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Prophet Muhammad
Prophesised in Your Religion
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Prophet Muhammad in Buddhists' Scripture
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Buddha
prophesised the advent of a Maitreya
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Buddha’s doctrine
was Esoteric and Exoteric
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Devoted
Servitors of the Buddhas
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Six
Criteria for Identifying Buddha
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Buddhas are
only Preachers
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Identification of Maitreya by Buddha
Buddha prophesised
the advent of a Maitreya
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Almost all
Buddhist books contain this prophecy. It is in Chakkavatti Sinhnad
Suttanta D. III, 76:
"There will arise
in the world a Buddha named Maitreya (the benevolent one) a holy
one, a supreme one, an enlightened one, endowed with wisdom in conduct,
auspicious, knowing the universe:
"What he has
realized by his own supernatural knowledge he will publish to this
universe. He will preach his religion, glorious in its origin, glorious at
its climax, glorious at the goal, in the spirit and the letter. He will
proclaim a religious life, wholly perfect and thoroughly pure; even as I
now preach my religion and a like life do proclaim. He will keep up the
society of monks numbering many thousands, even as now I keep up a society
of monks numbering many hundreds".
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According to Sacred Books of the East volume 35
pg. 225:
"It is said
that I am not an only Buddha upon whom the leadership and order is
dependent. After me another Buddha maitreya of such and such
virtues will come. I am now the leader of hundreds, he will be the leader
of thousands."
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According to
the Gospel of Buddha by Carus pg. 217 and 218 (From Ceylon
sources):
"Ananda said
to the Blessed One, ‘Who shall teach us when thou art gone?'
And the Blessed one
replied, 'I am not the first Buddha who came upon the earth nor shall I be
the last. In due time another Buddha will arise in the world, a holy one,
a supremely enlightened one, endowed with wisdom in conduct, auspicious,
knowing the universe, an incomparable leader of men, a master of angels
and mortals. He will reveal to you the same eternal truths, which I have
taught you. He will preach his religion, glorious in its origin, glorious
at the climax and glorious at the goal. He will proclaim a religious life,
wholly perfect and pure such as I now proclaim. His disciples will number
many thousands while mine number many hundreds.'
Ananda said,
'How shall we know him?'
The Blessed one
replied, 'He will be known as Maitreya'."
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The Sanskrit
word ‘Maitreya’ or its equivalent in Pali ‘Metteyya’
means loving, compassionate, merciful and benevolent. It also means
kindness and friendliness, sympathy, etc. One Arabic word which is
equivalent to all these words is ‘Rahmat’. In Surah
Al-Anbiya:
"We sent thee not,
but as a mercy for all creatures." [Al-Qur’an 21:107]
Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh) was called the merciful, which is ‘Maitri’.
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The words Mercy and Merciful are mentioned in the
Holy Qur’an no less than 409 times.
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Every chapter of the Glorious Qur’an, except
Chapter 9, i.e. Surah Taubah begins with the beautiful formula, 'Bismillah Hir-Rahman Nir-Rahim', which means 'In the name of
Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful'.
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The Word Muhammad is also spelt as
‘Mahamet’ or ‘Mahomet’ and in various other ways in
different languages. The word ‘Maho’ or ‘Maha’ in Pali and
Sanskrit mean Great and Illustrious and ‘Metta’ means mercy.
Therefore ‘Mahomet’ means ‘Great Mercy’.
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Buddha’s doctrine was
Esoteric and Exoteric
According
to Sacred Books of the East, volume 11, pg. 36 Maha-Parinibbana Sutta
chapter 2 verse 32:
"I have preached
the truth without making any distinction between exoteric and esoteric
doctrine, for in respect of truths, Ananda, the Tathagata
has no such thing as the closed fist of a teacher, who keeps something
back".
