Description
If the Western world knows anything about Zen Buddhism, it is down to the efforts of one remarkable man, D.T. Suzuki. The twenty-seven year-old Japanese scholar first visited the West in 1897, and over the course of the next seventy years became the world's leading authority on Zen. His radical and penetrating insights earned him many disciples, from Carl Jung to Allen Ginsberg, from Thomas Merton to John Cage. In Mysticism: Christian and Buddhist Suzuki compares the teachings of the great Christian mystic Meister Eckhart with the spiritual wisdom of Shin and Zen Buddhism. By juxtaposing cultures that seem to be radically opposed, Suzuki raises one of the fundamental questions of human experience: at the limits of our understanding is there an experience that is universal to all humanity? Mysticism: Christian and Buddhist is a book that challenges and inspires; it will benefit readers of all religions who seek to understand something of the nature of spiritual life.… (more)
Library's review
The greatest living authority on the mystical qualities of Oriental and Christian religions is Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki. In this comparative study, Mr. Suzuki shows how Zen and Shin Buddhism of the East and the Christian mysticism of Meister Eckhart meet on common
Mr. Suzuki, born in Japan, has taught in universities of the United States and Europe, as well as in his native land. This thoughtful and lucid book will be of profound interest to all who seek a deeper understanding not only of religion but of life itself.
Contents
Preface
Section One
1 Meister Eckhart and Buddhism
2 The basis of Buddhist philosophy
3 'A little point' and satori
4 LIving in the light of eternity
Appendices
5 Transmigration
6 Crucifixion and enlightenment
Section Two
7 Kono-mama ('I am that I am')
Appendices
8 Notes on 'Namu-amida-butsu'
9 Rennyo's letters
10 From Saichi's Journals
Epilogue