Buddhism and Sufi Philosophy See Eye to Eye (article)

**SageTree** · 09-15-2010, 11:47 PM

A Mystic by any other name is still a Mystic.

May this help add to the peace, joy, health and safety of all sentient beings.

(the only side I'd like to add is that 'emptiness' can be seen as 'open-ness' or conversely 'full of potential'.)

Quote:

Chan or Zen Buddhism and Sufi Philosophy See Eye to Eye

Wong Weng Hon

A meaningful interfaith dialog and understanding can be established if this article is digested theosophically.The currently troubled and imperiled world is not totally hopeless. The Message of the Absolute Reality or our communal Lord is the Saviour. This is not a mere dogmatic assertion of an individual of great faith. It is the communal Message of all Tathᾱgata and Prophets.

Introduction

Sufi Poet Bῑdil wrote poetically thus:

The wave and whirlpool are not other than the sea
Except for this Name
The other is not manifest
By negating yourselves,
We harvest the confirmation of You (God)
We had to walk through the garden
By the renouncement of our own color
When our ashes, like the morning
Were cast to the wind
We only make bright the mirror of the sun

Bῑdil describes the Absolute Reality of God through his Sufi poetry. I’m exuberantly captivated by his Sufi wisdom as it also mirrors the perfection of Wisdom of Chan or Zen Buddhism. It confirms my perception of the Monotheistic God defined by renowned Sufi Ibn ‘Arabῑ as the Unity of Existence (Wahdat al Wujῡ’d). Bῑdil was one the Sufi exponents of Ibn ‘Arabῑ’s School of Wahdat al Wujῡd. Unity of Existence is not-self but holistic existence (Anattᾱ or Śῡnyatᾱ).

Wave and Sea

The waves and whirlpools originate from the sea. In other words, the sea creates the waves and whirl pools. In the absence of the sea, the waves and whirlpools do not exist. Nevertheless, even if waves and whirlpools do not exist, the sea exist. Likewise, the creatures do not exist without the Creator God. Buddhistly put, creatures are conditioned phenomena and Creator is the unifying principle of Dependent Co-arising. The waves and whirlpools are impermanent and mutable phenomena. Likewise, the creatures or phenomena are impermanent and mutable. The Sea is the Noumenon or Principle that is permanent and immutable. The hidden Noumenon governs and sustains the existence of the phenomenal world. Buddhistly depicted, the manifest phenomena are the conventional realties of the relative truth; the unmanifest or hidden Noumenon or Principle is the ultimate Truth.

Truth of Unity

Celebrated Sufi Ibn ‘Arabῑ defines God as the Unity of Existence. Since everything is Unity of Existence designated as either Anattᾱ or Śῡnyatᾱ in Buddhism. Anattᾱ is Non-self or Selflessness. Individual self does not exist but unity of dynamic process becoming exists. All world’s great religions concurs with this Absolute Reality of process philosophy. Śῡnyatᾱ is emptiness of self-identity or self-nature. Therefore, Anattᾱ or Śῡnyatᾱ is ontologically synonymous with the God concept. God is the Truth of the Absolute Reality of Unity of Existence or holistic totality of Non-duality. In Taoism and Confucianism, the Unity of Existence is the integral Way of Tao.

Ordinary worldlings always conceive themselves as individual entities existing independently from others. Consequently, the ordinary worldlings separate themselves from the Unity of Existence of God. Separation produces sin or unwholesome karma. Human beings become sinful or evil when they alienate themselves from the systemic Unity of God/Emptiness/Tao. For instance, when a huge wave of tsunami is separated from the sea, it becomes a dangerous giant killer. When wave is not separated form the sea, it is within the sea’s control and ceases to be destructive. When it is totally separate and out of control from the sea, it becomes harmful. Likewise, when Man is controlled by God existence or the integral Way of Tao or Chan/Zen, he or she is peaceful and harmless. When Man is separate from God, he sins. Buddhistly put, when Man is separated from Anattᾱ or Śῡnyatᾱ, he creates karmas. Any action directed and empowered by self-centric ego is sin or karma. Sin is karma; karma is sin.

