Zen Buddhism and Hasidism: A Comparative StudyIn this work Jacob Yuroh Teshima juxtaposes two religions whose origins are completely different: Zen Buddhism and Hasidic Judaism. The purpose of this comparative study is not to determine which religion is superior, but rather to compare their functional equivalents. After presenting backgrounds of the two religions, Dr. Teshima examines the Zen Buddhist practice of zazen and Hasidism's devequth, or meditation on God. He then discusses how each religion comes to terms with the major obstacle in the practice of comtemplation: distracting thoughts. Teshima compares conceptions of man offered by the two religions, making clear their fundamental differences concerning the nature of selfhood and source of fulfillment. The study concludes with an examination of how the two religions come to terms with the insecurity of life and what it is that gives life meaning and significance. Contents: Introduction to Zen Buddhism and Hasidism; Zazen and Devequth; The Problem of "Strange Thoughts"; Annihilating Selfhood and Attaining Ecstasy; The Concept of Man; Insecurity of Life: The Hasidic Approach to Exile and the Zen Approach to Birth and Death. |
Contents
Zazen and Devequth | 13 |
The Problem of Strange Thoughts | 57 |
Annihiating Selfhood and Attaining Ecstasy | 79 |
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Abraham Joshua Heschel absolute reality According annihilation of selfhood attain Baal Shem Tov Baer of Lubavich Besht birth and death bittul ha-yesh blessed body Bratslav Buddha Buddha-nature Buddhahood Chinese cleave contemplation Denshin Hoyo devequth Dharma disciples divine sparks doctrine Dogen ecstasy Eighteen Benedictions enlightenment Ephrayim essence Evil Impulse exile folio Galuth glossolalia Hasidim Hasidism Hebrew Holy Hui-neng human Israel Jerusalem Jewish Jews Judaism Kabbalah kavvanah kelippoth Levi Yitzhak Lezajsk Liqqutei Liqqutim Yeqarim Ma-tsu Maggid Maggid Devarav L'Ya'akov means meditation Messianic mind monk mystical nature neshamah Nirvana no-thought No'am Elimelekh one's person Platform Sutra prayer purity Rabbi Rabbi Dov Baer Rabbi Nahman Rabbi Ya'akov Yoseph redemption religion self-nature Shekhinah Shivhei HaBesht Shneur Zalman Shobogenzo Sixth Patriarch soul spiritual strange thoughts Talmud teaching thinking Tokyo Toldoth Ya'akov Yoseph Torah truth ultimate words worship wu-nien Zaddik Zaddikim Zalman of Lyady zazen Zen Buddhism Zen masters Zenshu Seiten Zohar