Beyond Method

Nikāya Buddhism and Early Chan - A Different Meditative Paradigm - Grzegorz Polak

Grzegorz Polak [+-]
Maria Curie Skłodowska University
Grzegorz Polak is Associate Professor in the Institute of Philosophy at the Maria Curie Skłodowska University in Lublin.

Description

Chapter eight argues that in the paradigm present in Nikāya and early Chan texts there are crucial meditative factors which cannot be developed by directly practicing them. They must rather naturally occur to an individual. It is claimed in the chapter that their occurrence is not a chance event, but follows its own specific but implicit logic and is dependent on a set of various conditions, including being in a particular existential situation. The chapter discusses the significance of various paradoxes connected with meditation, such as the fact that the search for spiritual achievement can be detrimental to meditative success. The final part of the chapter analyzes some differences in approach between Nikāya and early Chan texts.

Notify A Colleague

Citation

Polak, Grzegorz . Beyond Method. Nikāya Buddhism and Early Chan - A Different Meditative Paradigm. Equinox eBooks Publishing, United Kingdom. p. Jun 2024. ISBN 9781800504257. https://www.equinoxpub.com/home/view-chapter/?id=44356. Date accessed: 28 Mar 2024 doi: 10.1558/equinox.44356. Jun 2024

Dublin Core Metadata