Issue6_art1

.OTHING )S 2EAL

EROMA $IALECTIC

4OWARD A 3|UNYATA 0L 2OB #OOK

!BSTRACT #HRISTIANITY AND "UDDHISM ARE SOMETIMES PERCEIVED AS ANTITHETICAL

SUCH THAT A CHOICE MUST BE MADE BETWEEN THE FULLNESS PLEROMA OF 'OD IN

#HRIST #OL AND THE "UDDHA S 6OID | SUNYATA (OWEVER AFTER SURVEYING THE NOTION OF NOTHINGNESS MORE GENERALLY IN PHILOSOPHY ART AND SCIENCE THE AUTHOR SEEKS TO ESTABLISH COMMONALITIES BETWEEN THE TWO RELIGIONS BY DRAWING OUT THE KEY ROLE OF NOTHINGNESS WITHIN THE #HRISTIAN TRADITION AND THE FULLNESS

A INHERENT IN THE CONCEPT OF |SUNYAT 5PON MY TOP HE BREATHED THE POINTED DARK (E WAS NOT MAN YET HE WAS NOTHING ELSE )F IN THE MIND HE VANISHED TAKING THERE 4HE MIND S OWN LIMITS LIKE A TRAGIC THING 7ITHOUT EXISTENCE EXISTING EVERYWHERE ˆ7ALLACE 3TEVENS 'OD IS PLENITUDE IN HIMSELF BUT EMPTINESS TO US ˆ3T *OHN OF THE #ROSS

0ILGRIM

!

TRIP TO 7ELLS #ATHEDRAL IN %NGLAND IS INCOMPLETE WITHOUT A VISIT TO THE ADJACENT "ISHOP S 0ALACE WITH ITS SPLENDID VAULTED %NTRANCE (ALL

WHICH DATES BACK TO AND ITS LATER 'REAT (ALL ONCE USED FOR LAVISH BANQUETS "EAUTIFULLY KEPT GARDENS WITH SWANS PADDLING IN THE QUIET POOL ADD TO THE SENSE OF OPULENT GRANDEUR 4HEN HAVING PASSED THROUGH AN ANCIENT STONE ARCHWAY ONE IS STARTLED BY A LIFE SIZE STATUE STANDING ON THE LAWN )T SEEMS TO BE THE AUSTERE l GURE OF A MONK PROBABLY "UDDHIST

HIS HEAD SHAVEN HIS ARMS WRAPPED INSIDE HIS SHAWL HIS FEET BARE HIS EYES CLOSED AS IF IN TRANQUIL CONTEMPLATION $AVID "ACKHOUSE THE SCULPTOR CALLS >HHJ: D8ID7:G

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HIM 0ILGRIM 4HE ARRESTING INCONGRUITY OF THIS GREY COWLED l GURE STARING SILENTLY WITHIN STANDING AMONGST THE BUSTLING TOURISTS AND THE GARDEN SPLENDOR RAISES AGAIN THE QUESTION )N WHAT CONCEPTUAL UNIVERSE CAN BOTH THE EXTROVERTIVE CELEBRATORY WORLD OF #HRISTIANITY AND THE INTROVERTIVE

6OID FOCUSED WORLD OF "UDDHISM COEXIST 3OME SCHOLARLY VOICES AMONG THEM 0ETER "ERGER SIMPLY SAY THAT THE TWO CANNOT COEXIST 4HEY ARE IRRECONCILABLE ONE MUST CHOOSE 'OD OR THE 'REAT .OTHING 4IMOTHY # 4ENNENT AGREES WHEN HE WRITES h4HE #HRISTIAN

REVELATION CONCERNING 'OD IS NOT ABOUT EMPTINESS | SUNYATA BUT FULLNESS

PLEROMA v #ERTAINLY :EN "UDDHIST MONKS CHARACTER ISTICALLY CHANT THE KEY PHRASE FROM THE (EART 3UTRAA THAT &OR )NDIA NOTHINGNESS hFORM IS EMPTINESS v AND ONE OF THE BEST LOVED #HRISTIAN TEXTS FROM THE EPISTLE TO THE #OLOSSIANS STATES THAT ALL THE LACKED THE NEGATIVE OMA

OF 'OD IS TO BE FOUND IN *ESUS #HRIST #OL PL ER

.EVERTHELESS

THIS PAPER WILL ATTEMPT TO FOL CONNOTATION THAT IT HELD LOW $AVID "ACKHOUSE S LEAD IN REFUSING TO CONSIGN THE TWO PILGRIM PATHS TO SEPARATE GARDENS AND IT WILL IN THE 7EST

OMA

A HIDDEN IN PLER AND THE SEEK TO DISCERN THE S|UNYAT

PLEROMA HIDDEN IN S|UNYATA #ORRECTLY UNDERSTOOD BOTH TRADITIONS MIGHT INDEED APPROVE OF THE WORDS OF THE "EATLES SONG h3TRAWBERRY &IELDS v WHICH HAVE BEEN BORROWED FOR THE TITLE OF THIS ARTICLE h.OTHING IS REAL v !FTER SOME INTRODUCTORY OBSERVATIONS CONCERNING THE NOTION OF NOTHINGNESS IN CLASSICAL 7ESTERN PHILOSOPHY IN SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS

AND IN ART AND MODERN PHILOSOPHY THIS PAPER WILL EXPLORE THE CONCEPT OF NOTHINGNESS IN BOTH %ASTERN AND .EAR %ASTERN RELIGIONS PARTICULARLY *UDAISM AND #HRISTIANITY 4HIS WILL LEAD INTO A MORE DETAILED TREATMENT OF THE TEACHINGS OF -EISTER %CKHART WHICH PROMPT SOME REm ECTIONS ON THE 4RINITY &INALLY SOME CONCLUSIONS WILL BE DRAWN AND SOME IMPLICATIONS FOR MISSION SUGGESTED 4HE 3CIENCE OF .OTHING 4HE 7EST HAS LONG HELD AN ANTIPATHY TOWARDS THE NOTION OF NOTHINGNESS 4HE 'REEKS WERE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH IT 0ARMENIDES FOR EXAMPLE ADVANCED A SUBTLE ARGUMENT FOR THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF EMPTY SPACE !RISTOTLE AGREED

AND IT SOON BECAME A TRUISM IN THE ANCIENT WORLD THAT NOTHING CAN PRODUCE NOTHING EX NIHILO NIHIL l T &OR #HRISTIANS CREATION EX NIHILO ENSURED THAT T 'OD HAD OVERCOME THIS BARREN STATE 4HE HORROR VACUI HAS PERSISTED IN PHYSICS AS IN METAPHYSICS 2EGARD ING OUTER SPACE %MPEDOCLES HAD SPOKEN ABOUT THE hETHER v AND THE NOTION THAT SPACE CANNOT BE TRULY EMPTY WAS LONG ASSUMED BY 7ESTERN SCIENTISTS

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h.ATURE ABHORS A VACUUM v 4HEY WERE CONVINCED THAT THE UNIVERSE MUST BE l LLED WITH SOMETHING ALBEIT AN ETHEREAL m UID 0ERHAPS THIS GENERAL DISCOMl TURE WITH NOTHINGNESS IS A CAUSE OF THE LATENESS OF THE ARRIVAL OF THE ZERO SIGN IN 7ESTERN MATHEMATICS 2OMAN NUMERALS HAD NO ZERO SIGN 4HERE IS EVIDENCE THAT THE "ABYLONIANS HAD IT

AS DID THE -AYANS "UT THE THIRD CIVILIZATION TO DISCOVER IT WAS )NDIA AND

IN FACT THE )NDIANS WAY OF WRITING ALL NUMBERS IS USED UNIVERSALLY TODAY !LTHOUGH THE EARLIEST EXAMPLE OF THEIR CIRCULAR ZERO DATES BACK TO # %

THERE IS INDIRECT EVIDENCE THAT THEY MUST HAVE BEEN USING IT AS EARLY AS " # % 3IGNIFICANTLY FOR )NDIA NOTHINGNESS LACKED THE NEGATIVE CONNOTATION THAT IT HELD IN THE 7EST )NDEED IT SEEMS THAT AT l RST A DOT BINDU WAS USED

ONLY LATER BECOMING THE OVAL OR CIRCLE WE ARE ALL FAMILIAR WITH 4HE BINDU SIGNIl ES THE ESSENCE OF THE UNIVERSE BEFORE IT WAS MANIFEST INTO THE WORLD OF APPEARANCE )T IS NOT SHEER NEGATIVITY BUT THE .OTHINGNESS PREGNANT WITH EVERYTHING )N 3ANSKRIT THERE ARE MANY POSITIVE WORDS FOR ZERO FOR EXAMPLE NA COMPLETE ANATAA THE IMMENSITY OF SPACE AND PUR

