From: Sam Norton (elizaphanian@kohath.wanadoo.co.uk)
Date: Mon Aug 22 2005 - 10:33:07 BST
Hi Erin,
I understand that there is internal evidence from the book indicating that
the author was an English priest. If you're interested I could dig it out.
And it's a single work. If Johnston has edited it, then it's probably just
extracts, not the complete book.
Johnston is interesting. He's an Irish Jesuit who moved to Japan in 1951,
taking up a position at Sophia university there, becoming an expert in Zen
and writing a lot about the links between the eastern and western forms of
spirituality. I'd recommend strongly his short book 'Being in Love' which
gives an excellent description of Christian mysticism.
He wrote a longer book on 'Mystical Theology' which is also very good,
although I have some disagreements with it. But consider his description of
another Jesuit who had pursued the way of Zen, Hugo Lassalle (Enomiya
Makibi), but who maintained his Christianity throughout, and was criticised
for it:
"Lassalle was aware of this criticism. He replied by distinguishing between
Zen and Zen Buddhism, a distinction which, he claimed, was recognized by his
Buddhist teacher. Zen, he held, could be separated from Zen Buddhism (that
is to say, from the Buddha, the dharma and the sangha) and integrated into a
Christianity wherein one is devoted to Jesus, the gospel and the Church.
Indeed, it could be integrated into Judaism, Islam or any religion. The long
hours of sitting or zazen would remain, enlightenment would remain; but the
commitment would be different. The greatest Zen Buddhists, he maintained,
insisited that one must transcend Zen Buddhism in order to reach the
fullness of enlightenment."
Which is pretty much how I see the MoQ. And just as Lassalle was condemned
as a heretic by the social patterns of Zen Buddhism...... (grin)
Cheers
Sam
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