Baháʼí Faith and Buddhism

Buddhism is recognized in the Baháʼí Faith as one of nine known religions and its scriptures are regarded as predicting the coming of Baháʼu'lláh (Maitreya). Buddha is included in the succession of Manifestations of God. The authenticity of the current canon of Buddhist scriptures is seen as uncertain. In recent years there has been an increase in the number of Baháʼís from Buddhist background.[1]

Baháʼí Faith
and the
unity of religion
Religions

Baháʼí scholarship

The differences between religious concepts in Buddhism and the Abrahamic religions has caused questions for Baháʼí scholarship. Jamshed Fozdar presents the Buddhist teaching about an unknowable reality as referring to the concept of God,[1] 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 is there an escape from the born, originated, created, formed."[2] Moojan Momen shows the many similarities between the ethical teachings in Theravada Buddhism and the Baháʼí Faith, and states that the metaphysical differences originate from culture-bound terminologies.[1][3][4] See also scholar Ian Kluge's “Buddhism and the Baháʼí Writings: An Ontological Rapprochement" and Professor of Religion and Philosophy, Roland Faber's, "Baháʼu'lláh and the Luminous Mind: Baháʼí Gloss on a Buddhist Puzzle".

Eightfold Noble Path

The Baháʼí teachings uphold all parts of the Eightfold Noble Path: right view, right aim or right-mindedness, right speech, right action, right living or livelihood, right effort or endeavour, right mindfulness and right contemplation.[5]

See also

References
  1. Smith, Peter (2000). "Buddhism". A concise encyclopedia of the Baháʼí Faith. Oxford: Oneworld Publications. pp. 95–96. ISBN 1-85168-184-1.
  2. Fozdar 1995, pp. 133
  3. Momen 1988, pp. 185–217
  4. Momen 1994
  5. Momen 1994, pp. 5

Further reading
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