7ESTERN SCIENTISTS RELUCTANTLY HAD TO ACCEPT !LBERT %INSTEIN S PROOF

RESULTING FROM THE -ICHELSON EXPERIMENT IN THAT NO ETHER l LLS THE IMMENSITY OF SPACE (OWEVER DURING THE LAST TWENTY YEARS A PICTURE THAT IS SYMPATHETIC TO THE %ASTERN PERSPECTIVE HAS DEVELOPED WITH SPACE DEPICTED NOT AS LITERALLY NOTHING BUT AS A QUANTUM VACUUM WHICH IS THE LOWEST POS SIBLE ENERGY STATE BUT A STATE NEVERTHELESS ONE FULL OF POTENTIAL TO BECOME ENERGETIC WITH ANY SMALL DISTURBANCE )N FACT 3TEPHEN (AWKING CONTENDS THAT SOMETHING COULD INDEED COME FROM hNOTHING v SINCE THE UNIVERSE ITSELF EMERGED FROM A QUANTUM m UCTUATION 4HE !RT AND 0HILOSOPHY OF .OTHING IN THE 7EST !S WITH AN EVER LURKING SHADOW THE 7EST HAS LONG BEEN BOTH FASCINATED WITH NOTHINGNESS AND HORRIl ED BY IT &OR EXAMPLE DURING THE 2ENAISSANCE

POETS LOVED TO PLAY WITH THE PARADOX OF NOTHING -ORE MODERN THEMES OF NOTHINGNESS AND MEANINGLESSNESS EMERGED AS %UROPEAN CULTURE BECAME LESS CONl DENT OF THE #HRISTIAN HOPE &OR INSTANCE THE 2ESTORATION POET *OHN 7ILMOT %ARL OF 2OCHESTER n CONTENDED THAT WE COME FROM AND RETURN TO NOTHINGNESS AND THAT HUMAN LIFE IS THEREFORE ABSURD )N HIS POEM h5PON .OTHINGv HE DEVELOPS THE THEME 'REAT .EGATIVE HOW VAINLY WOU D THE 7ISE

%NQUIRE DEl NE DISTINGUISH TEACH DEVISE

$IDST THOU NOT STAND TO POINT THEIR BLIND 0HILOSOPHIES

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4HE PRESENTIMENT OF NOTHINGNESS LIES AT THE HEART OF EXISTENTIAL DESPAIR

WHICH IS STILL A VOICE IN MODERN 7ESTERN CULTURE 4HE TWENTIETH CENTURY %NGLISH POET 4HOM 'UNN PICKS UP 2OCHESTER S THEME IN HIS POEM h4HE !NNIHILATION OF .OTHINGv )T IS DESPAIR THAT NOTHING CANNOT BE &LARES IN THE MIND AND LEAVES A SMOKY MARK /F DREAD ,OOK UPWARD .EITHER l RM NOR FREE 0URPOSELESS MATTER HOVERS IN THE DARK 'UNN S SENSE OF THE CONTINGENCY OF ALL THINGS AND HIS ATTENDANT FEEL ING OF VERTIGO IMMEDIATELY REMINDS ONE OF *EAN 0AUL 3ARTRE S MAJOR WORK , TRE ET .£ANT "EING AND .OTHINGNESS (IS CONCEPT OF N£ANTT IS AMBIVALENT

CONNOTING BOTH THE MEANINGLESS VOID AT THE HEART OF ALL THINGS AND ALSO THE EMPTY SPACE OF POSSIBILITY WHICH ALLOWS FOR HUMAN FREEDOM 4HE FORMER BRINGS A FEELING OF NAUSEA WHILE THE LATTER BRINGS ANGUISH SINCE FOR 3ARTRE

WE ARE CONDEMNED TO FREEDOM IN A PURPOSELESS WORLD 3ARTRE S PHILOSOPHICAL WORK HAS BEEN SEEN AS A GLOSS ON THE WORK OF -ARTIN (EIDEGGER BUT THE TWO MEN DIFFER IN THEIR FOCUS 3ARTRE S INTEREST IS IN THE HUMAN BEING WHEREAS (EIDEGGER SEEKS TO MOVE THROUGH THE HUMAN TO "EING ITSELF MAN IS THE hSHEPHERD OF BEING v 'RADUALLY (EIDEGGER TRAVELED FROM HIS #HRISTIAN ORIGINS WHERE 'OD IS VIEWED AS THE GROUND OF OUR BEING

TO A MORE %ASTERN PERSPECTIVE HE BECAME FAMILIAR WITH "UDDHIST AND $AO IST TEXTS THROUGHOUT THE S AND S (E MAINTAINED THAT "EING CANNOT BE ROOTED IN SOMETHING MORE ULTIMATE AN ERROR HE CALLED hONTOTHEOLOGY v "UT "EING HE INSISTED IS NOT TO BE HELD ALONGSIDE BEINGS )N THE SENSE THAT IT IS NO THING IT MAY ALSO BE DESIGNATED .OTHING )N (EIDEGGER PRESENTED HIS 7HAT )S -ETAPHYSICS AS HIS INAUGURAL LECTURE AT THE 5NIVERSITY OF &REIBERG )N IT HE ARGUED THAT SCIENCE IS CONCERNED SOLELY WITH VARIOUS ASPECTS OF EXISTING ENTITIES AND NOTHING ELSE )T IS THIS REMAINDER THAT IS THE PROVINCE OF METAPHYSICAL PHILOSOPHY 9ET NOTHING DIRECT CAN BE SAID ABOUT IT FOR DESCRIPTIONS BELONG TO THE WORLD OF BEINGS (OWEVER HE CLAIMED THAT THIS hNOTHING ELSEv CAN BE EXISTENTIALLY ENCOUN TERED IN PARTICULAR MOODS WHICH ARE NOT RESPONSES TO INDIVIDUAL ENTITIES

BUT WHICH ENCOMPASS THE WHOLE OF REALITY (E HAD IN MIND SUCH MOODS AS BOREDOM JOY AND MOST POWERFULLY ANGST !NXIETY ROBS US OF SPEECH "ECAUSE BEINGS AS A WHOLE SLIP AWAY SO THAT JUST THE NOTHING CROWDS ROUND IN THE FACE OF ANXIETY ALL UTTER ANCE OF THE hISv FALLS SILENT 4HAT IN THE MALAISE OF ANXIETY WE OFTEN TRY TO SHATTER THE VACANT STILLNESS WITH COMPULSIVE TALK ONLY PROVES

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THE PRESENCE OF THE NOTHING )N THE LUCID VISION SUSTAINED BY FRESH REMEMBRANCE WE MUST SAY THAT THAT IN THE FACE OF WHICH AND FOR WHICH WE WERE ANXIOUS WAS hREALLYv NOTHING )NDEED THE NOTHING ITSELFÂ&#x2C6;AS SUCHÂ&#x2C6;WAS THERE (EIDEGGER CONTENDED THAT SOMETHING PARADOXICAL HAPPENS AT THIS POINT 4HE AGENT FEELS REPELLED BY THE NOTHINGNESS OF "EING BUT THIS RETREAT RESULTS IN REVELATION AS ALL THINGS ARE PUT BACK IN PLACE WITH THEIR STRANGE UNIQUE NESS LAID BARE !S THE REPELLING GESTURE TOWARD THE RETREATING WHOLE OF BEINGS IT DIS CLOSES THESE BEINGS IN THEIR FULL BUT HERETOFORE CONCEALED STRANGENESS AS WHAT IS RADICALLY OTHERÂ&#x2C6;WITH RESPECT TO THE NOTHING )N THE CLEAR NIGHT OF THE NOTHING OF ANXIETY THE ORIGINAL OPENNESS OF BEINGS AS SUCH ARISES THAT THEY ARE BEINGSÂ&#x2C6;AND NOT NOTHING 4HIS INSIGHT DROVE (EIDEGGER TO RECAST THE ,ATIN TAG h%X NIHILO NIHIL l Tvv TO h%X NIHILO OMNE ENS QUA ENS l T v IMPLYING THAT ALL ENTITIES ARE THE MANIFESTATIONS OF THE MYSTERIOUS NO THING (E ENDED HIS LECTURE h7HAT )S -ETAPHYSICS v BY STRESSING THAT IT IS IMPORTANT THAT hWE RELEASE OURSELVES INTO THE NOTHING WHICH IS TO SAY THAT WE LIBERATE OURSELVES FROM THOSE IDOLS EVERYONE HAS AND TO WHICH ONE IS WONT TO GO CRINGING v (EIDEGGER WAS A SEMINAL l GURE AND SUBSEQUENT PHILOSOPHY MAY BE SEEN AS WITH 3ARTRE S TO BE BOTH AN EXTENSION AND A REJECTION OF (EIDEGGER S CENTRAL INTUITION 0OSTMODERN &RENCH PHILOSOPHERS LIKE *ACQUES $ERRIDA

