Baháʼí Faith And Buddhism
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The teachings of the Baháʼí Faith regard Buddhism as a religion founded by a Manifestation of God, and
Baháʼu'lláh Baháʼu'lláh (born Ḥusayn-ʻAlí; 12 November 1817 – 29 May 1892) was the founder of the Baháʼí Faith. He was born to an aristocratic family in Persia, and was exiled due to his adherence to the messianic Bábí Faith. In 1863, in I ...
as the expected
Maitreya Maitreya (Sanskrit: ) or Metteyya (Pali: ), also Maitreya Buddha or Metteyya Buddha, is regarded as the future Buddha of this world in Buddhist eschatology. As the 5th and final Buddha of the current kalpa, Maitreya's teachings will be aimed at ...
Buddha. The authenticity of the current canon of
Buddhist scriptures Buddhist texts are those religious texts which belong to the Buddhist tradition. The earliest Buddhist texts were not committed to writing until some centuries after the death of Gautama Buddha. The oldest surviving Buddhist manuscripts a ...
is seen as uncertain. In recent years there has been an increase in the number of Baháʼís from
Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
background.


Baháʼí scholarship

The differences between religious concepts in Buddhism and the
Abrahamic religions The Abrahamic religions are a group of religions centered around worship of the God of Abraham. Abraham, a Hebrew patriarch, is extensively mentioned throughout Abrahamic religious scriptures such as the Bible and the Quran. Jewish tradition ...
has caused questions for Baháʼí scholarship. Jamshed Fozdar presents the Buddhist teaching about an unknowable reality as referring to the concept of
God In monotheism, monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator deity, creator, and principal object of Faith#Religious views, faith.Richard Swinburne, Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Ted Honderich, Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Ox ...
, for example in the following passage from the Udana (v.81) in the Khuddaka Nikaya: "There is, O monks, an Unborn, Unoriginated, Uncreated, Unformed. Were there not, O monks, this Unborn, Unoriginated, Uncreated, Unformed, there would be no escape from the world of the born, originated, created, formed. Since, O monks, there is an Unborn, Unoriginated, Uncreated, Unformed, therefore there is an escape from the born, originated, created, formed." Baháʼí scholar
Moojan Momen Moojan Momen is a retired physician and historian specializing in Baháʼí studies who has published numerous books and articles about the Baháʼí Faith and Islam, especially Shia Islam, including for Encyclopædia Iranica* * * the British Li ...
argues that there are many similarities between the ethical teachings in
Theravada ''Theravāda'' () ( si, ථේරවාදය, my, ထေရဝါဒ, th, เถรวาท, km, ថេរវាទ, lo, ເຖຣະວາດ, pi, , ) is the most commonly accepted name of Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school' ...
Buddhism and the Baháʼí Faith, and that the apparent metaphysical differences originate from culture-bound terminologies. Momen further argues that the
Baháʼí teachings The Baháʼí teachings represent a considerable number of theological, ethical, social, and spiritual ideas that were established in the Baháʼí Faith by Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the religion, and clarified by its successive leaders: ʻ ...
uphold all parts of the
Noble Eightfold Path The Noble Eightfold Path (Pali: ; Sanskrit: ) is an early summary of the path of Buddhist practices leading to liberation from samsara, the painful cycle of rebirth, in the form of nirvana. The Eightfold Path consists of eight practices: ri ...
: right view, right aim or right-mindedness, right speech, right action, right living or livelihood, right effort or endeavour, right mindfulness and right contemplation.


See also

*
Baháʼí Faith and Hinduism Hinduism is recognized in the Baháʼí Faith as one of nine known religions. Krishna is included in the succession of Manifestations of God. References in the Baháʼí writings Baháʼu'lláh was familiar with Hinduism, which is clear from ...
*
Baháʼí Faith and Zoroastrianism Zoroastrianism is recognized in the Baháʼí Faith as one of nine known religions and its scriptures are regarded as predicting the coming of Baháʼu'lláh. Zoroaster is included in the succession of Manifestations of God. The authenticity of t ...
*
Religion in India Religion in India is characterised by a diversity of religious beliefs and practices. The Indian subcontinent is the birthplace of four of the world's major religions; namely Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. The preamble of Indian co ...
*
Baháʼí Faith in Nepal The Baháʼí Faith in Nepal begins after a Nepalese leader encountered the religion in his travels before World War II. Following World War II, the first known Baháʼí to enter Nepal was around 1952 by N. P. Sinha who moved to Birgunj and the f ...
*
Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion Unity of religion is a core teaching of the Baháʼí Faith which states that there is a fundamental unity in many of the world's religions. The principle states that the teachings of the major religions are part of a single plan directed from t ...


References

* * (short version of this titl
here
. *


Further reading

* Buck, Christopher (1980).
The Mystery of the Sworded Warrior in Hindu Apocalypse: Was Kalki Visnuyas Baháʼu'lláh?
'. * * Cole, Juan (1996).
A Zen Gloss on Baha'u'llah's Commentary on "He who knoweth his self knoweth his Lord"
'. * Conner, Daniel.
Buddhism and the Bahá'í Faith
'. World Order, Series 2, Volume 6: Issue 2. Winter 1971. * Faber, Roland (2017).
Baháʼu'lláh and the Luminous Mind: Baháʼí Gloss on a Buddhist Puzzle
', in Lights of Irfan 18. * *Kluge, Ian. (2006).
Buddhism and the Baháʼí Writings: An Ontological Rapprochement
'. *Kluge, Ian. (2013).
The Baháʼí Writings and the Buddhist Doctrine of Emptiness: An Initial Survey
'. *


External links

*
ʻAbdu'l-Bahá ʻAbdu'l-Bahá (; Persian language, Persian: ‎, 23 May 1844 – 28 November 1921), born ʻAbbás ( fa, عباس), was the eldest son of Baháʼu'lláh and served as head of the Baháʼí Faith from 1892 until 1921. ʻAbdu'l-Bahá was later C ...
and
Shoghi Effendi Shoghí Effendi (; 1 March 1897 – 4 November 1957) was the grandson and successor of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, appointed to the role of Guardian of the Baháʼí Faith from 1921 until his death in 1957. He created a series of teaching plans that over ...

Buddha, Krishna, Zoroaster and Related Subjects
compiled by Research Department of the Universal House of Justice.
BIC Statement: The Common Goal of Universal Peace in Buddhism and the Baha'i Faith
(1990)
Article about Maitreya Buddha
by Christopher Buck
Prophecy Fulfilled: Buddhist Prophecies
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bahai Faith And Buddhism
Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
Bahá'í Faith