THE GOD OF EAST AND WEST “BUDD(HA)” IBN SAB’ÎN’S PHILOSOPHICAL-MYSTICAL TOLERANCE

ÖMER BOZKURT

ABSTRACT

In this study, the view point of Islam towards “other” and the tolerance demanded by Islam
in theoretical (scientific) and practical (ethics, value) context will be examined through
the frame of Ibn Sab’in who tries to display these subjects together with philosophical
mysticism by considering east and west. In addition to this, we will call attention to the
importance of “budd” concept in Ibn Sab’in’s tolerance, as well. In this context, we will
emphasize the relationship between concepts of “budd” and “Buddha”. It is known that
Siddharta Gautama is called as Buddha and this name states both a historical person
and a state of perfect enlightenment to be achieved. In other words, Buddha means
enlightened and awakened. Also, it is obvious that Buddha did not present an idea of
God but as one of the Buddhist sects, Mahayana converted Buddha to the idol of worship
and thus deified Buddha. Buddhism spreads over a wide geography. It is said that Turks
has begun to accept Buddhism since fifth century ac. When Islam began to spread,
Turks and Persians had been aware of Buddhism. After Muslim Arabs had begun to
meet Turks and Persians, Arabs indirectly learned Buddhism from them. Additionally,
we can say that some Muslim Sufis such as Sufyan as-Savrî (d. 772), Maruf al-Karkhî (d.
811), Bishr al-Hafî (d. 841), Ibrahim bin Adham of Balkh (d. 874), Bayazid al-Bistamî (d.
875), Sahl al-Tustarî (d. 896), Hakîm al-Tirmidhî (d. 898), Junayd al-Baghdadî (d. 910)
and Mansur al-Hallaj (d. 922) etc. may have contributed Buddhism to enter into Arab
world. It is possible to declare that, the concept of “budd” has entered into the Islamic
world by this way.As a result of the researches I made on concept of “budd”, I realized
that the word of “budd” has a common meaning in Persian, Arabic and Turkish. It can
be proposed that “budd”, with its reading form of “budd”, “bud”, “but” or “put”, means
idol in three languages. Besides, it is used for Buddha; however, above all, this concept
has meaning of God in these languages. In Arabic sources, concepts of both “budd”
and “budasef” have been used for Buddha. İn some resources, (such as in al-Bîrûnî’s
Tahkik mâ li’l-Hind and al-Âsar al-bâkiya an al-kurûn al-khâliya, al-Mas’udî’s, Murûc
az-zahab, Ibn an-Nadîm’s, al-Fihrist, Macritî’sGaye al-hakim etc.) it seems that Buddha
is presented as a prophet and his name is written in form of “Budd” or Budasef/Budasif/
Budazef/Budazif. Due to mentioned regards, the word Buddha for Buddhists and Budd
for Muslims have become a common name which expressing God. Most importantly,