All world’s religions can be reconciled through perennial wisdom of process philosophy. When the human world takes this statement seriously and discovers the communal Truth of Wisdom of not-self or Unity of Existence of the systemic Whole, the world can be saved. We are all together in the same family. Disharmony destroys the systemic family. Disharmony violates the Order of the Absolute Reality of holistic Unity of Existence – the Oneness of Being.

Everything human crisis can be overcome though the knowledge of the Absolute Reality of perennial wisdom of process philosophy. It includes the current crises of global financial crisis, economic recession, terrorism, extremism, sectarianism, separatism, political conflicts, racialism and so forth.

When one negates oneself, one returns to the Unity of Existence of God. Buddhistly put, when one negates one’s self, when returns to the original cosmic Self of Non-self. The Self of Non-self is God or the holistic living of Tao/Emptiness/Non-self. We live in the garden of Heaven or pure Land when one abandons one’s self identity or self-nature on earth. Self-identity or self-nature never exists. It has been superimposed into one’s human personality owing to religious ignorance of the God existence or the integral Way of Tao or Insubstantiality.

Oneness of Being

All human beings originally live in the Unity of Existence of Anattᾱ or Śῡnyatᾱ.Anattᾱ or Sῡnyatᾱ is the systemic Whole or Unity of God or Tao. Self-redemption is reunion with God or concurrence with the integral Way of Tao. Reunion with God or the Way of Tao is the entrance into the door of Non-duality (Advaita). Non-duality is complete consciousness of the world of Oneness of Being of Anattᾱ/Śῡnyatᾱ/God/Tao. When our ashes (mental pollutants/ impurities ) are thrown to the blowing wind, the ashes are brushed aside. Likewise, when we have developed the wisdom of Anattᾱ or Śῡnyatᾱ or Advaita or are fully consciousness of God existence or the Way of Tao/Non-self, we eliminate the darkness of ignorance in us. Tao is Buddha-nature. Tao is the essence of God. Tao is the essence of Brahman.

Wisdom

When the ashes do not settle on the mirror of the sun, the sun can illuminate the world brightly. Likewise, when God abides in us and we abide in God, our wisdom will illuminate our lives so that we are not derailed from the straight path of God or Tao or Buddha. The Noble Path is one – holistic existence. A Gnostic or Enlightened mind is like a bright mirror that reflects all images clearly. An ignorant mind is like a mirror that is obscured by dust. The images can not seen clearly in an unpolished mirror.

Conclusion

Bῑdil wrote poetically thus:

From everything that enters the sphere of growing
And everything that is made the subject of speech
If you open your eyes
His beauty is manifest there
And if you listen to it
You will heard His voice.

The poetry mirrors what the Prophet Muhammad says, “Wherever you turn, you see the Face of God.” Synonymously, Tao is not remote form Man; it is Man who is remote from Tao. Gotama Buddha promulgates, “Every sentient being is endowed innately with Buddha-nature.” Owing to false mental constructs and grasping, it is not realized.” The aforementioned Sufi poetry of Bῑdil is compatible perennially with a Chan or Zen poetry that is uttered thus:

The melancholy yellow flowers are all perfection of wisdom
The green bamboo trees are all Truth Bodies
One leaf constitutes a world
One flower constitutes a Tathᾱgata

Thus, Buddhistly put, we witness that God is Emptiness and Emptiness is God. Form is Emptiness and Emptiness is Form. The multiplicity exists in the Unity; the Unity exists in the multiplicity. Underlying all religions is the perennial philosophy. Perennial philosophy is process philosophy. Process philosophy is Process Reality of dynamic process becoming. The process becoming is the dynamic unity of the systemic parts in a systemic Whole. The Avatamsaka Sῡtra of Mahᾱyᾱna Buddhism expounds the concept of cosmic Self (Dharmadhᾱtu) in terms of the Principle of Dependent Co-arising (Pratῑtyasamutpᾱda). Every dependently co-arisen phenomenon is a creature created by the God. God is eternal Principle of Dependent Co-arising that arranges and unifies contigent causes and conditions into existences. Every existence is a Dharma. Every Dharma is God existence.

