Revelation, Rationality, Knowledge & Truth — Page 136
BUDDHISM. The second source material in order of credibility and authenticity, is such Buddhist literature as came into being five hundred years after Buddha. This too contains enough evidence to indicate that Buddha was neither an atheist nor an agnostic but was indeed a believer in God. We specifically refer to the Theravada texts known as Tripitaka (Three Baskets), which as the name suggests, are divided into three sections. The first part is called Vinaya-Pitaka (Rules of Conduct), the second is called Sutta-Pitaka (Discourses on Truth) and the third is called AbhidhammaPitaka (Analysis of Religion). 5. In Sutta-Nipta there is The Chapter on Going to the. Far Shore, in which the goal of conquering death is expressed. Buddha explains that birth and death do not mean anything to those who have overcome their ego thus becoming at one with God. These passages may have been misunderstood and confused with the Brahman concept of. Mukti (redemption), but it is not right. Buddha clearly speaks of only those who have already reached the other side of the barrier here on earth before their death. This simply means that according to him, no man could have access to the hereafter, unless he had experienced it during his life here on earth, a teaching close to the Quranic precept. He preached that by being at one with God, man rises above life and death and becomes eternal. . At the end of the chapter, Pingiya, a follower of. Buddha describes the excellence of his master which becomes instrumental in converting him to Buddhism. . Having already expressed that he was enfeebled by old age and close to dying, Pingiya concludes his discussion with the following statement: 'Assuredly I shall go to the immovable, the unshakeable, the likeness of which does not exist 136