Issue

9th Issue (September, 2008)

Nāgārjuna and Ibn ‘Arabī: Two masters One Message

Satiman

Introduction

Ibn ‘Arabī is a towering and imposing Sufi philosopher of Sufism, the heart of Islam. His exegesis on Sufism through his doctrine of Unity of Being or Existence ( Waḥ̣dat al-Wūjud) is metaphorically illustrated as the Borderless Ocean of Unity. The Doctrine of Being states that Unity is the essence of God. Theosophcally and pantheistically, God is the Truth which sustains the unity of contigent beings. This doctrine of Unity of Being or Existence undoubtedly has exerted great impact upon both Muslims and non-muslim scholars in both the east and west. The exegesis of this doctrine by Ibn ‘Arabī and subsequent Sufi exponents and poets mirrors that the Sufi theosophy and Mahāyānist theosophy are identical in term of the eternal Truth of the One. Both religious traditions elucidate the relationship between the phenomenal world (conventional truth) and the Absolute (ultimate Truth) with a similar concept paraphrased differently. The Unity of Being or Existence (Waḥdāt al-Wujūd) expounded by Ibn Arabi is, in Essence or Truth, identical with the Nāgārjuna’s Doctrine of Emptiness (Śūnyatā). The former is the ultimate Truth of the God; the latter is the ultimate Truth of the Buddha. Both doctrines converge ad concur on the eternal Truth of Unity or Non-duality. They agree that God or Buddha is the Essence of the Totality of parts. ‘The Totality of parts’ refers to the ‘Dependently co-arisen Unity or Non-duality.

Different Traditions One Message

Mahāyāna and Sufi traditions expound similarly that the ultimate Truth is expressed similarly thus: The One in the many; the many in the One. The One is the God or Buddha and the many is the phenomenal world or multiplicity. Both traditions acknowledge that the phenomenal world is illusive and is the image of the God or Buddha. They also advocate that only the God or Buddha is real, eternal and immutable and anything other than the God or Buddha is unreal, impermanent and mutable. Paradoxically there are multitudes of Buddhists and Monotheists who opine that Buddhism and Monotheism are incompatible. The definition of the God of Monotheists as the ‘Unity of Being or Existence’ (Waḥdāt al Wujūd) is expounded in Sufi Ibn ‘Arabī’s profound and abstruse Sufi treatise entitled ‘Seal of Wisdom’ (Fuṣūṣ al-Ḥikam). The Doctrine of Emptiness is expounded by Nāgārjuna in his Buddhist treatise of ‘Root Verses of the Middle Philosophy’ (Mūlamadhyamakakārikā). These Divine Truth unveiling religious treatises of Nāgārjuna and Ibn ‘Arabī reflect the supreme wisdom of spiritual insight of Man into the Mind of God or Buddha. The mind of God or Buddha can discerned from the intuitive mind of ordinary people. Nāgārjuna’s wisdom is the perfect image of the Buddha while Ibn ‘Arabī’s wisdom is the perfect image of the God. If one desires to understand what the Buddha or God is, one just has to understand the mind of Nāgārjuna or Ibn ‘Arabī respectively through their religious treatises. Whoever understand the mind of either Nāgārjuna or that of Ibn ‘Arabī comprehends the equation between the Buddha and God in terms of ultimate Truth of Unity or Non-duality. I reiterate that God equals Buddha theosophically and pantheistically. The Thomistic metaphysics of eminent Christian philosopher Thomas Aquinas vindicates the exposition of the eternal Truth of the One in the many and the many in the One expounded in Mahāyāna Buddhism and Sufism.

Perfect Worldview

‘Fuṣūṣ al-Hikam’ of Ibn ‘Arabī defines the attributes of God comprehensively. The knowledge of the Truth of God is the perfect worldview. This reflects that Ibn ‘Arabī is a Sufi gnostic called the Perfect Man (al-insān al-kāmil). Mūlamadhyamakakārikā defines Dependent Co-arising (synonymous with the Truth of Emptiness or Buddha) comprehensively. It mirrors the perfect world view of Dependent Co-arising expounded by the Buddha in the Kaccāyanagotta-sutta (S.2.17). This mirrors that Nāgārjuna is a Buddhist gnostic known as Bodhisattva (Enlightened Being). The Theosophical literature of these two eminent religious philosophers, Nāgārjuna and Ibn ‘Arabī reveal that the Buddha and God both refer to the communal Truth of Unity. Zen’s enlightenment is the intuitive discernment of Emptiness. Seeing Emptiness is seeing God because Emptiness is the state of complete silence of the human mind and total annihilation of self-centric ego.

