Saeko Yazaki TRS Research Seminar- 12 October

Disciplining or learning the self: A comparative analysis of self-transformation and ethical conduct in Sufism and Zen 

Dr Saeko Yazaki, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow.

Abstract:

Despite their geographical and cultural distance, Sufism and Zen share a number of teachings and practices. Sufism seeks direct encounter with the Divine, not only intellectual understanding of the text. Zen also must be lived. Among various sects in Buddhism, the Zen worldview centrally concerns the living experience of enlightenment. This paper examines the idea of the self, and the intimate link between internal and external ethical conduct as articulated in the writings of al-Ghazali (d. 1111) and Dogen (d. 1253) – the two influential figures of the respective traditions. In Sufism, conquering the lower self (nafs) is a crucial step for those who yearn to dissolve the self and continue their real existence in God. Humble and mannered behaviour (adab) is closely linked to spiritual awareness in order to overcome the phenomenal existence of the self. An echo of this can be found in Zen consciousness of the self, which requires negotiation of its extent through learning the self, becoming the non-self and then being its own self in the most absolute sense (anatman/muga). This spiritual realisation necessitates the practice of internal and external mindfulness, epitomised in the cultivation of every movement with humble appreciation in the Japanese tea ceremony (sado), which developed alongside Zen. While exploring these similarities, the paper also addresses fundamental differences which lies in the recognition of the Perfect entity, or lack of it, as opposed to the self.

 Please contact Richard Bell for more information: Atzrhb@exmail.nottingham.ac.uk