a religion of one 'God', with no second. The Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions worship the same one God from the time Adam and Eve all through the Biblical history of man of Abraham and Moses to Jesus and Mohammad. 

The Buddha pointed the way to ease the burden of our life, as to the Buddha, 'Life is suffering'. Hence the Four Noble Truth of a) Life is Suffering
                        b) Suffering is due to Desire
                        c) Overcome suffering by understanding the Nature of Desire.
                        d) Through observing the eightfold path suffering can be ended. 
This Noble Truth is the foundation of Buddhism or the Buddha's teachings. The rest are details and addendums, exaggerations and Maya or delusions. The historical Buddha Gautama in all His teachings never denied the existence of a God or Supreme Being and nor did He denies it. In answering to questions related to this matter, the Awakened One maintained a 'Noble Silence', you Him depicted always with a half smile while holding up his,'be cool' Mudra or hand gesture. palm facing the Universe. It is like he is saying, what difference does it makes, it is you who are responsible for delivering yourself from this pain you are suffering, there is none who can do it for you. How? Well, perhaps by knowing who or what your true nature or Buddha's Nature is, that which had existed before your parents had conceived you. Is it the soul? Is it merely a non-entity like a consciousness? This one has to come to a complete realization and in the process becomes liberated from this realm of existence that the Buddha calls Nirmanakaya Loka.


Nirmanakaya corresponds in Kabbalah to the sephirah Binah.
"Those who renounce the happiness of Nirvana for the love of humanity, those who have the Nirmanakaya body or vehicle of solar transformation are the authentic bodhisattvas who, indeed, walk along the Direct Path and know the Word of the Lord." —Samael Aun Weor, The Gnostic Bible: The Pistis Sophia Unveiled
"On that patio, around the sacred table, a group of Nirmanakayas were seated… Those ineffable beings were distilling happiness. Oh God! What beautiful tunics, vestures of paradise! What divine countenances!"  —Samael Aun Weor, Cosmic Teachings of a Lama
  
I often call myself a wannabe Bodhisattva because while a Zen student at the San francisco Zen Center at Green Gulch, Green Dragon Zen monastery, I had taken the Bodhisattva vows during every full moon ceremony for almost two years of my practice period. Along with all the students and residents of the Zen community I performed the Full moon ceremony. Today the vows that i took to serve humanity has now become a reality. I am in my own way sharing what I have understood for the benefit of all beings in the six realms and in the ten directions, past, present and future. living as a Bodhisattva whether I realize it or not.


(Sanskrit) From निर्माण Nirmana, "creation, producing, formation, making, transformation," and काय kaya, "body."
Also called “creation body” or “manifestation body.”
In Buddhism, one of the "bodies" of a buddha corresponding to a very subtle level of manifested existence. As such, it corresponds to a level of nature that other beings can perceive or experience with training, specifically during dream state, and in preparation for the process of death, during which one who is prepared can recognize the experience and utilize it as a doorway to a better level of existence.

Here for me Islam begins where Buddhism ends. Here where the afterlife comes into play, the Buddha left us hanging with Anatta or the 'emptiness of being' or the non-existence of self is the ultimate end game, the Bodhisattva in me has to keep returning into this realm of existence as the vow taken required and so I have to be reborn time and again and I have chosen to be born as a Muslim in this life and perhaps the next. As a Muslim however i have to abide by the precepts of Islam and this means the believe in the after life which includes heaven and hell. 

To be contd.     
  
a


No comments: