"These are the five donations great,
The gift of treasure,
Gift of child,
The gift of wife, of royal rule,
And last, the gift of life and limb," (Warren. P. 79.)
We shall consider these gifts one by one.
GIFT I
The gift of treasure:- Shankaracharya was the son of a poor widow. He was born in poverty, and never acquired treasure in his life by following any profession.
Jesus was the Son of a poor "carpenter"(Matt. 13:55). After his birth he was laid "in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn."(Luke. 2:7) "Had they been rich and great", writes W. W. How. D. D., "they would doubtless have been received into the inn. Room would have been found for them then." Jesus was himself a "carpenter,"(Mark. 6: 3) and could never acquire riches in his life-time.
Hence from the Buddhist point of view the claims of Jesus and of Shankaracharya cannot be considered for the Buddhahood.
Mohammed belonged to a family who were rich. The prophet acquired riches in his lifetime, and even before his call he was an "affluent merchant."(Mohammed, Buddha and Christ by M.Dods.D.D. P.19.) "The marriage with Cadijah placed Mahomet among the most wealthy of his native city." (Irving. P. 3.)
The Koran declares that the prophet was gifted with riches:-
"And did He not find thee needy, and hath He not enriched thee." (XCIII, P. 583.)
It being not the pleasure of God to favour Jesus or Shankaracharya with riches, it is a mistake to consider either of them as the Buddha Maitreya. Mohammed was gifted with riches, and hence his claim for the Buddhahood can be considered.
GIFT II
Gift of child.
"We have formerly sent apostles before thee and bestowed on them wives and children." (The Koran. XIII. P. 244.)
Jesus and Shankaracharya both died bachelors. The Christian scriptures and the Hindu works inform us thus. We take their testimony to be true.
Therefore from the Buddhist point of view the claim of Jesus and of Shankaracharya cannot be considered for the Buddhahood, because God had not gifted them with children. On the other hand, Mohammed was gifted with several children, and therefore his claim for the Buddhabood can be considerect.
The name of a son of the Buddha Maitreya is given out as "Brahmi Wardene Maitri." (Asiatick Researches, 1802, Vol. VII. P. 415.)
We identify "Brahmi Wardene Maitri" with Kasim. the son of the prophet.(Irving. P. 34) The correct spelling of "Brahmi Wardene Maitri" should be Brahm Wardhan Maitreya.
(a) Brahmi is connected with Brahma or Brahman of Sanskrit, both of which mean "God; the Maker; the First Cause," "The Creator." (Hindi English Dictionary by R. N. Lal.)
(b) Wardhan means:- "Increasing, a granter of prosperity, an epithet of Shiva. increase, growth, elevation, animation; educating, rearing, cutting and dividing." (S. E. Dictionary by L. R. Vaidya)
(c) Maitreya means "the Merciful."
God, the Merciful, has "the most excellent names." His name is Kasim, because He divides His bounties among His creatures. He alone is the Granter of prosperity. It is He alone who elevates, animates, and educates all creatures. "Kasim" is among the 99 names of Mohammed.(Panjsurah. P. 69.) The prophet himself was often called "Abu1-Kasim,"(Irving. P. 34.) "the father of Kasim." The word Kasim means "the divider and the cutter" (The Persian Gem Dictionary.)
Hence in view of the gift of child, and the remarkable coincidence of the name of the son of the prophet with the predicted name of the son of the Buddha Maitreya, it is apparent that Mohammed is the Buddha Maitreya, and not Jesus or Shankaracharya.
GIFT III
Gift of wife.
"We have formerly sent apostles before thee and bestowed on them wives and children." (The Koran. XII. p. 224.)
"Whose findeth a wife, findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord." (Proverbs. 18 22)
God had not favoured Jesus and Shankaracharya with wives. As far as this blessing is concerned, they did not receive this "good thing", the "favour of the Lord." Hence a Buddhist, in guidance of his scriptures, cannot consider their claims for the Buddhaship.
On the other hand, Mohammed was gifted with several wives. If the ideal of the Old Testament and the Buddhist scriptures given above is correct, he was gifted with much good.
The Koran declares that the prophet was highly favoured of God:-
(1) "The favour of God hath been great towards thee." (IV. p. 89.)
(2) ".......His favour, towards thee hath been great." (XVII. p. 281)
One of his wives was Khadijah, may God be pleased with her. We identify her with "Chandre-Mukhi (Moon-face)",(Asiatiek Researches. 1802. Vol. VII. p. 415.) the predicted wife of the Buddha Maitreya. The correct spelling of Chandre Mukhi is Chandra Mukhi which means, "having a countenance beautiful as the moon," or a woman with "a face bright and beautiful as the moon."(H. E. Dictionary by R. N. Lal) The word "mukh" in Sanskrit means "mouth, the face; first, chief; principal." (Ibid)
The first wife of the prophet was Khadijah. She was "handsome and of high birth." (Irving. pp. 30-1) I think it was she whom the prophet loved most. As such she was the principal wife. After her death the prophet married several wives, and of all these he loved Aisha most. Then she became the chief wife. Aisha says:-
"I was never jealous of any of the prophet's wives except Khadija, although she was dead long since and I had not even seen her...sometimes I used to ask the prophet wondering whether Kkadija was a unique woman in the world. To this the prophet used to reply that really such was Khadija......." (B.M. quoted in The Ideal of Womanhood in Islam by Q. Abdul Haq. pp. 33-4.)
There are several words for the moon in Sanskrit, such as Soma, Indu.......The moon is an emblem of all purity or chastity:-
(a) The Buddha Gautama says:- "He who like the moon is chaste, pure......" (Rockhill. p. 192.)
