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Buddha as viewed by other religions Hinduism

Some Hindu traditions regard Buddha as the 9th avatar(incarnation) of Vishnu. Main article: Buddha from the Hindu perspective Gautama Buddha is mentioned as an Avatar of Vishnu in the Puranic texts of Hinduism.[15 !n the Bhagavata Purana he is t"ent# fourth of t"ent# five avatars$ %refiguring a forthcoming fina& incarnation. A num'er of Hindu traditions %ortra# Buddha as the most recent of ten %rinci%a& avatars$ (no"n as the "Dasavatara" (Ten Incarnations of God). Siddhartha )autama*s teachings den# the authorit# of the Vedas and conse+uent&# [at &east atheistic Buddhism is genera&&# vie"ed as a nstika schoo& (heterodox$ &itera&&# ,!t is not so,[1- ) from the %ers%ective of orthodox Hinduism. Ho"ever$ "hi&e He "as against the authorit# of the Vedas$ he might not have 'een against the Vedas themse&f. Buddhist scho&ar .ahu&a Vi%o&a "rote that the Buddha "as tr#ing to shed the true meaning of

the Vedas. Buddha is said to 'e a (no"er of the Veda (veda/0a) or of the Vedanta (ved1nta/0a) (Sa.m#utta$ i. 1-2) and ( Sutta Nip ta$ 3-4). Taoism, Confucianism and Shinto Main article: Buddhism and !astern teachin" Some ear&# 5hinese 6aoist7Buddhists thought Buddha to 'e a reincarnation of 8ao 69u.[1: !n ;a%an$ since one of the s#m'o&s of <ainichi =#orai (one of the non7 historica& 'uddhas of >aha#ana Buddhism) "as the sun$ man# e+uated Amaterasu$ the Sun )oddess$ "ith a %revious reincarnation ('odhisattva) of <ainichi =#orai. Islam !f #ou desire to see the most no'&e of man(ind$ &oo( at the (ing in 'eggar*s c&othing? it is he "hose sanctit# is great among men. @A'du& Atahi#a$ Ara' Poet.[12 6he mission of the Buddha "as +uite uni+ue in its character$ and therefore it stands +uite a%art from the man# other re&igions of the "or&d. His mission "as to 'ring the 'irds of idea&ism f&#ing in the air nearer to the earth$ 'ecause the food for their 'odies 'e&onged to the earth. @Ha9rat !na#at Ahan.[19

6he !ndian scho&ar >au&ana A'u& Aa&am A9ad %ro%osed in a commentar# on the #ur$an that Siddhartha )autama is the %ro%het Dh%$l&'ifl referred to in Sura B1 and Sura 42 of the Cur*an together "ith the Bi'&ica& characters !shmae&$ !dris (Dnoch)$ and D&isha. A9ad suggested that the 'ifl in Dh%$l&'ifl (ArE ,%ossessor of a dou'&e %ortion,) is an Ara'ic %ronunciation of Aa%i&avastu$ "here the Buddha s%ent his ear&# &ife.[BF A9ad did not$ ho"ever$ %rovide direct historica& evidence to su%%ort his s%ecu&ation. According to other ancient >us&im scho&ars Dh%$l&'ifl "as either a righteous man and not a %ro%het$ or he "as the %ro%het ca&&ed D9e(ie& in the Bi'&e. >ir9a 6ahir Ahmad$ in his 'oo( (evelation) (ationalit*) 'no+led"e , Truth$ argues that Buddha "as indeed a %ro%het of )od "ho %reached >onotheism. He +uotes from the inscri%tions on Asho(a*s stu%as "hich mention ,!sa*na, "hich means )od. He +uotes$ ,*6hus s%a(e <evanam%i#a Pi#adasiE ,Gherefore from this ver# hour$ ! have caused re&igious discourses to 'e %reached$ ! have a%%ointed re&igious o'servances that man(ind$ having &istened thereto$ sha&& 'e 'rought to fo&&o" in the right %ath$ and give g&or# to )odH (!s*ana)., [B1 !n Afghanistan$ the !s&amic theocratic 6a&i'an government destro#ed a num'er of ancient Buddhist re&ics$ most nota'&# the Bami#an Buddhas. Christianity and udaism Main article: Buddhism and -hristianit*

6he )ree( &egend of ,Bar&aam and !oasa%h,$ sometimes mista(en&# attri'uted to the :th centur# ;ohn of <amascus 'ut actua&&# "ritten '# the )eorgian mon( Duth#mios in the 11th centur#$ "as u&timate&# derived$ through a variet# of intermediate versions (Ara'ic and )eorgian) from the &ife stor# of the Buddha. 6he (ing7turned7mon( !oasa%h ()eorgian Iodasaph$ Ara'ic .%dhasaf or B%dhasaf) u&timate&# derives his name from the Sans(rit Bodhisattva$ the name used in Buddhist accounts for )autama 'efore he 'ecame a Buddha. Bar&aam and !oasa%h "ere %&aced in the )ree( Irthodox ca&endar of saints on B- August$ and in the Gest the# "ere entered as ,Bar&aam and ;osa%hat, in the .oman >art#ro&og# on the date of B: =ovem'er. 6he stor# "as trans&ated into He're" in the >idd&e Ages as ,Ben7 Hame&e(h Vehana9ir, (,6he Prince and the =a9irite,)$ and is "ide&# read '# ;e"s to this da#.

References
1. ^ http://www.ancientindia.co.uk/buddha/home_set.html 2. ^ The Dating of the Historical Buddha: !e"iew rticle #. ^ Hans $olfgang %chumann &2''#(. The Historical Buddha: The Times, Life, and Teachings of the Founder of Buddhism) p. *". +otilal Banarsidass ,ubl. -%B. /12'/1/102. 1. ^ le* $a2man &133#( Untying the Knots in Buddhism: Selected Essays) pp #04 5/. +otilal Banarsidass ,ubl. 5. ^ +ichael 6arrithers) The Buddha, 13/#) page 1#. 7ound in Founders of Faith, 8*ford 9ni"ersit2 ,ress) 13/:. :. ^ 6arrithers) page 15. 0. ^ 9.;%68 $orld Heritage 6entre. 2'':. <umbini) the birthplace of the <ord Buddha. "ailable from: http://whc.unesco.org/pg.cfm=cid>#1?id_site>:::. ccessed 10 .o"ember 2'':. /. ^ Turpie) D. 2''1. $esak nd The !e46reation of Buddhist Tradition. +aster@s Thesis. +ontreal) Auebec: +cBill 9ni"ersit2. &p. #(. "ailable from: http://www.mrsp.mcgill.ca/reports/pdfs/$esak.pdf. ccessed 10 .o"ember 2'':.

3. ^ .arada &1332() p11412 1'. ^ .arada &1332() p11 11. ^ .arada &1332() p11 12. ^ .arada &1332() pp1541: 1#. ^ .arada &1332() pp1342'

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