Mysticism: Christian and Buddhist

by Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki

Overview

This is a study of Buddhist mysticism, contrasted and compared with Christian mysticism, particularly the writings of Meister Eckhart. Suzuki explores Buddhist and Christian concepts of infinity, eternity and the transmigration of souls. This book explains many difficult Buddhist concepts, including kono-mama, a state of spiritual contentment. Also included is extensive material about the 'Pure Land' school of Zen Buddhism of Renno Shonin, particularly translations of source material.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940012906397
Publisher:	zuuboks.com
Publication date:	06/21/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	125
Sales rank:	861,683
File size:	150 KB

About the Author

Daisetsu Teitaro Suzuki (鈴木 大拙 貞太郎 Suzuki Daisetsu Teitarō, October 18, 1870 – July 12, 1966) was a Japanese author of books and essays on Buddhism, Zen and Shin that were instrumental in spreading interest in both Zen and Shin (and Far Eastern philosophy in general) to the West. Suzuki was also a prolific translator of Chinese, Japanese, and Sanskrit literature. Suzuki spent several lengthy stretches teaching or lecturing at Western universities, and devoted many years to a professorship at Otani University, a Japanese Buddhist school.

D. T. Suzuki was born Teitarō Suzuki in Honda-machi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, the fourth son of physician Ryojun Suzuki. (The Buddhist name Daisetz, meaning "Great Humility" (The kanji of which can also mean "Greatly Clumsy"), was given to him by his Zen master Soen Shaku.) Although his birthplace no longer exists, a humble monument marks its location (a tree with a rock at its base). The Samurai class into which Suzuki was born declined with the fall of feudalism, which forced Suzuki's mother, a Jodo Shinshu Buddhist, to raise him in impoverished circumstances after his father died. When he became old enough to reflect on his fate in being born into this situation, he began to look for answers in various forms of religion. His naturally sharp and philosophical intellect found difficulty in accepting some of the cosmologies to which he was exposed.

Suzuki studied at Tokyo University and simultaneously took up Zen practice at Engakuji in Kamakura studying with Soen Shaku. Under Soen Shaku, Suzuki's studies were essentially internal and non-verbal, including long periods of sitting meditation (zazen). The task involved what Suzuki described as four years of mental, physical, moral, and intellectual struggle.

During training periods at Engaku-ji, Suzuki lived a monk's life. He described this life and his own experience at Kamakura in his book The Training of the Zen Buddhist Monk. Suzuki was invited by Soen Shaku to visit the United States in the 1890s, and Suzuki acted as English-language translator for a book written by him (1906). Though Suzuki had by this point translated some ancient Asian texts into English (e.g. Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana), his role in translating and ghost-writing aspects of Soen Shaku's book was more the beginning of Suzuki's career as a writer in English.