By: Zeina Hussain
Imagine a pendulum. The two extremes at which the pendulum swings can be likened to self-indulgence and self-discipline as human nature. On one side, a life dominated by self-indulgence is focused on sensory pleasures, attachment to worldly sentiments, and materialism. On the opposite side, a life dominated by self-discipline involves strict control and ascetic practices of abstinence. The pendulum swings between excess and austerity; eternalism and annihilationism; asceticism and hedonism. However, when the pendulum stands still in the middle, in a state of neither absolute self-indulgence nor absolute self-discipline, is where we find an overlap of concept in two religions—moderation.
Moderation is the balanced approach towards life. In both Buddhism and Islam, this principle is known as the Middle Path and Al-Wasatiyyah, respectively. The Middle Path was first practiced by the Buddha Siddhartha Gautama upon achieving enlightenment. Similarly, Al-Wasatiyyah promotes moderation in worship, lifestyle, and societal interaction and is emulated through the actions of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). This essay compares and contrasts the concept of moderation in Buddhism and Islam, in parallel to the extremes of self-indulgence and self-discipline.
The Middle Path leads to a life that does not enter either extreme. The Buddha’s own life story is a testament to the destructive nature of these extremes. In an attempt to detach from the material abundance surrounding him, he abandoned his noble position of excessive wealth and luxuries. His spiritual journey led him to extreme asceticism marked by a six-year fast. This is when the Buddha realized that neither extreme indulgence nor extreme deprivation brought him closer to enlightenment. Instead, the Middle Path—accomplished through the Eightfold Path—brought him enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. The Eightfold Path is a set of eight practices comprising Right View, Right Resolve, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration (Namchak, 2024). Each aspect is difficult to perfect, as mastering the Eightfold Path requires walking a fine line between the extremes of self-indulgence and self-discipline. For example, a significant story was Buddha’s encounter with a musician who complained of despair in his meditation. The Buddha likened the Middle Path to the strings of a Sitar. If he were to tighten the strings too tight, the sound would come out too harsh and the strings would break, and if he loosens the strings too much, they would slack and the sound would be too weak. In practical terms, this approach encourages compassion and empathy and avoids extremism and fanaticism.
in Islam, Al-Wasatiyyah seeks to equalize spiritual devotion and worldly responsibilities. Moderation isn’t just limited to worship but to social interactions, economics (Zakat as almsgiving), and the Sharia law system. Al-Wasatiyyah is upheld by the conceptual framework. Tawassut (Moderation) is a foundational aspect of Al-Wasatiyyah and advocates for a balance between worship and worldly responsibility;
“And seek by means of what Allah has given you the future abode, and do not neglect your portion of this world, and be kind just as Allah has been kind to you, and do not seek to cause corruption in the earth. Indeed, Allah does not like the corruptors.” (Quran, 28:77)
Adl (Justice) ensures egalitarianism on any given scale of society to ensure equitable treatment of all regardless of who they are. Kheir (Moral Goodness) strives for Muslims to be intrinsically inclined to do good without arrogance. Lastly, Istiqaamah (Steadfastness) is the maintenance of Al-Wasatiyyah—it is staying steadfast on this path without wavering to worldly temptations that one may come across. Furthermore, the execution of this framework is known to Muslims as Jihad Al-Nafs. Jihad al-Nafs is an eternal spiritual battle that Muslims fight with themselves. The Nafs is the self, prone to craving carnal pleasures. It is the continuous effort to improve the soul by overcoming these worldly temptations. Muslims who find this middle ground and triumph over their Nafs are the best version of themselves in the eyes of Allah.
Comparably, both religions emphasize the same thing; moderation. Islam has accumulated a reputation as being an aggressive military religion, while Buddhism has been watered down to a peaceful religion of yoga and meditation. These stereotypes oversimplify—if not misrepresent—the Middle Path and Al-Wasatiyyah. Post 9/11 saw a rise in associating Islam with the threat of extremism. An example of this is the misunderstood concept of Jihad. As mentioned previously, Jihad is the internal struggle against sin, not a holy war waged against the world. On the other hand, the West has oversimplified Buddhism to be a gentle, passive religion solely focused on peace and completely against violence. This directly contradicts the teachings of the Middle Path. For example, the Shaolin Monastery recognized the need for self-defense and trained in Kung Fu (Shaolin Temples History and Philosophy, 2014), thus proving that Buddhism balances its fundamental values with pragmatism to maintain the Middle Path. The Western perception of Buddhism as a pacifist religion and Islam as an aggressive military force reflects Orientalist stereotypes that misrepresent anything considered “The Other.”
In conclusion, Islam and Buddhism recognize the nature of humans in the swinging of the pendulum. The extremes of self-indulgence, marked by excessive attachment to worldly temptations, and self-discipline, marked by rigid asceticism, hinder the foundations of both religions. Both Islam’s Al-Wasatiyyah and Buddhism’s Middle Path provide a conceptual framework to avoid extremes and live in moderation. Whether it be state-implemented monthly almsgiving or simply believing in the Four Noble Truths, moderation is a recurring theme that Muslims and Buddhists alike aspire to attain.
Citations:
Namchak. (2024, April 8). Noble Eightfold Path | Namchak Community | Tibetan Buddhism. Namchak Tibetan Buddhist Practice & Retreat. https://www.namchak.org/community/blog/the-noble-eightfold-path/#:~:text=The%20Noble%20Eightfold%20Path,pillars%20that%20support%20Right%20Concentration.
Shaolin Temples History and Philosophy. (2014, December 13). Golden Lion Academy. https://www.goldenlion.com.au/kung-fu/history-kung-fu/shaolin-temples/
The Qur’an (M.A.S Abdel Haleem, Trans.). (2004). Oxford University Press.