::MUHAMMAD (PBUH) IN BUDDHIST SCRIPTURES::

1. Buddha prophesised the advent of a Maitreya: A) Almost all Buddhist books containthis 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, gloriousat 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". B) 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. Iam nowthe leader of hundreds, he will be the leader of thousands." C) According to the Gospel of Buddhaby 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 uponthe 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, anincomparable leader of men, a master of angels and mortals. He will reveal toyou 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 proclaima religious life, wholly perfect and pure such as I now proclaim. His disciples will number many thousands while mine number manyhundreds.' Ananda said, 'How shall we know him?' The Blessed one replied, 'He will be known as Maitreya'." (i) 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’. (ii) The words Mercy and Merciful arementioned in the Holy Qur’an no lessthan 409 times. (iii) 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'. (iv) 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’. 2. 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 esotericdoctrine, for in respect of truths, Ananda, the Tathagata has no such thing as the closed fistof 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 3. Devoted Servitors of the Buddhas: According to Sacred Books of the East volume11 pg. 97 Maha-Parinibbana Sutta Chapter 5 verse 36: "Then the Blessed one addressed thebrethren, 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 hasbeen to me. And whosoever brethren shall bethe Arahat-Buddhasof the future, there shall be servitors as devoted to those Blessed onesas 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...) waspresented 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. i) 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 greatdanger. See Next post....