FOR EXAMPLE WHILE DEPARTING FROM (EIDEGGER S ESSENTIALISM HAVE ALSO DIS TRUSTED THE NOTION OF THE OMNI COMPETENCE OF REASON AND THEY AGREE THAT LANGUAGE MUST FAIL IN THE FACE OF THE WHOLLY OTHER 4HEY ARE ALSO CONCERNED WITH THE MYSTERIOUS FACE OF ALTERITY ABOUT WHICH NOTHING CAN BE SAID )N FACT IN HIS l NAL WRITINGS $ERRIDA BECAME FASCINATED BY APOPHATIC THEOL OGY 2UTH "RADLEY EXPLICATES THEIR CONTENTION THUS h4HE ABSOLUTE OTHER IS SOMETHING UNFORESEEN SINGULAR OR IRREGULAR THAT SHATTERS OUR HORIZONS OF EXPECTATION AND EXCEEDS OUR ATTEMPTS TO UNDERSTAND IT v 3HE GOES ON TO SUGGEST THAT 'OD IS FOR THE THEIST THE SUPREME EXAMPLE OF THIS 4HE FULLNESS OF 'OD S BEING HYPERBOLICALLY EXCEEDS ALL CONCEPTUALITY 'OD IS A hSATURATED PHENOMENONv WHICH BEDAZZLES US AND BLINDS US 'OD IS THE SUPREME EX AMPLE OF ALTERITY .OTHINGNESS IN THE %AST 4HE %AST HAS A GREAT AFl NITY WITH MYSTERY SILENCE AND INEFFABILITY 4HIS CAN BE ILLUSTRATED FROM THE (INDU NOTION OF NIRGUNA "RAHMAN THE INEFFABLE

UNMANIFEST ELEMENT IN 'OD TO THE $AOIST CONCEPT OF ULTIMATE REALITY AS >HHJ: D8ID7:G

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UNNAMABLE !S LONG AGO AS THE FOURTH CENTURY " # % THE $AODEJINGG LAID DOWN THE THEME IN ITS l RST CHAPTER %VERYTHING IN THE UNIVERSE COMES OUT OF .OTHING .OTHINGÂ&#x2C6;THE NAMELESS IS THE BEGINNING &OLLOW THE NOTHINGNESS OF THE $AO

AND YOU CAN BE LIKE IT NOT NEEDING ANYTHING

SEEING THE WONDER AT THE ROOT OF EVERYTHING !ND AGAIN IN THE FOURTH CHAPTER 4HE $AO POURS OUT EVERYTHING INTO LIFEÂ&#x2C6; )T IS A CORNUCOPIA THAT NEVER RUNS DRY )T IS THE DEEP SOURCE OF EVERYTHINGÂ&#x2C6; IT IS NOTHING YET IN EVERYTHING 4HIS TRADITION HAD AN IMPORTANT INm UENCE ON THE WAY -AHAYANA "UD DHISM DEVELOPED IN THE DIRECTION OF :EN )N "UDDHIST THOUGHT WE MEET THE SAME PARADOX AS IN (EIDEGGER THAT "EING AND .OTHINGNESS ARE CORRELATES

THE ONE PREGNANT WITH THE OTHER 4HERE IS EMPTINESS IN FULLNESS AND FULL NESS IN EMPTINESS 4O BE SURE HOWEVER THE %ASTERN SENSIBILITY PUTS THE AC CENT ON THE NEGATIVEÂ&#x2C6;THE 6OID 4HE *APANESE AESTHETIC FOR EXAMPLE l NDS GREAT BEAUTY IN MAÂ&#x2C6;IN EMPTY SPACES AND SILENCES 4HE TWENTIETH CENTURY A COMPOSER 4ORU 4AKEMITSU HAS WRITTEN h) D LIKE TO PRODUCE SOUNDS THAT ARE AS INTENSE AS SILENCE v 4HE TEA CEREMONY SADO IS MARKED BY SIMPLICITY AND SILENCE -EANING DISCERNED IN THE UNARTICULATED IS PRIZED IN ART FORMS SUCH AS HAIKU AND LANDSCAPE PAINTING 4HE WAYS DO OF CALLIGRAPHY SHODO AND m OWER ARRANGEMENT KADO EMPHASIZE SOMBER QUIETUDE FROM WHICH PROFOUND CREATIVITY EMERGES )NDIVIDUALS OF FEW WORDS TEND TO BE TRUSTED MORE THAN LOQUACIOUS PEOPLE "UT THE "UDDHIST 6OID MUST NOT BE UNDERSTOOD SIMPLY AS REIl ED .OTH

INGNESS 3| UNYATA EMERGED AS A KEY CONCEPT IN THE 0ERFECTION OF 7ISDOM M SUTRAS DURING THE l RST CENTURY " # % 0ONDERING THIS WORK THE )NDIAN PHILOSOPHER .AGARJUNA PRODUCED THE CLASSIC EXPOSITION OF THE NOTION DURING THE FOL LOWING CENTURY (E TAUGHT NOT THAT .OTHING EXISTS AS AN ULTIMATE ENTITY BUT RATHER THAT NO THING INCLUDING THE SELF HAS INDEPENDENT SELF EXISTENCEÂ&#x2C6;A POINT THAT HE STRESSED IN ORDER TO DETER HUMAN ATTACHMENT BOTH TO PEOPLE AND OBJECTS AND ALSO TO THE SELF

F FOR NONE OF THESE POSSESSES AN INTRINSIC

ESSENCE )N 7ESTERN TERMS .AGARJUNA AND THE "UDDHA BEFORE HIM WERE ANTI 0LATONISTS 4HEY WOULD HAVE SIDED WITH THE NOMINALISTS RATHER THAN

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THE REALISTS IN THE MEDIEVAL DEBATE ,ATTERLY THEY WOULD HAVE FOUND AFl NITY WITH THE POSTMODERN CONSTRUCTIVIST EPISTEMOLOGY AND WITH THE ,ACANIAN

NOTION OF THE DECENTERED SELF .AGARJUNA DID NOT ENVISAGE EVEN NIRVANA AS AN INDEPENDENT TRANSCENDENTAL REALITY FOR IT IS DISCOVERABLE NOT BEYOND BUT WITHIN EVERYDAY LIFE )N THE FAMOUS PHRASE BELOVED IN THE :EN TRADI

TION h.IRVANA IS SAMSARA v /R AS THE (EART 3UTRAA FOURTH CENTURY # % MEMORABLY STATES &ORM IS EMPTINESS AND THE VERY EMPTINESS IS FORM EMPTINESS DOES NOT DIFFER FROM FORM FORM DOES NOT DIFFER FROM EMPTINESS WHATEVER IS FORM THIS IS EMPTINESS WHATEVER IS EMPTINESS THAT IS FORM 4HE SAME IS TRUE OF FEELINGS PERCEPTIONS IMPULSES AND CONSCIOUSNESS A EMPTY DERIVES FROM THE ROOT )NTERESTINGLY THE 3ANSKRIT WORD |SUNYA SVI WHICH MEANS hTO SWELL v AND THIS HAS BEEN INTERPRETED TO SIGNIFY THAT JUST AS SWOLLEN OBJECTS APPEAR FULL FROM THE OUTSIDE BUT ARE EMPTY WITHIN

SO IT IS WITH ALL REALITY #ONVENTIONAL PERCEPTION OBSERVES WHAT APPEARS TO BE THE BUSTLING INTERACTION OF THINGS NOUNS WHEREAS THE ENLIGHTENED EYE SEES ONE ENDLESS PROCESS OF WHICH THEY THEMSELVES ARE A PART VERB )T IS AN ADDICTION OF THE MIND TO LABEL THINGS AND TO SEEK TO hOWNv THEM EITHER BY DEl NING THEM OR BY ACTUALLY POSSESSING THEM )N CONTRAST THE $ALAI ,AMA USES A COLLOQUIAL 4IBETAN EXPRESSION WHICH MAY BE ROUGHLY TRANSLATED AS h4HERE IS NO l NGER POINTING PLACE v OR AS WE MIGHT SAY h4HERE S NOTHING YOU CAN PUT YOUR l NGER ON v /NCE THIS IS REALIZED NOT INTELLECTUALLY BUT WITH ALL ONE S BEING ENLIGHTENMENT OCCURS !T THIS POINT "UDDHIST TEACHING RESEMBLES IDEAS FOUND IN THE (EIDEGGER LECTURE ALREADY DISCUSSED 4HE TWO ARE IN AGREEMENT THAT THIS EXPERIENCE OF .OTHING CAN BE PAINFUL :EN "UD DHISTS SPEAK OF A hLITTLE DEATHv BUT BOTH ALSO STRESS THAT THE CONSEQUENCE IS TO SEE ALL PHENOMENA IN THEIR STRANGE VIVID MYSTERIOUS hTHUSNESSv AND THAT IN THE AWARENESS OF THE hNON SELF v ONE IS IN TOUCH WITH DEEP RESERVOIRS OF CREATIVITY )NTENSE MEDITATION IS A KEY TO THIS 4HE $AODEJING SAYS ,IKE A LAKE THE HEART MUST BE CALM AND QUIET HAVING GREAT DEPTH BENEATH IT !S THE RUFm ING SURFACE OF THE WATER IS STILLED ONE CAN BECOME AWARE OF THE VAST DEEP 4HE EMPTINESS OF THE 6OID IS A KIND OF TRANSPARENCY OR PORTAL INTO THE IMMENSITY OF "EING )N THE WORDS OF THE :EN TEACHER $ 4 3UZUKI

h:ERO EQUALS INl NITY v 3| UNYATA IS EMPHATICALLY THEREFORE NOT A THING !S $OUGLAS $ $AYE HAS WRITTEN h%MPTINESS IS A NON REFERRING WORD ABOUT REFERRING WORDS v /R TO QUOTE 4HICH .HAT (ANH

