[world-vedic] The Druze and Vedic Origins

[Guest guest]

Below is an article that I wrote regarding the relationship between the Druze

and the Vedas. I hope you find it interesting. David Wolf

 

(David Wolf holds a Bachelors of Science in Psychology from Penn State

University, a Masters of Social Work(MSW) from Florida State, and currently is a

Ph.D. candidate in Social Work at Florida State University.)

 

THE DRUZE AND VEDIC ORIGINS

Abstract by David Wolf

 

A serendipitous, though intensive, case study of Israeli Druze

reveals striking similarities between Vedic and Druze philosophy and culture.

This article uses these congruities as a springboard for researching Druze

origins. Jethro, commonly known as the father-in-law of Moses, is the

greatest saint in the pantheon of Druze prophets. He is a Midianite, a tribe

descending from the sons of Keturah who were sent by Abraham to the East.

Analysis of the relationship between Moses and Jethro reveals that Moses

oftentimes accepted the role of Jethro’s student. It is suggested that Moses

was the disciple of Jethro in practical as well as spiritual matters. This

conforms with the Midianite-Kenite hypothesis about the origin of the Hebrew

religious system. The author relates this idea to the Druze connection with

India, and suggests that Druze oral and written traditions be studied,

alongside a reexamination of the Midianite-Kenite hypothesis, to determine

the extent of Vedic influence on Judaic history.

 

 

 

In 1988 I went to northern Israel, not as a student of religious

history, but as a book distributor. With a team of six other Vaisnavas, I

visited the towns, cities and villages of the Galil, presenting Hebrew

translations of the books of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada to the

Jewish population. In the process, we stumbled upon the Druze, and entered a

world of fascinating interethnic experiences, which became the subject of a

book I published in 1994, entitled Krsna, Israel and the Druze- An

Interreligious Odyssey. This book describes many occurrences, some of which

will be narrated below, suggesting a connection between Vedic and Druze

culture and philosophy. Further, this paper attempts to indicate a

relationship between Vedic civilization and Judaism, through Jethro, the

major prophet of the Druze, and urges scholars of Judaic and Indic studies to

pursue this line of inquiry.

 

 

 

On several occasions we met with the late Sheik Tarif Amin, former

world spiritual leader of the Druze. He expressed genuine appreciation that

hundreds of Druze households were placing sets of Vedic books in their homes.

Sheik Amin stated that he wanted the Druze people to work with the Hare Krsna

movement “as one race.” This is an amazing declaration, considering that the

Druze are primarily known for their isolation and clandestine religious

practices.

 

 

Salman Falach, Druze Minister of Education in Israel, purchased

hundreds of Srila Prabhupada’s books for Druze schools and libraries. For his

personal collection, Mr. Falach bought all the books we had in English, and,

after paging through the Srimad-Bhagavatam, stated “I think after reading

these books I will discover that our religion is coming from them.” All

segments of Druze society, including farmers, political leaders, educators,

sheiks and businessmen, became fascinated by the Vaisnavas and the Vedic

literatures they presented. Within a short time, Druze were accepting these

Sanskrit literatures as their own scriptures. What is the explanation for this?

 

 

 

We spoke with many Druze sheiks and intellectuals, and they shared

deeply with us. Although Druze are considered by the academic community to be

an Arabic sect of Islam (Firro, 1992), albeit an unorthodox one, most Druze

consider their roots to be Indian. Their beliefs are pervaded by

characteristically Vedic conceptions. For instance, their scriptures, like

the Vedic puranas and itihasas, and unlike chronicles of Middle Eastern

religions, describe history dating back hundreds of millions of years, with

incarnations of God in a human form appearing at regular intervals. This is

akin to the Vedic idea of regular appearances of avataras. Also,

transmigration of the soul is a central tenet of Druze philosophy. In fact,

to describe this principle the Druze use the same analogy as Krsna uses in

the Bhagavad-gita [2:22]: “As a person puts on new garments, giving up old

ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and

useless ones.”

