Instant in the Thoughts of Buddā and Khayyām: A Comparative Approach

Buddā and Khayyām have a prominent place among thinkers who have seriously meditated upon "passing of time" and the concept of "instant". The present article tries to study the concepts of time and universe and to interpret the notion of instant, regarding to subjects like death, pain and pleasure, in their thoughts. Khayyām inclines to escape from consciousness in order to overcome destiny; he seizes the day and treasures the present moment and leading to hedonism in the end. But Buddā has a deep interpretation of "the instant" and "the moment" that is rooted in his ideas about consciousness and whole reality. Although both of them believe to decreasing pain and suffering, but they choose different ways to achieve it, because they have different view about pain resulting from passing of time and instability of instants.