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4HE NOTION OF EMPTINESS |SUNYATA CAN LIBERATE US FROM BELIEF IN A SELF "UT THEN IF WE ARE NOT VIGILANT WE CAN GET CAUGHT IN THE NOTION OF EMPTINESS WHICH IS EVEN A BIGGER PROBLEM 4O GIVE US A SECOND

CHANCE THE "UDDHA OFFERED THE NOTION OF NON EMPTINESS A|SUNYATA )F WE ARE ABLE TO SEE THAT EMPTINESS AND NON EMPTINESS POINT TO THE SAME REALITY BOTH NOTIONS WILL BE TRANSCENDED AND WE WILL TOUCH THE WORLD THAT IS FREE FROM NOTIONS AND CONCEPTS /R AGAIN &RANCIS ( #OOK IS HELPFUL WHEN HE WRITES

4HINGS EXIST BY VIRTUE OF THEIR TRUE EMPTINESS )F THINGS WERE NOT EMPTY OF A SUBSTANCE OR ESSENCE THEY COULD NOT EXIST EVEN FOR A SECOND CONVERSELY WITHOUT THINGS THERE CAN BE NO EMPTINESS .OTHINGNESS IN THE .EAR %AST /NE WOULD EXPECT THE GREAT MONOTHEISTIC RELIGIONS TO DISASSOCIATE THEM SELVES FROM THE KIND OF LANGUAGE ALREADY EXAMINED AND INDEED THERE HAS BEEN AN EMPHASIS ON POSITIVE UTTERANCES ABOUT 'OD CULMINATING IN DETAILED DOGMA AND THE GREAT CREEDS .EVERTHELESS WITHIN *UDAISM #HRISTIANITY AND INDEED )SLAM AL 'HAZALI FOR EXAMPLE ONE ALSO DISCOVERS STRANDS OF THOUGHT THAT ALSO EXPLOIT THE CONCEPT OF NOTHINGNESS )N SOME CASES THE NOTION REFERS TO THE INDESCRIBABILITY OF 'OD AND IN OTHER CASES TO A MORE ONTOLOGICALLY RADICAL PRIMORDIAL DIVINE ABYSS 4HE GREAT *EWISH PHILOSOPHER -AIMONIDES FOR INSTANCE EMPHASIZED THE INEFFABILITY OF 'OD AND RECOMMENDED APOPHATIC LANGUAGE TO DESCRIBE HIM h'OD EXISTS BUT NOT THROUGH EXISTENCE v )N THE *EWISH MYSTICISM OF MEDIEVAL +ABBALA EVERYTHING EMERGES FROM THE DIVINE ABYSS OF AYIN NOTHINGNESS AND l NALLY RETURNS THERE 4HE HEART OF 'OD IS THE EIN SOF OR THE UNMANIFESTED AND IT IS FROM THIS IMPERSONAL SOURCE THAT THE PERSONAL MANIFESTATIONS SEl ROT T EMERGE )N THE (EBREW OF THE /LD 4ESTAMENT THE WORD AYIN N CAN MEAN hWHEREv AS WELL AS hNOTHINGNESS v AS IN THE RHETORICAL QUESTION POSED IN *OB h7HERE IS WISDOM TO BE FOUND v "UT THE THIR TEENTH CENTURY +ABBALIST !SHER BEN $AVID INTERPRETS THE VERSE OTHERWISE h$IVINE WISDOM COMES INTO BEING OUT OF NOTHINGNESS v .EO 0LATONISM LIES BEHIND MUCH OF THIS TEACHING 0LOTINUS WAS A MASTER OF NEGATIVE THEOLOGY (E DESCRIBED THE SUPREME /NE AS hSOMETHING HIGHER THAN WHAT WE CALL @BEING v (IS INm UENCE WAS FAR REACHING BOTH AMONG SUCH 'NOSTICS AS "ASILIDES WHO SPEAKS OF THE hNAMELESS NONEXISTENT 'OD v AND AMONG MORE MAINSTREAM #HRISTIANS THROUGH THE IMMENSELY SIGNIl CANT WRITINGS OF THE l FTH CENTURY 3YRIAN MONK WHO CALLED HIMSELF $IONYSIUS THE !REOPAGITE $IONYSIUS DESCRIBES 'OD AS HYPEROUSION BEYOND BEING

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%ARLIER IN WHAT IS NOW EASTERN 4URKEY THE #APPADOCIANS HAD ATTEMPTED TO LINK ORTHODOX THEOLOGY WITH THE APOPHATIC &OR BIBLICAL WARRANT 'REGORY OF .YSSA HAD TURNED TO %XODUS WHICH DESCRIBES -OSES ENTERING THE THICK DARKNESS TO l ND 'OD 'REGORY COMMENTS &OR IT IS PRECISELY IN THIS THAT TRUE KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT IS SOUGHT CONSISTS

THAT IS IN NOT SEEING BECAUSE WE SEEK WHAT LIES BEYOND ALL KNOWLEDGE

SHROUDED BY INCOMPREHENSIBILITY IN ALL DIRECTIONS AS IT WERE BY SOME CLOUD )N GENERAL THE %ASTERN #HURCH WAS CHARACTERIZED BY A SENSE OF THE AWESOME MYSTERY OF 'OD AND ITS NATURAL THEISTIC LANGUAGE WAS APOPHATIC (OWEVER WHEN THE NINTH CENTURY )RISH PHILOSOPHER *OHN 3COTUS %RIGENA BROUGHT THE NEGATIVE WAY INTO THE ,ATIN SPEAKING CHURCH IT WAS UNDER THE INm UENCE OF THE WRITINGS OF THE PSEUDO $IONYSIUS WHOSE WORKS 3COTUS TRANSLATED FROM 'REEK INTO ,ATIN 4HIS WAS AN )RISHMAN WHO APPLIED THE APPELLATION hNIHILv TO 'OD )N THE TWELFTH CENTURY THE 6ICTORINES (UGH 7ALTER AND 6ICTOR DIS SEMINATED .EO 0LATONISM AND IN THE THIRTEENTH CENTURY WE l ND 4HOMAS !QUINAS PICKING UP ON THE NEGATIVE THEOLOGY OF THE PSEUDO $IONYSIUS IN HIS DISCUSSION OF THE DIVINE ATTRIBUTES 3UMMA 4HEOLOGICA

)T IS PRECISELY BECAUSE )A ,ATER WE DISCOVER .ICHOLAS OF #USA CONTINUING THE TRADITION OF THE VIA NEGATIVA IN IN HIS $IALOGUS DE DEO ABSCONDITO $IALOGUE ON THE (IDDEN 'OD FOR THE #HRISTIAN DOES NOT EXAMPLE HE RECOMMENDED THE KIND OF hLEARNED IGNO RANCEv THAT 3OCRATES DISPLAYED )N .ICHOLAS OF #USA S KNOW THAT HE IS DRIVEN $IALOGUS A PAGAN ASKS A #HRISTIAN HOW HE CAN WORSHIP WHAT HE DOES NOT KNOW AND THE #HRISTIAN REPLIES THAT IT TO WORSHIP IS PRECISELY BECAUSE HE DOES NOT KNOW THAT HE IS DRIVEN TO WORSHIP 7ITH THIS RICH ANCIENT BACKGROUND IN MIND IT IS PERHAPS SURPRISING THAT THE THOUGHT OF 0AUL 4ILLICH AND OTHERSÂ&#x2C6;CRYSTALLIZED IN *OHN 2OBINSON S CONTROVERSIAL BOOK (ONEST TO 'ODÂ&#x2C6;CAUSED SUCH A STIR IN THE S EVEN D THOUGH ADMITTEDLY 4ILLICH S LANGUAGE CAN BE STRIKINGLY UNCOMPROMISING (E WRITES h'OD DOES NOT EXIST (E IS BEYOND ESSENCE AND EXISTENCE 4HEREFORE

TO ARGUE THAT 'OD EXISTS IS TO DENY HIM v 4HE EXPERIENCE OF NOTHINGNESS IS ALSO FOUND IN THE #HRISTIAN TRADITION 4HE SIXTEENTH CENTURY 3PANISH MYSTIC 3T *OHN OF THE #ROSS FOR INSTANCE

TAUGHT THAT WE MUST BECOME NOTHING NADA IN ORDER THAT 'OD MAY BECOME ALL TODA TO US 4HIS PROCESS INVOLVES BOTH THE DARK NIGHT OF THE SENSES

WHERE ONE BECOMES PROGRESSIVELY DETACHED FROM WORLDLY AMBITIONS AND PLEASURES AND ALSO THE DARK NIGHT OF THE SPIRIT WHERE ONE BECOMES DE >HHJ: D8ID7:G