Editor’s Note:

Sufism is the Heart of Islam. It is the esoteric teaching of Islam. Likewise, the Heart Sῡtra or Diamond Sῡtra is the esoteric teaching of Buddhism. The I-Ching is the esoteric teaching of Confucianism. Tao Te Ching is the esoteric tenet of Taoism. The Vedᾱnta or Brahma Sῡtra is the ultimate exposition of Hinduism. Underlying all these apparent diverse Scriptures is perennial wisdom of process philosophy called Monotheism. Monotheism means One God only. One God is only one Truth that governs all. There is only one borderless Ocean which creates and regulates the waves. When a huge wave is separate from the Ocean and assails any victim nation, it turns into an ugly tsunami of devastation. The separation from God/Buddha-nature/Tao should be comprehended in this way to develop the fear for the Absolute. The Absolute rewards as well as retributes. It depends on how one behaves.

Insha'Allah,

SageTree

(perhaps tomorrow I'll come back and source some terms with links)

The Rev · 09-16-2010, 12:18 PM

I died as a mineral and became a plant,
I died as plant and rose to animal,
I died as animal and I was Man.
Why should I fear? When was I less by dying?
Yet once more I shall die as Man, to soar
With angels bless'd; but even from angelhood
I must pass on: all except God doth perish.
When I have sacrificed my angel-soul,
I shall become what no mind e'er conceived.
Oh, let me not exist! for Non-existence
Proclaims in organ tones,
To Him we shall return.

از جمادی مُردم و نامی شدم — وز نما مُردم به*حیوان سرزدم

مُردم از حیوانی و آدم شدم — پس چه ترسم؟ کی ز مردن کم شدم؟

حمله دیگر بمیرم از بشر — تا برآرم از ملائک بال و پر

وز ملک هم بایدم جستن ز جو — کل شیء هالک الا وجهه

بار دیگر از ملک پران شوم — آنچه اندر وهم ناید آن شوم

پس عدم گردم عدم چو ارغنون — گویدم کانا الیه راجعون

The Rev

hijabihippie · 09-17-2010, 05:46 AM

"From Allah do we come, & to Him we return".
--The Qur'an

**SageTree** · 10-04-2010, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hijabihippie

"From Allah do we come, & to Him we return".
--The Qur'an

I just wanted to take the time to further thank you for the beautiful little Qu'ran you sent me. I've already had a talk with a Muslim man on the bus who saw what I was reading. Now you have to send him one too!!

Waves · 10-08-2010, 01:35 PM

watched a really good documentary last night on buddha

The Buddha (TV 2010) - IMDb

very insightful. ive never officially studied eastern philosophy but it matches up with my own in a way that makes me think i should look into it. i'll probably get some buddhism books from the library pretty soon, anyone got any recommendations?

**SageTree** · 10-08-2010, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Waves

watched a really good documentary last night on buddha

The Buddha (TV 2010) - IMDb

very insightful. ive never officially studied eastern philosophy but it matches up with my own in a way that makes me think i should look into it. i'll probably get some buddhism books from the library pretty soon, anyone got any recommendations?

Thanks Waves, that site is just a review right? I'm not missing 'where to watch it?' In other words. I'll search youtube and see if there is at least a trailer.

I don't know if I'd say books specifically, but I'm sure if I type long enough I'll get a few

.

So first off, thanks for asking and please take this at a few whacks if you need. This is my experience and opinion so be with me in that, with that knowledge of what I'm going to share.

Thich Nhat Hahn is a good writer to pick up ANYTHING of his. Buddhism is holographic, so to speak, that when you read one thing, you are reading the whole thing. Most of his books outline philosophy and often has some practice items as well.

