Ebook: The Cloud of Nothingness: The Negative Way in Nagarjuna and John of the Cross
Author: C. D. Sebastian (auth.)
- Tags: Non-Western Philosophy, Comparative Religion, Comparative Literature
- Series: Sophia Studies in Cross-cultural Philosophy of Traditions and Cultures 19
- Year: 2016
- Publisher: Springer India
- Edition: 1
- Language: English
- pdf
This book explores ‘nothingness’, the negative way found in Buddhist and Christian traditions, with a focused and comparative approach. It examines the works of Nagarjuna (c. 150 CE), a Buddhist monk, philosopher and one of the greatest thinkers of classical India, and those of John of the Cross (1542-1591), a Carmelite monk, outstanding Spanish poet, and one of the greatest mystical theologians. The conception of nothingness in both the thinkers points to a paradox of linguistic transcendence and provides a novel insight into via negativa. This is the first full-length work comparing nothingness (emptiness) in Nagarjuna (Mahayana Buddhism) and John of the Cross (Christianity) in any language. It augments the comparative approach found in Buddhist-Christian comparative philosophy and theology. This book is of especial interest to academics of Buddhist and Christian studies searching for avenues for intellectual dialogue.