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TACHED FROM THE DESIRE FOR SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES AND ECSTASIES !S 0AUL HAD DISCOVERED LONG BEFORE #OR *OHN OF THE #ROSS TAUGHT THAT WHEN WE BECOME DETACHED FROM ALL THINGS PARADOXICALLY THEY RETURN FOR OUR MAXIMUM APPRECIATION )N OUR OWN DAY -ATTHEW &OX SPEAKS OF THE CREATIVE POTENTIAL INHERENT IN THE EXPERIENCE OF INNER NOTHINGNESS WHICH WE NATURALLY SHY AWAY FROM BECAUSE IT IS OFTEN THE RESULT OF EMOTIONAL PAIN OR GENERAL PERPLEXITY (E CALLS IT A HOLY STATE FOR hITS PRESENCE WILL CHANGE US IN UNFATHOMABLE AND SURPRISING WAYS 7E SHALL BE RECREATED AS EVERYTHING IS CREATED EX NIHILO FROM THE NOTHINGNESS v &OX THEN PENS A STRIKING SENTENCE THAT ECHOES THE (EART 3UTRA h4HE VOID IS SIMPLY THE CONCAVE SURFACE WHOSE CONVEX IS COSMOS v -EISTER %CKHART $URING A RECENT VISIT TO *APAN IT WAS OF GREAT INTEREST TO THIS AUTHOR THAT AN EMINENT :EN MASTER WHOM HE INTERVIEWED WANTED TO SPEND THE ALLOTTED HOUR TALKING ABOUT THE THIRTEENTH CENTURY $OMINICAN FRIAR -EISTER %CKHART &URTHER RESEARCH REVEALED THAT THERE HAS BEEN A LONG HISTORY OF RELATING THE &LEMISH MYSTIC TO %ASTERN THOUGHT 2UDOLF /TTO S VOLUME -YSTICISM %AST AND 7EST FOR EXAMPLE ARGUED FOR A CONSIDERABLE OVERLAP BETWEEN | %CKHART S THINKING AND THAT OF THE NON DUALIST (INDU PHILOSOPHER 3ANKARA T $ 4 3UZUKI S BOOK -YSTICISM #HRISTIAN AND "UDDHIST GOES SO FAR AS TO CLAIM THAT %CKHART HAD EXPERIENCES OF :EN ENLIGHTENMENT 3UZUKI ADDS

7HATEVER INm UENCE %CKHART MIGHT HAVE RECEIVED FROM THE *EW ISH -AIMONIDES !RABIC !VICENNA AND .EO 0LATONIC SOURCES

THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT HE HAD HIS ORIGINAL VIEWS BASED ON HIS OWN EXPERIENCE THEOLOGICAL AND OTHERWISE AND THAT THEY WERE SINGULARLY -AHAYANISTIC 3UZUKI ALSO EXPLICITLY EQUATES %CKHART S NOTION OF THE 'ODHEAD WITH THE $AO (OWEVER POSTMODERN AND POST LIBERAL THEOLOGIANS HAVE BEEN HELPFUL IN WARNING AGAINST THE DANGER OF ATTEMPTING TO DOMESTICATE ALIEN VOICES INTO OUR OWN META NARRATIVE INSISTING RATHER THAT WE ALLOW THEM TO SPEAK ON THEIR OWN TERMS OF THEIR OWN SINGULAR CONCERNS 4HERE HAVE BEEN SOME LUDI CROUS ATTEMPTS TO ADOPT %CKHART AS A KIND OF VENTRILOQUIST S DUMMY !RTHUR 3CHOPENHAUER FOR EXAMPLE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER THAN TO WRITE 7HAT "UDDHA %CKHART AND ) TEACH IS ESSENTIALLY THE SAME THOUGH %CKHART IS BURDENED BY THE FETTERS OF HIS #HRISTIAN MYTHOLOGY )N "UDDHISM THE SAME IDEAS EXIST UNTARNISHED BY ANY SUCH MYTHOLOGY

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AND THUS THEY ARE SIMPLE AND CLEAR IN SO FAR AS ANY RELIGION CAN BE CLEAR "UT IN MY WORK THERE EXISTS TOTAL CLARITY )N CONTRAST IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT %CKHART S THOUGHT IS DEEPLY EMBEDDED IN MEDIEVAL #ATHOLIC SCHOLASTICISM AND IS FERVENTLY 4RINITARIAN AND #HRISTOCENTRIC .EVERTHELESS HE DID HAVE TO FACE THE PROSPECT OF TRIAL ON SUSPICION OF HERESY HE DIED BEFORE THE HEARING (IS LANGUAGE IS OFTEN SHOCKING FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF TRADITIONAL #HRISTIAN THOUGHT AND IT DOES INDEED SOMETIMES SEEM CLOSER TO THE "UDDHIST THEMES ALREADY DISCUSSED )N THE FOLLOWING PASSAGE FOR EXAMPLE %CKHART DRAWS ON HIS DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE ENERGETIC MANIFEST ELEMENT OF 'OD AND THE TRANSCENDENT 'ODHEAD WHICH HE SEVERALLY DESCRIBES AS hBEING v hINTELLECT v hTHE /NEv AS IN 0LOTINUS AND h.OTHINGNESSv 'OD WORKS THE 'ODHEAD DOES NOT WORK THERE IS NOTHING TO DO IN IT IS NO ACTIVITY )T NEVER ENVISAGED ANY WORK 7HEN ) GO BACK INTO THE GROUND INTO THE DEPTHS INTO THE WELLSPRING OF THE 'ODHEAD NO ONE WILL ASK ME WHENCE ) CAME OR WHITHER ) WENT .O ONE MISSED ME 'OD PASSES AWAY )T SEEMS THEREFORE THAT FOR %CKHART THE TRINITY IS PENULTIMATE FOR THE SOUL hWANTS TO GET INTO ITS SIMPLE GROUND INTO THE SILENT DESERT INTO WHICH NO DISTINCTION EVER PEEPED OF &ATHER 3ON OR (OLY 'HOST v &OR %CKHART THERE IS NOT ONLY A DEEP MYSTERY IN THE 'ODHEAD WHICH HE DESCRIBES IN SUCH TERMS AS hDARKNESSv AND hDESERT v BUT ALSO IN THE HEART OF THE HUMAN SOUL WHICH IS A hSPARKv THAT IS CONNECTED TO THE PROFOUND ENERGIES OF 'OD WHO DRAWS THE SOUL TO HIMSELF 7HEN 'OD l NDS A NAUGHTED SOUL WHOSE SELF AND WHOSE ACTIVITY HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO NAUGHT BY MEANS OF GRACE 'OD WORKS HIS ETERNAL WORK IN HER ABOVE GRACE RAISING HER OUT OF HER CREATED NATURE (ERE 'OD NAUGHTS HIMSELF IN THE SOUL AND THEN NEITHER 'OD NOR SOUL IS LEFT "E SURE THAT THIS IS 'OD INDEED (ERE AGAIN IN OUR STUDY WE l ND ULTIMATE REALITY EQUATED WITH .OTHING )T IS NOTEWORTHY WHAT ELEMENT OF THE BIBLICAL ACCOUNT OF THE CONVERSION OF 0AUL THAT %CKHART PICKS OUT FOR COMMENT h@0AUL ROSE FROM THE GROUND AND WITH OPEN EYES SAW NOTHING (E SAW NOTHING THAT IS 'OD v )T IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE HOWEVER THAT %CKHART S PROLIl C WRITING IS HIGHLY PARADOXICAL OTHER PASSAGES COULD BE CITED TO GIVE A VERY DIFFERENT IMPRESSION

FOR EXAMPLE THAT THE TRINITY IS INHERENT IN THE 'ODHEAD "UT HOW MUCH OF THAT WAS DETERMINED BY THE PRESSURE TO REMAIN ORTHODOX RATHER THAN BY THE POWER OF HIS INTENSE EXPERIENCES IS OPEN TO QUESTION

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4HE 4RINITY ,ET US FOLLOW THE THEME OF A PENULTIMATE 4RINITY A LITTLE FURTHER 4HE NOTION OF TRES PERSONAEE IN THE DEBATE OF THE EARLY #HURCH CONCERNING THE 4RINITY HAS AN AMBIGUOUS RESONANCE 4HE %ASTERN #HURCH TENDED TO UNDERSTAND THE 4RINITY AS SOMETHING LIKE THREE DIVINE PERSONS SUCH THAT THE #APPA DOCIAN &ATHERS HAD TO DEFEND THEMSELVES AGAINST THE PERCEPTION THAT THEY WERE ADVOCATING TRI THEISM !LTERNATIVELY THE TERM HAS BEEN UNDERSTOOD MORE AS THREE THEATRICAL MASKS WITH THE THOUGHT THAT 'OD IS SEEN BY US IN TRI PERSONAL TERMS WHEREAS HE IN HIMSELF TRANSCENDS THESE CATEGORIES 4HUS !UGUSTINE S FAMOUS PHRASE h!S SEEN AND THOUGHT 'OD IS THREE BUT AS SEEING AND THINKING 'OD IS ONE v !UGUSTINE S TYPE OF APPROACH WAS LARGELY ADOPTED BY !QUINAS AND !NSELM AND MORE RECENTLY BY +ARL "ARTH +ARL 2AHNER AND +EITH 7ARD )N HIS BOOK 2ELIGION AND .OTHINGNESS +EIJI .ISHITANI OPENS UP AN IN TERESTING LINE OF INQUIRY WHEN HE REm ECTS ON WHETHER IT IS SENSIBLE TO SPEAK IN PARADOXES OF AN hIMPERSONALLY PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPv WITH 'OD OR TO PUT IT ANOTHER WAY A hPERSONALLY IMPERSONALv ONE .ISHITANI IS PARTICU LARLY INTERESTED IN !UGUSTINE S TREATMENT OF THE PERSON OF THE (OLY 3PIRIT