A book I have that is one of his with 4 books in it is super useful as it touches upon something different, however any of these books alone would be useful too.

The Wisdom of....('4 book' book)

The Miracle of Mindfulness: Which I think it brilliantly written, this is a must read, imo.

Quote:

In this book, the Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh presents several methods for becoming liberated.

Hanh suggests that we treat each of our activities as an opportunity for being aware: Walking, we should be aware that we are walking; breathing, we should be aware of our breathing. We should not focus on anything other than the thing that we are doing. One of the key methods that Hanh presents is learning to be aware of breathing.

Aside from being aware of our physical selves, awareness requires an awareness of our mind. He suggests that we notice and acknowledge our thoughts but not allow them to influence us in any way. We should recognize our feelings, thoughts and ideas, but never judge them because they are us.

Hanh introduces the five aggregates as a method for realizing the interconnectedness and the changing nature of the self, as represented by the aggregates, and the outside world. Realizing interconnectedness and the changing nature of reality is a step toward liberation from the false view, which sees the world and the self as separate and unchanging entities. By realizing oneness with ourselves and the outside of ourselves, we experience liberation from the fear and anxiety of the discriminating view of the world, one that fractures reality into separate, unchanging units, brings. When we perceive the illusion of the isolated, unchanging self, we reach a level of wisdom the author calls "non-discrimination mind". This state of seeing shows us that there is nothing out there to get, nothing to strive for, nothing to fear, as all these are an illusion springing from a fractured perception of reality. Reality is already perfect, unified, and our struggle is to see that truth, and be liberated from our chains of false perception that fractures everything into separate units. There is, in other words, no difference between the perceiver and the object being perceived; there is no separation between the self and the world.

Hanh warns that meditation should not be an escape from reality. On the contrary, it should lead to an increased awareness of reality.

Hanh summarizes the lessons by presenting a story about the three wondrous answers to the questions—What is the best time to do a thing? Who are the most important people to work with? and What is the most important thing to do at all times?

Exercises in mindfulness, and a selection of sutras round out this volume.

The other books with in it are....
Being Peace, The Sun My Heart, Touching Peace

A book that he wrote that personally helped me look deeply at a concern in my life through the Practice is Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames, and as I said, it's all encompassing and touches on the philosophy as the medicine.

YouTube - Anger by Thich Nhat Hanh

"Teach Yourself Buddhism": Is a book I've read that isn't the best or the worst intro in the world that I've read.

"Buddhism for Dummies": Now I kind of have always thought, 'Meh' about these titles that engage religion, but when I read this one at a friends house while house sitting I was really amazed at how they actually delved in to the deeper stuff.

Buddhanet.net is a super heady website with so much info it can be crazy. There is a good intro section there as well as a full library of many sutras as well as topical discussions.

There is also a search tool for centers in your area. And perhaps finding a class or teaching to go to. That is the best way, imo, to hear a teacher and match that with your own experience of the Dharma.

Zen Mind, Beginners Mind: Is a classic and should be easily obtainable.

And there are a lot of good teaching on line From the two teachers I have mentioned as well.

A favourite of mine from Hanh:

YouTube - Emptiness

Shunryu Suzuki: from the book I mentioned. As well as the many vids down the side of the youtube screen. That alone could keep you for hours.

YouTube - Shunryu Suzuki: Study Yourself

Another of my favourite writers is Jack Kornfield. He is a psychologist and his approach to how Buddhist practice effects the mind is really interesting.

A Wise Heart, REALLY gets to the core of that. I loved reading this as did my Wife who is a counselor.

Living Dharma: was a super in depth read, but has 12 perspectives of 12 masters of meditation. This was worth the time to read slowly.

YouTube - The Roots of Buddhist Psychology - Grasping - Part 01

The Dalai Lama's books are are usually quite good. Full of details and practice, but imo, usually accessible.