 

 

Kamal Jumbalat, the late Druze political hero and renowned

spiritualist, often extolled Krsna, the Bhagavad-gita, the Ramayana, and

other Vedic books and personalities in his writings (Dasa, 1994, p. 219). He

also spoke of Druze going to India and taking sannyasa (Jumbalat, I Speak for

Lebanon, p. 34), and Jumbalat was himself a vegetarian and considered

himself, in his later years, to be living as a vanaprastha, the retired order

of life in the Vedic social system.

 

 

 

Even on esoteric points, sheiks would surprise us with parallels

between Vedic and Druze understandings. For instance, Sheik Farhoud, an

eminent Druze religious leader in the northern Galil, commenting on the

ontology of Jesus Christ, explained that the Christ on the cross was an

illusory Christ. His exposition was strikingly similar in quality to the

Vaisnava understanding, based on the Kurma Purana (Caitanya-Caritamrta,

Madhya-lila, 1: 117), that the Sita stolen by Ravana was maya-Sita, or an

illusory representation of the real Sita. Occasionally sheiks expounded on

Druze astronomy, and the descriptions were very similar to those of the 5th

Canto of the Srimad-Bhagavatam.

 

 

 

 

Actually, the term “Druze,” like the word “Hindu,” was coined by the

Muslims. Almost 1,000 years ago El Drazi was a heretic to the emerging Druze

faith, and Muslims, to deride this new sect, derisively referred to the group

by the name of their dissident. Druze consider themselves as Muwahidoon,

which translates as “the one, eternal religion, (Abu-Izzeddin, 1984; Betts,

1988; Firro, 1992)” much as a practitioner of Vedic religion is performing

sanatana-dharma, the eternal occupation of the soul, rather than any

temporally or geographically based religion (Prabhupada, 1972- from

Introduction). The current manifestation of the Muwahidoon, known as the

Druze, originates from al Hakim Bi-Amr Allah, the sixth Fatimid Caliph, who

ruled Egypt during the late 10th and early 11th Centuries (Abu-Izzeddin).

According to the sheiks, there are other manifestations of the Muwahidoon.

 

 

 

To avoid persecution, as well as to prevent unqualified persons from

obtaining knowledge, Druze conceal their beliefs. They have developed a

philosophy of social interaction called taquiyya, meaning that one should

perform duties according to the national milieu, while internally remembering

one’s identity as a member of the Muwahidoon. Even Druze are not permitted to

read their scriptures until they take vows of initiation (Dana, 1980). Yet,

top sheiks were revealing confidential information to us, considering us to

be Muwahidoon from India. Some Druze pundits revealed that the original

language of their scriptures was Sanskrit, and indicated that incarnations

such as Buddha and Krsna are described in these books.

 

 

 

In 1928, Richard Gottheil (Hitti, 1928, Foreword) declared “The

Druzes have been the wonder of scholars,... All sorts of theories have been

advanced by scholars to account for their particular tenets and customs...

The scholars have been unsuccessful.. and the Druzes still remain the great

mystery.” Modern-day research has done little to uncover the origins of the

Druze, though Abu-Izzeddin (1984, p. 121) states “Recently discovered

manuscripts throw new light on influences from India,” and provides strong

evidence of the Muwahidoon culture extending to India during the middle of

the 11th Century. Also, the story of the disappearance of al Hakim is vague,

and many scholars and Druze believe that he left Cairo and went to India to

meditate during the final stage of his appearance on Earth (Abu-Izzeddin).

 

 

 

To find a spiritual culture with such unmistakable Vedic influence in

Israel was astonishing, and this impromptu ethnographic research should be

valuable for scholars investigating the connection between India and the

Middle East. This author has done some examination of relevant literature,

and would like to share findings that may have profound implications for the

major Western religions.END PART ONE

 

 

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