ISLAM\'S WAR In opposition to BUDDHISM Posted: 29 Aug 2012 04:02 PM PDT"The observation was in print by Dhammajarat and principal published in FrontPage Examine Current."
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Cozy up to at the Maha Bodhi Tree"
"Allahu Akbar!" The high P.A. kind tore asunder the pre-dawn tidy and calm.
I was jolted in my nurture, surrounding adjoining experiencing a car spoil, brisk and weakness any signal. This totally unbefitting respectable intruded upon and encompassed everything, causing even the birds to whoosh in the shady.
It was righteous overdue 4 a.m. I was seated beneath the holy Maha Bodhi Tree in Bodh Gaya, in the conform to of Bihar in India. It was a few days when the full moon of May 2004, a few days when Veesak. This was my immediate lose your footing to this inimitable put, the site of the Lady Buddha's deed of full Clarification done 2,500 animation ago. Now, towards the end of my 10 day be real, I had realistic for and been fixed the breathtaking tend of lack of responsibility to distribute the night within the Maha Bodhi byzantine.
My aim was to distribute the whole night practicing seated meditation, walking meditation, and circumambulation of the breathtaking Maha Bodhi Stupa. The air was expressive and my practice was leaving very well as I alternated with the three practices, as the hours conceded.
The out of this world deterioration full moon light filtering for the period of the iridescent foliage of the Maha Bodhi Tree, the silken fluttering of the foliage, the unruffled calm, took me back to that time long for ago what the Buddha himself had sat very as a result of this identical explicit mark.
Or so I precision...
The mussein's want to prayer for the faithful of Islam, bestow in this limit sacred put to all of Buddhism, ripped me back to modern candor. I was stunned! How can this be? Current in one of the limit elder a skin condition of Buddhism, angry speakers come on at four in the morning every day, to devastate and encroach upon meditators and Buddhist practitioners using this mark for that which it has to stand firm in its limit special way?
How can this be allowed? It is...
The Muslim want to prayer seemed to go on and on...20 proceedings to a half-hour innovative, the scratchy make a copy of luckily ruined and calm returned.
My concentration was wholly blown. To a certain extent of observation my tip off, I found face-to-face looking at the breathtaking evade and paradox I had righteous awake.
I precision about Mecca!
Can any other religion encroach itself stage in the holiest of places to Islam, as the tenets of Islam had so intruded itself bestow in the holiest place of Buddhism?
No way! I can see in your mind's eye gruff death soul visited upon being that would even try - that is, if they would be admitted everywhere melt away to the Muslims' holy Kabah - let non-centrally be permitted to set up a angry collective mansion kind that would telecast the document of unique religion agilely the courtyards of the Superior Mosque, or any other Moslem serious site. The hypocrisy was astounding.
Previously awhile, I ceased to be so confounded and began to allay down. I began to see that this was immediately a maintenance of a long for and sad impinge v Buddhism perpetrated by the hope of Islam.
In my last few visits to India, I had visited every site that was physical to the actual life of the Lady Buddha. At every put the itinerary was the same: Objective the partial foundations lasting of what had in imitation of been breathtaking Stupas or intensify serious universities of Buddhist learning and practice. Balanced the place of the Buddha's create had been vanished and buried, with modern day excavations lone now bighearted some renovate.
I had clued-up from guides on put, and as a consequence from fee studies in imitation of I returned home, that these locations had all been laid to waste in the at the forefront Moslem invasions of India, starting in the 900's by Turkic hordes issuing forth from what is now Afghanistan, and continuing for done a thousand animation until the Mughal era. A lengthy and unhurried robbery, an robbery assumed to pure an whole belief, an whole religion, off the assumed role of the Sphere. The long for history of Islam, soul loan by the sword and by fire, had left its indelible hook on these favorite silent, safe and sound, heritage sites of Buddhism.
I clued-up how the monks and nuns and serious students were slaughtered weakness mercifulness and piled up and burned, and all terrified survivors were prompted adjoining dry foliage ahead a strong coil, out of the constituency of India right, someplace this Islamic coil blew.
I was told this is how Buddhism actually came to Tibet and Southeast Asia, by Buddhists fleeing for their lives! My hope had been rendered a seasonal hope via the offer mercies of Islam.
I clued-up how Islam was exceedingly insensitive and rigorous to Buddhists, from the time when to Moslems the Buddhist represented the limit disgraceful type of possible personality: the "doubter" holding no monotheistic God image as their rationale of idolize and amazement. We were subordinate even than the far extra a lot of Hindus, with their inscrutable pantheon of multipart gods. The Buddhists, to the Muslims, lone worshipped the image of a man, and no God finer.
Seemingly they did not foam to unassailable trendy the philosophies of Buddhism any extra dully. That was sufficiently for the sword to come down and the fire to be realistic. And so they transfer done the centuries until today.
I understand, some animation back, ahead the enthralling situations that we assumed role today had to be more precise come in to trip for many of us, I followed the story of the breathtaking Buddhas of Bamiyan, in sad and war in shreds Afghanistan. The Russian war was done, and the bridle of the Taliban was in full ability, but they were not pleased to immediately ideology the society with an slick hand by the strictest applications of Sharia law. They had to physically rub out the "infidel" when, as well.
I understand shedding bawl as I saw the soundtrack of persons grand Buddhas, the tallest ancient statues in the world, soul humble to debris by sparkler charges and weapons ammo. I remembered sample on the news soundtrack, that identical cry of "Allahu Akbar!" - as the launder of Bamiyan calm to reveal the nakedness of the knocking down. The identical cry that vanished my meditative interest under the Bodhi Tree.
Now, I pray we never appraise this want in this our home, America. Not until and unless Islam totally and intensely reforms itself overdue done a thousand animation of ravaging and commence all others ahead it.
I move, for the period of my trench experiences of it, that Islam has not misshapen its ways in the smallest amount. In fact it has become extra bellicose now than at any time so its tutorial of basic progress in the 900s to the 1200s. "Landmark" Islam seeks to return league to persons very identical epoch - a revival of the dark ages of Islamic termination, furor, and plunder - all in the name of Allah.
We Buddhists basic realize that we, and our treasured practices, would be swept on sale right and minced totally, requirement Islam ever set down rule in this world in which we continue. Islam is the lone belief that propagates itself in so doing - by the sword.
And it is very forgiving.
Satu.
"Dhammajarat "is the pen name of a Buddhist architect.
Clarify an device about the difference of opinion with fundamentalist Buddhists and fundamentalist Muslims: ARE ALL FUNDAMENTALISTS DANGEROUS?