 ‘Fuṣūṣ al Ḥikam’ is an exegetical literature on Sufi doctrine of ‘Unity of Being or Existence’ that every existence is God or God is the essence of Unity of contigent beings. Sufism is the esoteric dimension of Islam. It is the heart of Islam by which one can truly discern the Truth of God. It is the esoteric path to annihilate self-centric ego (al-fanā’) and to actualize the union with God (baqā). If one discerned the Buddhist fundamental doctrine of Dependent Co-arising (Patītyasamutpāda) in relation to Insubstantiality (Anattā), non-duality (Advaita) or Emptiness (Śūnyatā), one would appreciate ‘Fuṣūṣ al- Ḥikam’ like a Buddhist Scripture. The Truth of Insubstantiality is actually very profound. It is synonymous with the eternal Truth of Unity incorporated in the Sufi doctrine of Unity of Being or Existence.

Two Supreme Masters

Ibn ‘Arabī is recognized as the Supreme Master of Sufism by the Muslim and non-Muslim world. All genuine Buddhist Theosophists, who have comprehended his work of Sufi Thesophy, would have no hesitation whatever to recognize his exegetical contribution in Sufi philosophy. Many would recognize that Sufi Ibn ‘Arabī is the greatest and most eminent Sufi philosopher and commentator on the esoteric wisdom of Qur’an. He deserves such an esteem and veneration as his Sufi wisdom has shed great light on the mutual relationship between the empirical world and God. What he expounds is consonant with the eternal Truth of Unity discerned by the religious seers or sages of other religious denominations hitherto. Nāgārjuna’s Buddhist worldview and that of Ibn ‘Arabī are identical esoterically, pantheistically and theosophically.

Of course, the exoteric or exterior dimensions of Buddhism and Islam are distinct. The Islamic Law and Buddhist Five Precepts and Ten Wholesome Moral Injunctions are distinct exoterically. They are merely two dissimilar vehicles to reach an identical destination of soteriological goal. In fact, all apparently dissimilar religions are merely dissimilar expedient devices or pedagogical strategies (upāyas) to discern the communal Truth of wisdom unveiled and comprehensible by the utility of the intuitive mind. Interestingly, the modern neuro-scientists have revealed that right brain function is intuitive, egoless and holistic. The Dharma eye or Spiritual eye of the saints arises only from the right brain according to the knowledge of neuro-science. If one comprehends neuro-science and its relation to religious insight, it is not difficult to understand that the left brain is used to understand the exoteric or outward dimension of religion. The esoteric or inward dimension of religion can only be intuitively apprehended by the utility of the right brain. Contemplative prayers or meditations enable one to shift from the left brain functioning to the right brain functioning. Thus, religion is scientific and empirically verificable.

Neuro-scientists reveals that the left-brained person is intellectual, analytical and egoistic whilst the right-brain person is intuitive, holistic and egoless. The left brain capacity is measured by IQ (Intelligent Quotient) whilst the right brain capacity is measured by EQ (Emotional Quotient). Both the IQ and EQ are equally important to function in the mundane world without being troubled by the mundane world. Therefore, Śākyamuni Buddha recommends the middle path of acknowledging the two-fold truth of conventional truth and the ultimate Truth. Nāgārjuna categorically defends the Word of the Buddha that whoever understand the distinction between the knowledge of the conventional truth and that of the ultimate Truth comprehends the profound message of the Buddha.

Relationship between World and Absolute

In fact, having profoundly investigated into his doctrine of Unity of Being and digested it, a Mahāyānist scholar or practioner would be able to discern the distinction between the conventional truth and the ultimate Truth. Nāgārjuna, the towering Mahāyāna philosopher writes in his treatise on ‘The Root Verses of the Middle Philosophy (Mūlamadhyamakakārikā) that whoever comprehends the distinction between the conventional truth (saṃvṛti satya) and the ultimate Truth (paramārtha satya) apprehends the profound message of the Buddha. I would like to reiterate that whoever comprehends the relationship between these two-fold truth will equally comprehend the relationship between the world and God expounded by Sufi theosophy. There is only one and the only Truth in the world – The One in all; the all in the One (Oneness of the universe). The Oneness of the universe is metaphorically illustrated as the borderless Ocean of Unity. The different religions are like different rivers converging into the same borderless ocean.

Supreme Masters

Ibn ‘Arabī and Nāgārjuna are, in fact, two Supreme Masters who emerged not to teach but to awaken mankind to the illusion of the multiplicity and the Reality of the ultimate Truth. I wish to reiterate that the Doctrine of Unity of Being ( Waḥdāt al Wūjud) advocated by Ibn ‘Arabī and the doctrine of Emptiness (Śūnyatā) advocated by Nāgārjuna are synonymous. Sufi Ibn ‘Arabī is an advocate of God as the only Existence (Wūjudin) and anything other than God is illusion. Mahāyānist Nāgārjuna is an advocate of the emptiness of the world (Sūnyavādin).

