Comparing Buddhism and Islam

Buddhism and Islam: Comparative Essay Islam and Buddhism are two very different religions that have their own views about life and its purpose. Their views on issues relating to the possibility of a god the purpose of life, and cycle of life, death, and an afterlife are all distinct from each other, but at the same time, they have similarities. Muslims believe in the existence of the One and Only God 'Allah '. They firmly believe that Allah is the highest being and the creator and the overseer of all that existstance. He has no physical connections with earth or his creations that inhabit it, his power is boundless and his potential is limitless. Allah is free from all of the physical wants such as hunger, cold, and yearning which cause us as humans to sin. Buddhism on the other hand, gives credit to no god or creator who initially made the universe and/or controls it in the fashion Allah does. The founder of Buddhism, who is known as Buddha (Siddhartha Guatama), did not want to be a god. He taught that people would be enlightened if they took responsibility for their own thoughts and actions, this principal is called self reliance. His teachings were a guide for living. Muslims can relate to this in the way they are taught to take responsibility for their own actions and sins.

Buddhism and Islam are also similar in the way they both believe in god/s existing in the after death. Muslims believe in the existence of Allah in heaven while Buddhists consider the possibility of gods existing in the heavens but do not say it is a fact. Islam teaches that God created humans with immortal souls. Each individual possesses uniqueness and the power to create his or her own destiny and each is responsible for his or her own action. Buddhists believe that rather than being created by a Supreme Being or god humans were actually born due to karma from past lives. Their karma is made by the karmic connection between their father and mother. Islam also teaches that the

Cited: http://library.thinkquest.org/28131/compario.htm Table http://www.buddhaweb.org/ Buddahism