Page 80 - Islam and Buddhism

Islam and Buddhism

Say: "On the Day of Rising, such things will be exclusively for

those who believed during their life in this world." In this way,
We make the Signs clear for people who know.
Another dark aspect of Buddhism is its pessimism. The "nir-
vana" it promises to its believers is nothing less than a schizophrenic

breaking of all connections with life by a melancholic mind that takes
a dim view of the world. The Catholic Encyclopedia describes this as-
pect of Buddhism in these words:
Another fatal defect of Buddhism is its false pessimism. A strong and
healthy mind revolts against the morbid view that life is not worth
living, that every form of conscious existence is an evil. Buddhism
stands condemned by the voice of nature the dominant tone of which
is hope and joy. It is a protest against nature for possessing the perfec-

tion of rational life. The highest ambition of Buddhism is to destroy
that perfection by bringing all living beings to the unconscious repose
of Nirvana. Buddhism is thus guilty of a capital crime against nature,
and in consequence does injustice to the individual. All legitimate de-
sires must be repressed. Innocent recreations are condemned. The
cultivation of music is forbidden. Researches in natural science are
discountenanced. The development of the mind is limited to the
memorizing of Buddhist texts and the study of Buddhist meta-
physics, only a minimum of which is of any value. The Buddhist ideal
on earth is a state of passive indifference to everything. 3

Islam does not make its adherents indifferent; on the contrary, it
calls them to liveliness, activity, and joy. All those who adopt the
teachings of Islam are very sensitive to what goes on around them.
They do not regard the world as Buddhism does, as chaos to avert the
eyes from, but as a testing place—an arena in which they can put the

high moral teachings of the Qur'an into practice. For this reason,
Islamic history is full of just and successful leaders who ensured com-

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