Muhammad (pbuh) on
the commandment of Almighty God delivered the message and doctrine without
making any distinction between esoteric and exoteric. The Qur'an was
recited in public in the days of the Prophet and is being done so till
date. The Prophet had strictly forbidden the Muslims from hiding the
doctrine
Devoted Servitors of the Buddhas
According to
Sacred Books of the East volume 11 pg. 97 Maha-Parinibbana Sutta
Chapter 5 verse 36:
"Then the Blessed
one addressed the brethren, and said, ‘Whosoever, brethren have been
Arahat-Buddhas through the long ages of the past, they were
servitors just as devoted to those Blessed ones as Ananda has been to me.
And whosoever brethren shall be the Arahat-Buddhas of the future,
there shall be servitors as devoted to those Blessed ones as Ananda has
been to me’."
The Servitor of
Buddha was Ananda. Muhammad (pbuh) also had a servitor by the name Anas
(r.a.) who was the son of Malik. Anas (r.a...) was presented to the
Prophet by his parents. Anas (r.a...) relates: "My mother said to
him, 'Oh Messenger of God, here is your little servant'." Further Anas
relates, "I served him from the time I was 8 years old and the Prophet
called me his son and his little beloved". Anas (r.a...) stayed by
the Prophet in peace and in war, in safety as well as in danger till the
end of his life.
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Anas (r.a.), even though he was only
11 years old stayed beside the Prophet during the battle of Uhud where the
Prophet’s life was in great danger.
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Even during the
battle of Honain when the Prophet was surrounded by the enemies who were
archers, Anas (r.a...) who was only 16 years old stood by the
Prophet.
Anas (R) can surely
be compared with Ananda who stood by Gautam Buddha when the mad elephant
approached him.
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Six Criteria for Identifying
Buddha
According to
the Gospel of Buddha by Carus pg. 214:
"The Blessed one
said, ‘There are two occasions on which a Tathagata’s appearance
becomes clear and exceedingly bright. In the night Ananda, in which a
Tathagata attains to the supreme and perfect insight, and in the
night in which he passes finally away in that ultra passing which leaves
nothing whatever of his earthly existence to remain.’ "
According to Gautam
Buddha, following are the six criteria for identifying a
Buddha.
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A Buddha attains supreme and perfect
insight at night-time.
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On the occasion of his complete
enlightenment he looks exceedingly bright
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A Buddha dies a natural
death.
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He dies at night-time.
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He looks exceedingly bright before his
death.
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After his death a Buddha ceases to
exist on earth.
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Muhammad (pbuh)
attained supreme insight and Prophethood at night-time.
According to Surah
Dukhan: "By the books that
makes thing clear – We sent it down during a blessed night." [Al-Qur'an
44:2-3]
According to Surah
Al-Qadar: "We have indeed
revealed this (message) in the night of power." [Al-Qur'an
97:1]
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Muhammad (pbuh) instantly felt his
understanding illumined with celestial light.
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Muhammad (pbuh) died a natural
death.
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According to Ayesha (r.a.), Muhammad
(pbuh) expired at night-time. When he was dying there was no oil in the
lamp and his wife Ayesha (r.a.) had to borrow oil for the
lamp.
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According to Anas (r.a.), Muhammad
(pbuh) looked exceedingly bright in the night of his death.
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After the burial of Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh) he was never seen again in his bodily form on this
earth.
Buddhas are only Preachers
According to
Dhammapada, Sacred Books of East vol 10 pg. 67:
"The
Jathagatas (Buddhas) are only Preachers." The Qur’an says in
Surah Ghashiya: "Therefore do thou give admonition, for thou art one to
admonish. Thou art not one to manage (men's) affairs." [Al-Qur'an
88:21-22]
Identification of Maitreya
by Buddha
According to
Dhammapada, Mattaya Sutta, 151:
"The promised one
will be:
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Compassionate for the whole
creation
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A messenger of peace, a
peace-maker
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The most successful in the
world
The Maitreya as
a Preacher of morals will be:
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Truthful
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Self-respecting
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Gentle and noble
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Not proud
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As a king to creatures
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An example to others in deeds
and in words".
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