Abstract:
Persian and Indian civilizations for a long time are neighbours in geographic
terms, through common Ariyan roots, and their close interactions have led to
many cultural similarities. Buddhism originated in ancient India, found its own
way to Persia and influenced neighboring cultures. That Buddhist temples and
statues appeared in the eastern part of Persia though Zoroastrianism was well
established at that time. Sufism could be defined as Persian interpretation of
Islam which was empowered by ancient Iranian religions as well as Buddhism
and even Hinduism.
Interestingly, Sufism and Buddhism are comparable. Both are practical and
they talk about ways of life. The “Path” of Buddhism is same as “Tarighat” in
Sufism. Attaining truth in Buddhism is by following the path and practising
meditation which is similar to “Moraghebe” in Sufism. Sufi people wear
“kherghe” while Buddhist monks has their own simple robes. Sufi shrines
resemble Buddhist stupas.
Buddhism in a sense is not a religion and it is possible for people from any
different religious background to practise it, and this is the same in Sufism.
The fact that Sufis are not that much bonded to religious laws and they are
not also involved with pure philosophical speculations is somehow similar to
Buddha’s silence before metaphysical questions. Buddhism and Sufism talk
about unique personal and spiritual experience: “One asked me what love is.
And I said when you fall in love, you will realize!” (Rumi)
In Buddhism, the ultimate goal of life is nirvana which comes as result of
practising “Eightfold Path” and in Sufism, “fana” is the result of “Tazkie and
Tahzib” and going through “seven valleys”. Fana as nothingness introduced by
Bayazid Bastami, the great Persian Sufi, is denial of self, which interestingly
becomes similar to the Buddhist theory of nonexistence of self. A drop of
water is nothing before the ocean and attains nothingness (fana) when it joins
its own origination. Attaining fana gives traveller eternal being as nirvana is
eternal peace.
