The Philosophy of No-Mind: Experience Without Self (Bloomsbury Introductions to World Philosophies)

"Nishihira Tadashi, one of Japan's leading philosophers, introduces the deeply experiential philosophy of losing yourself in the reality of the present, guiding us through a concept found at the centre of Eastern spiritual thought. Translated into English for the first time, Tadashi defines no-mind, Mushin, as something arising after something is extinguished. He addresses each of the tension points that give the term its vitality: is it attained by waiting or by practice? Can it ever be reconciled with social ethics? Is it self-affirmation or self-negation, stillness or activity? His thorough account of the Japanese philosophy of no-mind pulls together the historical and philosophical threads and covers the history of Zen Buddhism, the philosophy of D.T. Suzuki and Takuan's treatise on swordsmanship. He discusses its everyday usage in Japanese and its old usage as an insult, following its transformation into a positive meaning via Zen. Alive to the complexities of translating no-mind into English, Tadashi's introduction makes the essential connection of no-mind to the paradoxical task of becoming human."-- Provided by publisher. Nishihira Tadashi, one of Japan's leading philosophers, introduces the deeply experiential philosophy of no-mind (mushin). In everyday Japanese, mushin is when one loses oneself in the reality of the present and becomes one with it, resulting in one's best performance. However, behind this everyday use is a concept that touches the core of Japanese spirituality. This book explores no-mind in its dynamic complexity. It is both the letting go of the calculations of mind and at the same time the arising of a vibrant consciousness in unity with reality. This gives rise to various Is it about negating or affirming self? Is stillness or activity? How does it relate with social ethics, or religious transcendence? And what is stopping no-mind from descending into mere mindlessness? These tensional facets are explored through philosophy and history of thought in Japan, from pre-Buddhist Japanese thought, to Zen Buddhism in D.T. Suzuki and Toshihiko Izutsu, to swordsmanship and Noh theater. These historical approaches are brought to the here-and-now, dialoguing with psychology, ethics, and the experiences of everyday life, and ending with two preliminary practical explorations-What does it mean to care for another and to educate from the point of view of no-mind?