A lot of my own reading consists of reading/studying sutras themselves, which is pretty dang dry, but it's really a good way to read the bare facts with out all the exposition. Not everyone is up to that, but Waves you seem like that kind of guy.

Like I said there are many of them on the Buddhanet site.

And lastly... The little monk on my signature line is 'clickable' and goes to Dharma seed, which is a web site, if I'm not mistaken the link goes to the talks page.

I have a few things in my blog that are interesting as well. Two REALLY good videos, narrated by Leonard Cohen on the Tibetan Book of the Dead/ Bardo Thodol. One is rather specific and the other is about how the teachings are brought into life. 'The Buddha's suggestion of Inquiry' is another blog that comes to mind as well. A good start for investigation.

Will stop for now. That is plenty of on and off line info for you, and I hope that you find any good at all from what I've shared. I don't want to seem like a zealot or proselytizer here, but rather I'd just like to dump some info for you and led you wade through it, finding your own way, so to speak, is the point, so I'm hoping you'll only see this as a 'here it is for the looking' and not a freak out. My intention is only to be helpful since you asked.

Feel free to ask here or in PM, if you have any questions, comments or feelings. Thanks for asking, it's always a joy to share a Practice that has had deep and lasting impact on My Life, All Life.

SageTree

**SageTree** · 12-07-2010, 11:26 AM

bump

celestialpillow · 12-24-2010, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SageTree

with my insight:?yea!

A Mystic by any other name is still a Mystic.

cp - yes a mystic is special, awesome, lustyful mystic show us the way

May this help add to the peace, joy, health and safety of all sentient beings.

Celestial pillow - what if suffering is bliss, will all suffering return to bliss by absolution. if by any other name Eshyla of icicles o' lightning is mye salioress to saturne, wil she begin anew if suffering even begins once, less of infinity more of an ethernel and immortal escape? eye hope all seee she as a blessing! my sister praise in wishes and wonderment will she be our chachette? A young lass beyond a feeling of lucifer? always en that special luke skywaker and leia organa style, may aayla be wispered for she's sullen poetic wish for people to see a new wave of mening in freewill and flow unto sufferless lumenous lifebeing...yea yea

peace easy...

(the only side I'd like to add is that 'emptiness' can be seen as 'open-ness' or conversely 'full of potential'.)

celestial pillow - is saosin by suicide letters to an emocore show full up with jesus' joy, always, why? well messing with multiple sodas is suicide to an innocent youngling, people remember?

saosin is somewhat like the source of emotional flow of immortale passions and empossibly beyond wise and wonderful feelings...lusifea and satan be but wonderouse play to saosin which is blooming and waiting on the other side of absolution by miracles passing by magic joined in that union you express later sage tree

cosmic superflouous such as supernova and aurora be yawey's superiority to what has ammased in such a world we live en, may we sing and partake in our new communion...what is beyond empossible light lumenous and sound by affluent and new spectrum of potential energy and essence...see multuplicity of mien(innate personality by innosence and essense), supernova expresses, She is a beauty

Insha'Allah,

cp - la la la falasalaosuoul sa lum sal ba ya ya yea(en sound) - praise wishes

cp - in another form miss busweiy and muisiyshiy

SageTree

(perhaps tomorrow I'll come back and source some terms with links)

celestial pillow - secret, is a maytic is a shaman is a sagetree is an oasis? well yay jasmine, special bananna of mary jane lol

open a similatity sage tree, may be a small one? yea, yet this is just to be one view, to see in a spiral of waves a self might see another way lol see silly

wiseness(ancient) and wisardry(new) see with open eyes similar paths. Empathy and sympathy be supernovas, sympathy to feel sullen somber and solemn for someone within the whole's self for another person, and if a person is willing let empathy be cast upon them! Empathy is for love like lust luck and lore passing over and above a person's personality and to give to their mien. With wiseness embracing the wonder of the immortal soul special abilities of "ellumenous" and with spirit of the wisardry experiencing enlightened wishes may become a magi. Such arrows of angels point left towards natural symphony. Often a personal self enjoys both ellumenous and magi wisardry and wiseyness.