WHOM !UGUSTINE PRESENTS AS THE VERY LOVE OF 'OD ITSELF I E AN APPARENTLY ABSTRACT AND THEREFORE IMPERSONAL QUALITY THAT IS AN hIMPERSONAL PERSONv OR A hPERSONAL NON PERSON v 4HUS .ISHITANI SEES DEEP IN THE #HRISTIAN TRADITION A SENSE OF THE NON PERSONAL HEART OF 'OD )T SEEMS THAT THIS INTERPRETATION OF !UGUSTINE THAT MOST INm UENTIAL AND REVERED 7ESTERN THEOLOGIAN IS CORRECT -ANY MODERN THEOLOGIANS WANT TO DISTANCE THEMSELVES FROM THIS ELEMENT IN !UGUSTINE S THOUGHT HOWEVER #OLIN 'UNTON FOR INSTANCE ACCUSES !UGUSTINE OF FAILING TO ACCEPT THE CEN TRAL INSIGHT OF THE #APPADOCIANS NAMELY THAT 'OD S ESSENCE IS PERSONAL COMMUNION SUCH THAT FOR !UGUSTINE 'OD IS AN hESSENTIALLY SINGULAR DEITY FOR WHOM COMMUNITY IS EPIPHENOMENAL v &OR 'UNTON THE COROLLARY THAT 'OD S ONTOLOGICAL FOUNDATION IS IMPERSONAL IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE *Ã&#x201C;RGEN -OLTMANN SHARES 'UNTON S APPROACH h4HE DIVINE @SUBSTANCE CAN ONLY BE SEARCHED FOR IN THE COMMUNITY OF THE THREE DIVINE PERSONS AND THIS IS UNSELl SH SURRENDERING LOVE v "UT IF !UGUSTINE S APPROACHÂ&#x2C6;AND THE APPROACHES TAKEN BY OTHER THEOLOGIANS OF THE 7ESTERN TRADITIONÂ&#x2C6;ARE COR RECT THEN A BRIDGE MAY EXIST BETWEEN THEIR VIEWS AND SOME OF THE INTUITIONS EXPRESSED IN "UDDHISM AND IN %CKHART 4O PRESENT AS ORTHODOX THIS VIEW OF 'ODÂ&#x2C6;THAT THE THREE PERSONS ARE A PENULTIMATE REALITY OR IN +ANTIAN TERMS THAT THEY ARE PHENOMENOLOGICAL RATHER THEN NOUMENOLOGICALÂ&#x2C6;WOULD ALSO BENEl T #HRISTIAN -USLIM DIA LOGUE 4HE SOCIAL TRINITY APPROACH WHICH MAINTAINS THAT 'OD IS ESSENTIALLY A

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COMMUNION OF THREE CENTERS OF CONSCIOUSNESS CONSTITUTES A REAL STUMBLING BLOCK TO THAT DIALOGUE !S THE RENOWNED -USLIM SCHOLAR 3EYYED (OSSEIN .ASR WRITES

.EEDLESS TO SAY )SLAM WOULD ACCEPT AN INTERPRETATION OF THE 4RINITY WHICH WOULD NOT IN ANY WAY COMPROMISE $IVINE 5NITY ONE WHICH WOULD CONSIDER THE PERSONS OF THE 4RINITY TO BE h!SPECTSv OR h.AMESv OF 'OD STANDING BELOW (IS %SSENCE WHICH BEING THE !BSOLUTE MUST BE /NE WITHOUT CONDITION AND ABOVE ALL RELATIONS 3OME 2Em ECTIONS 4HE CONCEPT OF NOTHINGNESS APPEARS IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS IN PHILOSOPHY AND THEOLOGY !S WE HAVE SEEN THERE IS THE NOTHINGNESS OF MEANINGLESSNESS IN 3ARTRE THE PERSONAL NOTHINGNESS OF HUMILITY IN 3T *OHN OF THE #ROSS THE SUBSTANCELESS NOTHINGNESS OF THE WORLD IN "UDDHISM THE EPISTEMOLOGICAL NOTHINGNESS OF A 'OD WHO TRANSCENDS ALL OUR ABILITY TO CONCEPTUALIZE HIM E G IN %ASTERN /RTHODOXY AND THEN THE ONTOLOGICAL NOTHINGNESS OF THE 'OD WHO IS INNATELY INCOMPREHENSIBLE AND BEYOND BEING E G IN .EO 0LATONISM /NE MIGHT ADD THE NEAT IDEA OF %CKHART THAT THE UNIVERSE ITSELF IS MADE OF NOTHING SINCE IT WAS CREATED OUT OF NOTHING EX NIHILO 4HEN THERE IS $IETRICH "ONHOEFFER S CONTENTION OF DIVINE ABSENCE FROM THE WORLD

WHICH HE SEES AS A MANIFESTATION OF DIVINE HUMILITY h"EFORE 'OD AND WITH 'OD WE LIVE WITHOUT 'OD v 0ERHAPS MOST POIGNANT OF THEM ALL IS 3Â&#x2019;REN +IERKEGAARD WHO KEENLY EXPERIENCES THE ABSENCE OF 'OD NOT BECAUSE HE JOURNEYS TOO CLOSE AS WITH %CKHART BUT BECAUSE OF 'OD S UTTER TRANSCEN DENCE +IERKEGAARD CONTRASTS HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS WHICH BECOME MORE INTIMATE AS THE RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPS WITH HIS RELATIONSHIP TO 'OD 4HE LONGER ONE LIVES WITH HIM THE MORE INl NITE HE BECOMESÂ&#x2C6;AND THE SMALLER ONE BECOMES ONESELF !LAS AS A CHILD IT SEEMED AS THOUGH 'OD AND MAN COULD PLAY TOGETHER !LAS IN YOUTH ONE DREAMED THAT IF ONE REALLY TRIED WITH ALL THE PASSION OF A MAN IN LOVE THE RELATIONSHIP MIGHT YET BE BROUGHT INTO BEING !LAS AS A MAN ONE DISCOVERS HOW INl NITE 'OD IS AND THE INl NITE DISTANCE 4HIS IS THE EDUCATION 'OD IS SUI GENERIS AND LANGUAGE CAN BE STRETCHED EITHER IN THE DIREC TION OF THE VIA POSITIVA OR IN THE DIRECTION OF THE VIA NEGATIVA 4HE FORMER AFl RMS THE #HRISTIAN CONVICTION THAT 'OD IS NOT SIMPLY IMPERSONAL NOT hA FORCE v NOT AN ABSTRACT PRINCIPLE NOT SUB PERSONAL )NDEED 'OD IS hAT LEASTv PERSONAL OR AS (ANS +Ã&#x201C;NG PREFERS hTRANSPERSONAL v /N THE OTHER HAND THE VIA NEGATIVA CORRECTLY INSISTS THAT NO DESCRIPTION OF 'OD IS LITERALLY TRUE AND >HHJ: D8ID7:G

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THAT THEREFORE TO AVOID IDOLATRY 'OD TALK MUST BE VIEWED AT BEST AS ICONIC "ECAUSE 'OD IS SUI GENERIS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ATHEIST AND THE THEIST IS NOT THAT THE ATHEIST BELIEVES IN THE SAME REALITY MINUS ONE )TEM 'OD IS NOT ONE ENTITY AMONG MANY OR ONE PERSON AMONG MANY PERSONS )F 'OD EXISTS ANYWHERE HE EXISTS EVERYWHERE AS AN ALL ENCOMPASSING AND ALL PENETRATING REALITY RATHER THAN A FREE m OATING EGO OR INDEED THREE EGOS 2AIMON 0ANIK KAR EXPRESSES WELL THE PARADOX OF THE NEGATIVA AND THE POSITIVA ) SHOULD BE TEMPTED TO SAY THAT 'OD IS AT ONCE EVER PRESENT ABSENCE AND EVER ABSENT PRESENCE 'OD hISv NEVER WHAT IS THOUGHT OR WHAT hISv AND IN TURN 'OD IS ALWAYS WHAT IS THOUGHT AS INDEED UNDERLYING ALL THAT IN ANY WAY hIS vv 4HE IDEA THAT ULTIMATE REALITY IS NOT ONLY THE PLENUM BUT ALSO THE VOID IS FOUND IN BOTH THE #HRISTIAN AND THE "UDDHIST TRADITIONS BUT THE ACCENT IS DIFFERENT 4HE "UDDHIST STRESSES THE 6OID BUT THE PLENUM IS PRESENT

