Emptiness and Unknowing: An Essay in Comparative Mysticism
Buddhist Path, Buddhist Teachings: Studies in Memory of L.S. Cousins October 8, 2019 Rupert Gethin 1 citation
The article examines parallels between Buddhist and Christian contemplative practices, arguing that specific techniques and experiential stages in meditation are comparable across traditions, challenging the constructivist view that mystical experiences are entirely shaped by cultural context. It draws on Lance Cousins' 1989 comparison of Buddhaghosa's Path of Purification and Teresa of Ávila's Interior Castle, as well as Buddhist texts like the Cūḷa-Suññata-sutta and the Christian work The Cloud of Unknowing. The author identifies similarities in contemplative exercises, the progress of the spiritual life, and the phenomenology of meditators' experiences at different stages, suggesting that these parallels support a more nuanced understanding of mysticism beyond strict cultural relativism.