"peace easy"

**SageTree** · 01-03-2011, 05:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by celestialpillow

celestial pillow - secret, is a maytic is a shaman is a sagetree is an oasis? well yay jasmine, special bananna of mary jane lol

open a similatity sage tree, may be a small one? yea, yet this is just to be one view, to see in a spiral of waves a self might see another way lol see silly

wiseness(ancient) and wisardry(new) see with open eyes similar paths. Empathy and sympathy be supernovas, sympathy to feel sullen somber and solemn for someone within the whole's self for another person, and if a person is willing let empathy be cast upon them! Empathy is for love like lust luck and lore passing over and above a person's personality and to give to their mien. With wiseness embracing the wonder of the immortal soul special abilities of "ellumenous" and with spirit of the wisardry experiencing enlightened wishes may become a magi. Such arrows of angels point left towards natural symphony. Often a personal self enjoys both ellumenous and magi wisardry and wiseyness.

"peace easy"

Thanks for the reply. I'm not 100% sure what you were saying but I think I got the drift.

09-16-2010, 12:18 PM	#2 (permalink)
The Rev Clear Light Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: In my head, somewhere. Posts: 17,865 Thanks: 5,018 Thanked 5,420 Times in 2,865 Posts	Rumi I died as a mineral and became a plant, I died as plant and rose to animal, I died as animal and I was Man. Why should I fear? When was I less by dying? Yet once more I shall die as Man, to soar With angels bless'd; but even from angelhood I must pass on: all except God doth perish. When I have sacrificed my angel-soul, I shall become what no mind e'er conceived. Oh, let me not exist! for Non-existence Proclaims in organ tones, To Him we shall return. از جمادی مُردم و نامی شدم — وز نما مُردم به*حیوان سرزدم مُردم از حیوانی و آدم شدم — پس چه ترسم؟ کی ز مردن کم شدم؟ حمله دیگر بمیرم از بشر — تا برآرم از ملائک بال و پر وز ملک هم بایدم جستن ز جو — کل شیء هالک الا وجهه بار دیگر از ملک پران شوم — آنچه اندر وهم ناید آن شوم پس عدم گردم عدم چو ارغنون — گویدم کانا الیه راجعون The Rev __________________ Budforce - My Friend August 29, 1973- May 25, 2012

10-08-2010, 01:35 PM	#5 (permalink)
Waves Duderino Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: chiburbs Posts: 15,405 Thanks: 991 Thanked 4,036 Times in 2,224 Posts	watched a really good documentary last night on buddha The Buddha (TV 2010) - IMDb very insightful. ive never officially studied eastern philosophy but it matches up with my own in a way that makes me think i should look into it. i'll probably get some buddhism books from the library pretty soon, anyone got any recommendations? __________________ On this life that we call home The years go fast and the days go so slow

12-07-2010, 11:26 AM	#7 (permalink)
SageTree ~Kalyāṇa-mitrā~ Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: In Love Posts: 23,414 Blog Entries: 26 Thanks: 13,070 Thanked 6,768 Times in 4,664 Posts	bump __________________ "What's oppressive is letting your life be confined by old definitions of what everything is." -Zen Meister my_scatterheart YaHooka is.... Cannabis lovers from around the world pulling up a comfy chair, picking up a vaporizer, a bong, a brownie, a pipe, or a joint, getting high, stoned, buzzed or healthy. Uniting our minds in conversation...While Portraying a Positive Image of marijuana and marijuana users to the world. Treat your fellow YaHookans with kindness,respect and tolerance.

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09-17-2010, 05:46 AM	#3 (permalink)
hijabihippie YaHookan Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,481 Thanks: 1,152 Thanked 655 Times in 515 Posts	"From Allah do we come, & to Him we return". --The Qur'an

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