(b) "All pure art thou like Mitra, the beloved, adorable like Aryaman, O Soma." (Rigveda Book I. 93: 3.)
(c)"..... . the drinkers of pure (Soma) ." (S.B.E. Vol. XXVI. Satpath-Brahmana. p. 234.)
"Even in the days of ignorance the title of Khadijah was Tahirah."(The Rahmat-ul-lil-alarnina l)y Q. M. Solitnan. Vol. II. p. 185.) The word Tahirah in Arabic means "the pure women," or "the chaste woman." "Tahir" means "pure." (Persian Gem Dictionary.)
It is therefore clear that Khadijah was Chandra Mukhi, the predicted wife of the Buddha Maitreya Mohammed.
GIFT IV.
THE GIFT OF ROYAL RULE.
Shankaracharya. was not gifted with a royal rule in his life.
Jesus, too, was not gifted with an earthly kingdom, and he never ruled any kingdom in his life. He says:-
"Foxes have holes, and the birds of heaven have nests: but the son of man hath not where to lay his head." (Matt. 8:20.)
From the above mentioned words it is clear that Jesus had not even a square inch of ground which he could call his own.
Some of the immediate disciples of Jesus and some of his countrymen believed that Jesus was a king:-
(a) "On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of Lord." (John. 12:12-13.)
(b) "We trusted," said Cleopas, "it was he (Christ) which should have redeemed Israel." (Luke. 24: 21)
(c) "When they (Apostles) therefore were come together, they asked him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel ?" (Acts. 1:6.)
Some of the Christian divines consider Satan as "the prince of this world."(John. 14: 30.) In spite of this some of the Christians believe that "the same Jesus" shall return to this world and then he shall establish a kingdom upon the earth. This belief is very old, and is said to have come down to the modern Christians from the days of the twelve disciples.(Acts. 1: 6.) Jesus is called "king of kings, and lord of lords."(I. Tim. 6:15. Rev. 17:14.) We maintain that even if Jesus at all returns to the word he shall never establish a kingdom. Jesus was tried for blasphemy and for preaching insurrection in a Roman Law Court. What he gave out in the course of his trial clearly indicates that he was not gifted with a royal rule, and he shall never rule any kingdom in future also:-
"Then Pilate entered into the judgement hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the king of the Jews? Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me? Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done? Jesus answered him. My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now is my kingdom not from hence. Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that 1 am a king............."(John. 18 33-7.)
Jesus and Shankaracharya not being gifted with a royal rule, a Buddhist, on account of the guidance of his scriptures, cannot consider their claims for the Buddhahood in question.
Mohammed was the Buddha Maitreya for he was "a victorious king." (Historian's History of the World. Vol. VIII. p. 130.)
GIFT V.
LIFE AND LIMB.
Mohammed lived more than 60 years in this world, and died a natural death. He took part in several battles. In the battle of Ohod he was "very near losing his life."(Sale. P. 60, Foot note.) Providence saved his life at the battle of Honain.(Ibid. p. 181. Foot note.) Several attempts on his life ended in failure. Some of these are alluded to in the Koran:-
(1) "And (call to mind) when the unbelievers plotted against thee, that they might either detain thee (in bonds), or put thee to death, or expel thee (from the city); and they plotted (against thee:)" (VII. p 170.)
(2) "Mohammed and some of his followers.......performing their noon devotions, a company of the idolaters, who were in view, repented they had not taken that opportunity of attacking them, and therefore waited till the hour of evening prayer, intending to fall upon them then: but God defeated their........design" (Sale. p. 99. Foot note.)
(3) ".........the prophet going to the tribe of Koreidha (who were Jews) to levy a fine for the blood of two Moslems, who had been killed by mistake by Amru Ebn Ornmeya al Dimri, and they desired him to sit down and eat with them, and they would pay the fine; Mohammed complying with their request, while he was sitting they laid a design against his life, one Amru Ebn Jahash undertaking to throw a mill-stone upon him; but God withheld his hand, and Gabriel immediately descended to acquaint the prophet with their treachery, upon which he rose up and went away." (Ibid)
(4) ".........fifteen men conspired to kill Mohammed in his return journey from Tabuc by pushing him from his camel into a precipice, as he rode by night over the highest part of Al Akaba. But when they were going to execute their design, Hodheifa, who followed and drove the prophet's camel which was led by Ammer Ebn Yaser, hearing the tread of camels and the clashing of arms, gave the alarm, upon which they fled." (Ibid. p. 189.)
(5) ".........the Koreish, in pursuance of a resolution they had taken, had sent a select number to be-set Mohammed's house, and to kill him......the prophet having caused Ali to lie down on his bed to deceive the assassins, went out.......they could not see him." (Sale. p. 431.)
(6) The prophet was poisoned by a "Jewess of Kbaiber," (Ency. Br. XVII.) but this could not terminate his life. The prophet lived several years after the event.
The prophet was conscious that none could deprive him of his life. The Koran runs thus:-
"God will defend thee against (wicked) men."(V. p. 109.)
"Until this verse was revealed, Mohammed entertained a guard of armed men for his security, but on his receiving this assurance of God's protection, he immediately dismissed them." (Ibid. p. 109. Foot note.)
Jesus cannot be the Buddha Maitreya for, according to the Bible version he was "crucified"(Mark. 15: 25), in the prime of life, about the age of 33. Shankaracharya, too, cannot be the Buddha Maitreya, for he died at the age of "32",(Ency. Br. Vol. XXIV.) and could not attain the average life of the people of the time. Mohammed is the Buddha Maitreya, for he was gifted with the gift of life and limb, and he died a natural death, over 60 years of age.
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