CONTAINED WITHIN IT !S -ERTON OBSERVES

%MPTINESS OF ALL LIMITED FORMS IS THE FULLNESS OF THE /NE BUT THE /NE MUST NEVER BE REGARDED AS AN ISOLATED FORM 4O AVOID THIS TEMPTATION

THE :EN MASTERS SPEAK ALWAYS OF EMPTINESS 4HE #HRISTIAN STRESSES THE PLENUM BUT THE VOID HOVERS IN THE LITERATURE "OTH ARE PRESENT IN THE BIBLICAL TEXT FOR ALTHOUGH IT IS REPLETE WITH DIVINE REVELATION IT ALSO SPEAKS OF hA 'OD WHO HIDES HIMSELF v )SAIAH AND OF THE MYSTERIOUS DIVINE NAME THE 4ETRAGAMMATONÂ&#x2C6;9(7( THAT BOTH REVEALS AND WITHHOLDS h) AM WHO ) AM v (E IS THE ONE WHO SAYS THAT h(E WOULD DWELL IN THE THICK DARKNESSv +INGS FOR h(E MADE DARKNESS HIS SECRET PLACE HIS PAVILION ROUND ABOUT HIM WERE DARK WATERS AND THICK CLOUDS OF THE SKIESv 0SALMS )T IS INTERESTING THAT MUSIC IN BOTH THE #HRISTIAN AND THE "UDDHIST TRA DITIONS INCLUDES THE MONOTONE UNDERCURRENT DRONE OR ISON AS IT IS KNOWN IN %ASTERN /RTHODOX MUSIC )N 7ESTERN THOUGHT IT IS THE CLOSEST SOUND THAT MUSIC CAN MAKE TO THE VIVID SILENCE THAT UNDERGIRDS ALL OF THE INTERESTING ACTIVITY OF MELODY AND RHYTHM )T SEEMS TO BE THE MUSICAL EQUIVALENT OF THE 6OID WHICH IS THE UBIQUITOUS BACKDROP TO EVERYTHING 0ERHAPS TO THE !SIAN TEMPERAMENT IT SEEMS TO BE THE OTHER WAY ROUND THE MUSICAL ACTIVITY ENHANCES THE FASCINATING DRONE )T IS VERY DIFl CULT TO KNOW WHETHER 3UZUKI IS CORRECT IN DECLARING THAT TO HAVE A SATORI ;ENLIGHTENMENT= MEANS TO BE STANDING AT %CKHART S hPOINTv WHERE WE CAN LOOK IN TWO DIRECTIONS 'OD WAY AND CREA TURE WAY 4HIS hLITTLE POINTv IS FULL OF SIGNIl CANCE AND ) AM SURE %CKHART HAD A SATORI

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-OST PHILOSOPHERS OF MYSTICAL EXPERIENCE WARN AGAINST CLAIMING THAT THERE IS A GENERIC TRANS RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE 4HEY STRESS THAT EXPERIENCES ARE ALWAYS CULTURE MEDIATED &ROM THIS POINT OF VIEW THE APPARENT SIMILAR ITY BETWEEN MYSTICAL EXPERIENCES IN THE %AST AND MYSTICAL EXPERIENCES IN THE 7EST CAN BE EXPLAINED BY CROSS CULTURAL INm UENCE RATHER THAN BY THE INTRINSIC UNIVERSALITY OF MYSTICISM ITSELF 3UCH AN ARGUMENT MIGHT PROCEED

BY STRESSING THE SEMINAL ROLE OF THE WRITINGS OF THE 0SEUDO $IONYSIUS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUBSEQUENT #HRISTIAN THOUGHT AND IN TURN 0LOTINUS PROFOUND INm UENCE ON THE 0SEUDO $IONYSIUS /NE COULD THEN ARGUE THAT THE THOUGHT OF 0LOTINUS WAS SIGNIl CANTLY SHAPED BY %ASTERN PHILOSOPHY )N FACT THERE IS SOME EVIDENCE FOR THIS &OR EXAMPLE 0LOTINUS STUDIED PHI LOSOPHY FOR TEN YEARS IN !LEXANDRIA WHICH WAS A CROSS CULTURAL HUB WITH CONNECTIONS TO )NDIA )N # % HE JOINED THE %MPEROR 'ORDIAN S MILITARY CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE 0ARTHIANS 0ERSIANS HOPING TO TRAVEL ON TO )NDIA SO AS TO LEARN SOMETHING OF %ASTERN PHILOSOPHY l RSTHAND 5NFORTUNATELY THE CAMPAIGN FAILED AND 0LOTINUS m ED TO !NTIOCH l NALLY MAKING HIS WAY TO 2OME WHERE HE STARTED HIS OWN SCHOOL OF PHILOSOPHY (IS INTEREST IN !SIAN THOUGHT IS CLEAR AND IT CAN BE ARGUED THAT !SIAN THOUGHT WAS THE SOURCE OF THE CONCEPT OF .OTHINGNESS WHICH 0LOTINUS TAUGHT AND TRANSMITTED IN DIRECTLY TO FUTURE GENERATIONS OF #HRISTIAN THINKERS 4HUS THE APPARENTLY SIMILAR MYSTICAL EXPERIENCES %AST AND 7EST COULD BE EXPLAINED MERELY IN TERMS OF COMMON CULTURAL ROOTS .EVERTHELESS A STRONG CASE CAN BE MADE FOR IDENTITY OF ACTUAL EXPERI ENCE , 0HILIP "ARNES FOR EXAMPLE POINTS OUT NOT ONLY THAT THE DESCRIP TIONS LOOK REMARKABLY SIMILAR BUT THAT THE PATH OF DETACHMENT IS SIMILAR

AS IS THE GRATUITOUS ELEMENT OF THE EXPERIENCE ITSELF 4HE #HRISTIAN MYSTIC MAY EMPHASIZE GRACE BUT IN PRACTICE UNDERGOES AS ARDUOUS A TRAINING AS DOES THE :EN MONK !ND INDEED THE :EN MONK MAY EXPERIENCE SATORI AS AN UNEXPECTED AND SURPRISING EVENT &INALLY THE PRACTITIONERS DO RECOG NIZE EACH OTHER ACROSS RELIGIOUS BOUNDARIES THUS AS WE HAVE OBSERVED

3UZUKI WRITES SYMPATHETICALLY ABOUT %CKHART AND -ERTON WRITES WARMLY ABOUT %ASTERN MYSTICISM /NE MIGHT ADD SUCH AUTHORS AS "EDE 'RIFl THS AND 7ILLIAM *OHNSTON TO THIS LIST "ARNES CONTENDS THAT THE DISAGREEMENT AS TO WHETHER THE EXPERIENCE IS THEISTIC OR NOT IS RATHER LIKE A DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN TWO MEN AS TO WHO OWNS THE CAR THEY ARE RIDING IN )N BOTH CASES

THE TWO EXPERIENCES ARE PHENOMENOLOGICALLY IDENTICAL "OTH EVANGELICALS AND POST LIBERALS LIKE 'EORGE ,INDBECK IN HIS 4HE .A TURE OF $OCTRINE HAVE DISTANCED #HRISTIANITY FROM "UDDHIST DOCTRINAL CLAIMS

BUT OTHERS HAVE TRIED HARDER TO CROSS BOUNDARIES -OLTMANN FOR EXAMPLE

CREDITS THE CONCEPT OF S|UNYATA WITH ENCAPSULATING PROFOUND INSIGHT

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)F ALL EXISTING THINGS EXIST RECIPROCALLY IN EACH OTHER AND IN 'OD THEN

THIS WORLD HAS NO CENTER IN ITSELF )T IS hEXCENTRIC v )N |SUNYATA THE PERICHORETICAL STRUCTURE OF ALL THINGS IS REALIZED (ANS +Ã&#x201C;NG HAS SOME VERY USEFUL INSIGHTS ALSO (E SHOWS HOW WORDS CAN HAVE TWO STRONGLY CONTRASTING MEANINGS SO THAT 3CHEIN FOR EXAMPLE

CAN MEAN EITHER hILLUSIONv AND hDECEPTION v OR ELSE hSHINE AND hGLEAM v

CAN CONNOTE BOTH EMPTINESS AND 3IMILARLY IN %ASTERN THOUGHT S|UNYATA FULLNESS +Ã&#x201C;NG FEELS THAT THE TRINITARIAN NOTION OF 'OD CAN ENCOMPASS THE MAJOR INSIGHTS OF "UDDHISM )F 'OD IS TRULY THE !BSOLUTE THEN HE IS ALL THESE THINGS IN ONE NIRVANA

