Advaita Vedānta and Zen Buddhism : Deconstructive Modes of Spiritual Inquiry

This fascinating and innovative book explores the relationship between the philosophical underpinnings of Advaita Vedānta, Zen Buddhism and the experiential journey of spiritual practitioners. Taking the perspective of the questioning student, the author highlights the experiential deconstructive processes that are ignited when students’ ‘everyday’ dualistic thought structures are challenged by the non-dual nature of these teachings and practices. Although Advaita Vedānta and Zen Buddhism are ontologically different, this unique study shows that in the dynamics of the practice situation they are phenomenologically similar. Distinctive in scope and approach Advaita Vedānta and Zen Buddhism: Deconstructive Modes of Spiritual Inquiry examines Advaita and Zen as living practice traditions in which foundational non-dual philosophies are shown ‘in action’ in contemporary Western practice situations thus linking abstract philosophical tenets to concrete living experience. As such it takes an important step toward bridging the gap between scholarly analysis and the experiential reality of these spiritual practices. Introduction: Experiential Deconstructive Inquiry -- Foundational Philosophies And Spiritual Methods -- Non-duality In Advaita Vedānta And Zen Buddhism -- Ontological Differences And Non-duality -- Meditative Inquiry, Questioning, And Dialoguing As A Means To Spiritual Insight -- The 'undoing' Or Deconstruction Of Dualistic Conceptions -- Advaita Vedānta : Philosophical Foundations And Deconstructive Strategies -- Sources Of The Tradition -- Upaniṣads : 'that Art Thou' (tat Tvam Asi) -- Gauḍapāda (c.7th Century) : 'no Bondage, No Liberation' -- Śaṅkara (c.7th-8th Century) : 'there Is No Apprehender Different From This Apprehension To Apprehend It' -- Modern And Contemporary Masters -- Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950) : 'who Am I?' -- H.w.l Poonja (1910-1997) : 'you Have To Do Nothing To Be Who You Are!' -- Gangaji (b. 1942) : 'you Are That!' -- Advaita Vedānta Summary : 'nothing Ever Happens' -- Zen Buddhism : Philosophical Foundations And Deconstructive Strategies --^ Sources Of The Tradition -- The Laṇkāvatāra Sūtra And The Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra : 'all Things ... Are Not Independent Of Each Other And Not Two' -- Nāgārjuna (c.113-213) : 'saṃsāra Is Nothing Essentially Different From Nirvāṇa. Nirvāṇa Is Nothing Essentially Different From Saṃsāra' -- Eihei Dōgen (1200-1253) : 'if I Am Already Enlightened, Why Must I Practice?' -- Contemporary Masters -- Ekai Korematsu (b. 1948) : 'return To The Spine' -- Hōgen Yamahata (b. 1935) : 'why Not Now?' -- Zen Buddhism Summary : 'neither Being Nor Non-being Is To Be Taken Hold Of' -- Deconstructive Techniques And Dynamics Of Experiential Undoing -- Four Deconstructive Techniques Common To Both Traditions -- The Teacher-student Dynamic -- Four Key Deconstructive Techniques -- Unfindability Analysis -- Bringing Everything Back To The Here And Now -- Paradoxical Problems -- Negation -- Dynamics Of Experiential Undoing -- Non-dual Experiential 'space' --^ Experiential Mapping : Practitioners In The Space -- Experiential Undoing In Advaita Vedānta -- Experiential Undoing In Zen Buddhism -- Conclusion: Deconstruction Of Reified Awareness. Leesa S. Davis. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Introduction: Experiential deconstructive inquiry Foundational philosophies and spiritual methods Non-duality in Advaita Vedanta and Zen Buddhism Ontological differences and non-duality Meditative inquiry, questioning, and dialoguing as a means to spiritual insight The undoing or deconstruction of dualistic conceptions Advaita Vedanta : philosophical foundations and deconstructive strategies Sources of the tradition Upaniads that art thou (Tat Tvam Asi) Gauapda (c.7th century) : no bondage, no liberation Aakara (c.7th-8th century) : there is no apprehender different from this apprehension to apprehend it Modern and contemporary masters Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950) : who am I? H.W.L Poonja (1910-1997) : you have to do nothing to be who you are! Gangaji (b. 1942) : you are that! Advaita Vedanta summary : nothing ever happens Zen Buddhism : philosophical foundations and deconstructive strategies Sources of the tradition The Lakvatra Sutra and the Vajracchedik Prajñpramit Sutra all things ... are not independent of each other and not two Ngrjuna (c.113-213) : Sasra is Nirva Eihei Dgen (1200-1253) : if I am already enlightened, why must I practice Contemporary masters Ekai Korematsu (b. 1948) : return to the spine Hgen Yamahata (b. 1935) : why not now Zen Buddhism summary : neither being nor non-being is to be taken hold of Deconstructive techniques and dynamics of experiential undoing Deconstructive techniques common to both traditions The teacher-student dynamic Key deconstructive techniques Unfindability analysis Bringing everything back to the here and now Paradoxical problems Negation Dynamics of experiential undoing Non-dual experiential space Experiential mapping : practitioners in the space Experiential undoing in Advaita Vedanta Experiential undoing in Zen Buddhism Conclusion: Deconstruction of reified awareness.
This fascinating and innovative book explores the relationship between the philosophical underpinnings of Advaita Vedanta, Zen Buddhism and the experiential journey of spiritual practitioners. Taking the perspective of the questioning student, the author highlights the experiential deconstructive processes that are ignited when students' "everyday" dualistic thought structures are challenged by the non-dual nature of these teachings and practices.
Although Advaita Vedanta and Zen Buddhism are ontologically different, this unique study shows that in the dynamics of the practice situation they are phenomenologically similar.

Distinctive in scope and approach Advaita Vedanta and Zen Buddhism: Deconstructive Modes of Spiritual Inquiry examines Advaita and Zen as living practice traditions in which foundational non-dual philosophies are shown "in action" in contemporary Western practice situations thus linking abstract philosophical tenets to concrete living experience. As such it takes an important step toward bridging the gap between scholarly analysis and the experiential reality of these spiritual practices.

"This fascinating and innovative book explores the relationship between the philosophical underpinnings of Advaita Vedanta, Zen Buddhism and the experiential journey of spiritual practitioners. Taking the perspective of the questioning student, the author highlights the experiential deconstructive processes that are ignited when students' "everyday" dualistic thought structures are challenged by the non-dual nature of these teachings and practices. Although Advaita Vedanta and Zen Buddhism are ontologically different, this unique study shows that in the dynamics of the practice situation they are phenomenologically similar. Distinctive in scope and approach Advaita Vedanta and Zen Buddhism: Deconstructive Modes of Spiritual Inquiry examines Advaita and Zen as living practice traditions in which foundational non-dual philosophies are shown "in action" in contemporary Western practice situations thus linking abstract philosophical tenets to concrete living experience. As such it takes an important step toward bridging the gap between scholarly analysis and the experiential reality of these spiritual practices."--Bloomsbury Publishing. This fascinating and innovative monograph explores the relationship between the philosophical underpinnings of Advaita Vedanta, Zen Buddhism and the experiential journey of spiritual practitioners. Taking the perspective of the questioning student, the author highlights the experiential deconstructive processes that are ignited when students' "everyday" dualistic thought structures are challenged by the non-dual nature of these teachings and practices. Although Advaita Vedanta and Zen Buddhism are ontologically different, this unique study shows that in the dynamics of the practice situation t