The True Miracle


(a) "And the Blessed One replied: Is it not a wonderful thing, mysterious and miraculous to the worldling, that a sinner can become a saint, that he who attains to true enlightenment will find the path of truth and abandon the evil ways of selfishness? The Bhikshu who renounces the transient pleasures of the world for the eternal bliss of holiness, performs the only miracle that can truly be called a miracle." (The Gospel of Buddha by Carus. p. 151.)

(b) "On one occasion some of his adherents entreated the Buddha to permit his missionaries to work wonders, as that would elevate them in the eyes of others. The Buddha replied as follows: 'There are three kinds of miracles. The first is the miracle of power, in which extraordinary power is manifested. as in walking on water, exorcising devils, raising the dead, and so forth. When the believer sees such things his faith may become deepened, but it would not convince the unbeliever, who might think these things are done by the aid of magic. I therefore see danger in such miracles, and I regard them as shameful and repulsive. The second is the miracle of prophecy. such as thought-reading, sooth-saying, fortune-telling, etc. Here also there would be disappointment, for these too in the eyes of the unbeliever would be no better than extraordinary magic. The last is the miracle of instruction. When any of my disciples brings round a man by instruction to rightly employ his intellectual powers, that is the true miracle.'" (The Essence of Buddhism by Narasu. pp. 51-2. Kevadda Sutta quoted.)

Mohammed was conscious that he was given the true miracle, the miracle of instruction. His instruction is the Koran, and it speaks of itself:-

(1) "Say, Verily, if men and genii were purposely assembled, that they might produce (a book) like this Koran, they could not produce (one) like unto it, although the one of them assisted the other." (XVII. p. 281.)

(2) "If ye be in doubt concerning the revelation which We have sent down to Our servant, produce a chapter like unto it, and call upon your witnesses besides God, if ye say truth. But if ye do (it) not, nor shall (ever be able to) do (it), justly fear the fire whose fuel is men and stones, prepared for the unbelievers." (II. p. 4.)

The Koran calls its verses signs:-

"(1) When Our evident signs are recited unto them they who hope not to meet Us (at resurrection). say, Bring a different Koran from this or make some change therein." (X. p. 200)

(2) "(The unbelievers) say, Unless he comes unto us with a sign from his Lord, (we will not believe on him). Hath not a plain declaration come unto them of that which (is contained) in the former volumes (of scripture, by the revelation of the Koran) ?" (XX. p. 315.)

(3) "Thus do We send down (the Koran) being evident signs." (XXII. p. 328)

(4) "The same (the Koran is) evident aigns." (XXIX. p. 392)

"Mohammed's opponents answered this by requiring him to work a miracle in proof of his Divine mission, but he refused saying that he was sent to preach the truth, and not to work miracles, appealing at the same time, to the Koran, he challenged his adversaries to produce any work that could rival it in lbeauty and sublimity. No proof has been adduced that Mohammed at any time descended to any artifices or pseudo miracles to enforce his doctrines or to establish his apostolic claim. He appears on the contrary 'to have relied entirely upon reason............" (The Apology for Mohammed and Koran by Davenport. p. 19.)

The prophet himself gave out that he was given the Koran as a sign:-

(1) "Abu Hurera relates :- The apostle of God said, 'Every apostle was given the same signs that were given to the apostle before him, and people believed on them. But the sign given to me is the Koran that God of power and glory has revealed to me....'" (M. Vol. 1. p. 256.)

(2) "Abu Hurera relates :-The apostle of God said, 'Among the apoatles there is none who is not given miracles in order to make people believe on him, and I am being given the revelation sent down by God............'" (Ta. Vol. V. p. 34. B. and M. quoted.)

Neither Jesus nor Shankaracharya calls hls instruction a sign, but Mohammed who Is the Buddha Maitreya, calls his instruction a sign.



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