A Wujūdin advocates that a necessary existence(wujūd) is the totality of the contigent beings. A Śūnyavādin advocates that every phenomenon is dependently co-arisen from contigent conditions. Thus, we perceive that both the Wujudins and the Śūnyavādins advocate the communal Truth of Unity. Both of these two Perfect Men perceive the communal Truth of Unity of Being or Becoming. Both are gnostics or discerners of the eternal Truth of Unity expressed differently. Both of them concur in their penetrative insight into or intuitive discernment of the relationship between the empirical world and the Absolute. The Absolute Truth is designated by Monotheists as the ‘God’ and by the Buddhists as the ‘Buddha’. Both recognize that the diverge contigent beings or phenomena are like the waves and the Absolute is akin to borderless Ocean. They also acknowledge that the multiplicity of all contigent beings or all phenomena is cosmic illusion, unreal, impermanent and mutable. Multiplicity is only the image of the Absolute (God or Buddha). Only the Absolute is real and immutable. They also admit that the empirical world is mere imagination or mental fabrication.

Thoughts of Ibn ‘Arabī

Furthermore, in his work ‘Ibn ‘Arabī and Mystical Journey: A First Attempt to Understand Ibn ‘Arabī’s Journey to the Lord of Power ‘, John G. Sullivan analyses and unveils the inner thoughts of Ibn ‘Arabī. His analytical revelation confirms that Sufi wisdom on worldview is consistent with Mahāyāna worldview. John G. Sullivan expounds that Ibn ‘Arabī conceives the worldview in three dimensions, namely metacosmic view of God, the microcosmic view of Man and macrocosmic view of cosmos. The metacosmic view of god is the pantheistic worldview which states the absolute Essence of God is immanent and pervasive everywhere in everything. The microcosmic view states that God is to be found in the inner Heart of every man. The inner Heart is the hidden or unmanifest aspect of God. The macrocosmic view of cosmos states that the universe is the outward or exoteric manifestation of God. These three aspects of reality are interconnected and identical. This is parallel to the popular Mahāyāna worldview that the mind, the sentient beings and Buddha are equal and not distinct. The mind is the microcosm, the sentient beings are the macrocosm; the Buddha is the metacosm.

World and God

Ibn ‘Arabī awakens us to the fact that ordinary worldlings perceive the world imaginatively and hence falsely. The imaginary world constitutes the mundane or conventional world. The conventional world is the world of creations or creatures. A gnostic discerns the world literally or ultimately as it really is. He perceives that the world is not separate from God and God is never separate from the world. The waves and the Ocean are never separate. The Mahāyānist Enlightened One, designated as Bodhisattva, perceives that the phenomena and the principle interpenetrate just like the reflected moons in the water and the real moon in the sky.

Fanā’ and Baqā distinction

Credit should go to John G. Sullivan from the Department of Philosophy of Elon College in distinguishing the state of divine realization of Fanā’ and that of Baqā
In Sufi theosophy. Fanā’ is the obliteration of self or ego; Baqā is the union with God. The latter surpasses the former in gnosis or state of divine or God realization. If a Gnostic stops at the state of God-realization of Fanā, he or she does not re-enter the mundane world of senses. He is absorbed and lost in God. If advanced gnostic proceeds to the state of Baqā, the gnostic re-enters successfully in the ordinary world of senses. Even in the mundane world of senses, he is beyond the illusive appearances and uncorrupted by the sense stimuli.

Nirvāṇa and Saṃsāra

The Gnostic proceeding from Fanā to Bagā reaching the level of Baqā is parallel to the fact that Mahāyāna Bodhisattva ascends vertically to full enlightenment and descents to the saṃsāric world by great compassion. He does not dwell eternally in Nirvāṇa but returns to the saṃsāric world to liberate others sentient beings. Even though he dwells in the saṃsāric world, he does not grasp upon appearances of the mundane world. To him, nirvāṇa and saṃsāra make no distinction for him because he does not cling to both nirvāṇa and saṃsāra.If he clings to nirvāṇa, he would also stop at the level of Fanā’. From Buddhist perspective, Fanā’ is state of Emptiness of self; Baqā is the Emptiness of the world. A Bodhisattva realizes both Emptiness of self and Emptiness of phenomena. Thus, it evidences that Mahāyāna and Sufism concur in worldview.

Therefore, on basis of ultimate Truth or esoterically, Mahāyāna Buddhism and Sufism or Islam are compatible or parallel. This is the communal Truth of wisdom shared universally. The Truth should be unveiled and expounded for promoting and fostering interfaith understanding and unity. This is what the interfaith religious leaders ought to take heed as this is the deficient dimension in most interfaith dialogues. The interfaith dialogues usually emphasize the communal truth of exoteric dimension of religions and take little heed of its identical esoteric dimension, that is, the relationship between human beings and the absolute Truth. They also pay little attention to the common first principle of self-redemption or human salvation at the esoteric level. At the exoteric or outward dimension, different religions vary greatly but at the esoteric level or interiorly, all religions are identical in the first principle. I wish that this article would motivate more religious scholars undertaking more deeper research studies on the communal Truth of Wisdom to bridge more alliances of civilizations between the east and the west, the west and the west and east and east. The world is getting too noisy currently.