INSOFAR AS HE IS THE GOAL OF THE WAY OF SALVATION DHARMA INSOFAR AS HE IS THE LAW THAT SHAPES THE COSMOS AND HUMANITY EMPTINESS INSOFAR AS HE FOREVER ELUDES ALL AFl RMATIVE DETERMINATIONS AND THE PRIMAL "UDDHA INSOFAR AS HE IS THE ORIGIN OF EVERYTHING THAT EXISTS 4HE LOGICAL POSSIBILITIES COME DOWN TO THIS 'OD MAY BE QUINTESSEN TIALLY IMPERSONAL AS SAY 3HANKARA MAINTAINED OR SIMPLY PERSONAL AS SUCH THINKERS AS -ARTIN "UBER TAUGHT !LTERNATIVELY 'OD COULD BE ONTOLOGICALLY BOTH PERSONAL AND IMPERSONAL IN SOME COMPLEX WAY AS FOR EXAMPLE PROCESS THEOLOGIANS HAVE SOUGHT TO ARTICULATE )F SO THE PERSONAL COULD BE PENUL TIMATE AS %CKHART CONTENDS OR THE ULTIMATE AS 2 # :AEHNER INTERPRETS *OHN 2UYSBROECK TO HAVE TAUGHT &OR #HRISTIANS THE l RST OPTION THAT 'OD IS ENTIRELY IMPERSONAL IS CLEARLY UNTENABLE BUT WHAT IF %CKHART AND ARGUABLY !UGUSTINE ARE CORRECT 7HAT IF 'OD S TRI PERSONALITY IS PENULTIMATE 3HOULD WE REPLACE OUR #HRISTIAN SPIRI TUAL DIRECTORS WITH :EN ROSHIS .OT NECESSARILY 4HERE ARE MANY EXAMPLES IN LIFE WHERE THE PENULTIMATE IS ACTUALLY MORE INTERESTING AND SIGNIl CANT THAN THE ULTIMATE 4O BEGIN WITH AN EXOTIC EXAMPLE IN 4HE 0ILGRIM S 2EGRESS # 3 ,EWIS DEPICTS SCIENTIl C REDUCTIONISM IN WHICH hALL THAT MATTERS IS MATTER v AS A MAN WHO IS ONLY ABLE TO SEE PEOPLE AS PHYSICALLY TRANSPARENT ! WOMAN WAS SEATED NEAR HIM BUT HE DID NOT KNOW IT WAS A WOMAN

BECAUSE THROUGH THE FACE HE SAW THE SKULL AND THROUGH THAT THE BRAINS AND THE PASSAGE OF THE NOSE AND THE LARYNX AND THE SALIVA MOVING IN THE GLANDS AND THE BLOOD IN THE VEINS AND LOWER DOWN THE LUNGS PANTING LIKE SPONGES AND THE LIVER AND THE INTESTINES LIKE A COIL OF SNAKES 3UDDENLY HE FELL ON HIS FACE AND THRUST HIS HANDS INTO HIS EYES AND CRIED OUT h)T IS THE BLACK HOLE vv ! PERSON S EXPRESSIVE FACE AND COMMUNICATIVE GESTURES ALTHOUGH MATERIALLY PENULTIMATE TELL US MUCH MORE ABOUT HER ESSENTIAL hSOULv THAN WHAT TRANSPIRES BENEATH THE SKIN

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4O OFFER ANOTHER EXAMPLE THE HUMAN MIND )F DEPTH PSYCHOLOGY IS CORRECT OUR CONSCIOUS MINDS ARE PENULTIMATE m OATING AS THEY DO ON THE VAST SEA OF THE UNCONSCIOUS .OW THE LATTER MAY WELL BE BOTH FASCINATING AND IMPORTANT BUT IT CAN BE ARGUED THAT THE MOST SIGNIl CANT PART OF US IS OUR EGO WHICH IS BOTH ENERGIZED BY THE UNCONSCIOUS AND IS THE ADJUDICATOR OF ITS DEMANDS THE EGO IS THE LOCUS OF RESPONSIBILITY

3| UNYAT A IS PROFOUND AND EXHILARATING )T MAY WELL BE AN EXPERIENCE OF A GENUINE ASPECT OF THE DIVINE AND IT SEEMS TO BE SOMETHING THAT NOT ONLY "UDDHISTS BUT ALSO #HRISTIAN CONTEMPLATIVES HAVE EXPERIENCED (ERE IS A HELPFUL DESCRIPTION IN A POPULAR #HRISTIAN BOOK ON SPIRITUALITY )N OUR MOMENTS OF SUBTLEST AWARENESS WE MAY SENSE 'OD AS SO PERVA SIVE THAT ALL CONTENT DISAPPEARS 'OD BECOMES THE NO THING THE INl NITE FULLNESS AT THE OPEN ENDED BOTTOM OF OUR IDENTITY OUT OF WHICH WE AND THE WORLD GROW SECOND BY SECOND PULSING LIFE INTO THE COSMOS OF OUR BODIES AND UNIVERSE 7E SENSE 'OD WHERE BEFORE WE DID NOT EVEN IN THE SPACES BETWEEN OUT THOUGHTS IN THE BORING NOTHING BETWEEN OUR EXCITEMENTS IN THE DARKNESS AS WELL AS THE LIGHT

"UT WHAT IF 'OD IS NEITHER BOTH PLENUM AND VOID BOTH PLEROMA AND

S|UNYATA BOTH PERSONAL AND IMPERSONAL BUT ALSO NOT ONE OR THE OTHER 0ERHAPS HE IS THE METAPHYSICAL EQUIVALENT OF A SINGULARITY IN SCIENCE WHERE ALL THE LAWS OF PHYSICS BALK SO THAT IN HIM NO LOGIC CAN TRESPASS /R MAYBE THE LIGHT AS WAVE LIGHT AS PARTICLE PARADOX ECHOES HIS BEING )F WE SET UP THE EXPERIMENT IN A CERTAIN WAY LIGHT WILL RESPOND AS A WAVE AND REVEAL ITS WAVELENGTH BUT IF WE RECONl GURE THE EXPERIMENT IT WILL ANSWER THE QUESTION OF HOW MANY PHOTONS OF ENERGY IT IS PULSING 3IMILARLY WHEN APPROACHED

A

USING CERTAIN SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES 'OD MAY BE APPREHENDED AS S|UNYAT WHILE THE PROPHETS SEEKING SPECIl C INSIGHT AND GUIDANCE HEAR HIS AUDIBLE VOICE (ANS +Ã&#x201C;NG SEEMS SYMPATHETIC TO THIS KIND OF APPROACH AND HE l NDS INSPIRATION IN THE NOTION OF .ICHOLAS OF #USA #USANUS OF THE COINCIDEN TIA OPPOSITORUM WHEREBY IN THE DIALECTIC OF 'OD ALL OPPOSITION BETWEEN APOPHATIC AND KATAPHATIC DISSOLVE AWAY SUCH THAT WE MUST APPROACH HIM IN LEARNED IGNORANCE DOCTA IGNORANTIA -ISSION (ANS +Ã&#x201C;NG LAMENTS THE DOMINANCE OF DOGMATIC KATAPHATIC THEOLOGY IN THE POLEMICAL HISTORY OF MISSION (E OPINES

!ND HOW MIGHT THE CONVERSATIONS WITH *APANESE "UDDHISTS HAVE GONE

IF THE l RST *ESUIT MISSIONARIES HAD CITED NOT 3CHOLASTIC PROOFS FOR THE >HHJ: D8ID7:G

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EXISTENCE OF 'OD BUT THE PENETRATING ANALYSIS OF THE EXPERIENCE OF 'OD AS DETAILED BY #USANUS WHOSE WRITINGS THEY COULD HAVE BEEN FAMILIAR WITH +EITH 7ARD MAKING A SIMILAR ARGUMENT CONTENDS THAT THE WISEST ARE THOSE WHO REALIZE HOW LITTLE THEY REALLY DO KNOW OF THE INl NITE DEITY (E WHIMSICALLY SPECULATES HOW THE OFTEN RANCOROUS CONVERSATION BETWEEN RELIGIONS MIGHT TAKE ON A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT COMPLEXION IF MORE OF THE SPIRIT OF DOCTA IGNORANTIA WERE ABROAD )F THEY DID HAVE AN ARGUMENT THE WINNER MIGHT BE THE ONE WHO PROVED THAT HE KNEW LESS ABOUT 'OD THAN HIS OPPONENT 7HAT A CHANGE IT WOULD MAKE IF RELIGIOUS ARGUMENTS WERE LIKE THAT A RATHER REFRESHING CHANGE TOO .EVERTHELESS #HRISTIANITY MUST CONTINUE TO CHALLENGE "UDDHISM WITH A VISION OF A 'OD CONCERNING WHOM IT IS NOT UNTRUE TO SAY THAT HE LOVES AND HE SPEAKS AND HE GUIDES THE COSMOS FROM WITHIN TOWARDS A MAGNIl CENT TELOS 4O USE (EIDEGGER S TERMINOLOGY "UDDHISTS MUST BE CHALLENGED TO CONSIDER ONTOTHEOLOGY AS A LIVE OPTION !S ,YNN DE 3ILVA AFl RMED THE #HRISTIAN DEITY OMA

IS THE 'OD NOT ONLY OF ULTIMACY BUT ALSO OF INTIMACY (E IS THE PLER OF LIFE AND m OURISHING AND +Ã&#x201C;NG IS CORRECT WHEN HE DECLARES h)N BEING AD DRESSED BY THIS 4HOU HUMAN BEINGS CAN EXPERIENCE THEIR OWN @) AS RAISED TO A DIGNITY THAT IS HARDLY EVER SEEN IN THE %AST v

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