APOPHATIC THEOLOGY AND BUDDHISM

Apophatic Theology, also termed Negative Theology, describes what something is not, as opposed to Cataphatic Theology, or Positive Theology, which states what something is.  Buddhism is apophatic, as is Taoism when it states that he who says he knows the Tao does not, and that the Tao that can be named is not the true Tao.

The apophatic methodology is common in the earliest Buddhist doctrines, such as the Nikayas. They say that form, in the absolute sense, does not exist, nor do feelings, perceptions, experiences, and empirical consciousness.

And there is no absolute self or absolute soul (annata), which is to say that there is no permanent underlying substance that can be called an absolute self or an absolute soul.  Rather is the individual a compound of factors called skandhas, that are loosely held together, are changing constantly, and that at death will fall apart and vanish.

The concept of the Void, sunyata, is another illustration of the apophatic view in Buddhism.  Sunyata is said to be beyond the conception of presence and absence, and beyond categorical thought.  Again, all things are empty of intrinsic existence and nature.

CENTERING PRAYER

Centering prayer in Christianity is apophatic in that it is a wordless union, a state of being in direct contact with God, who dwells within us.  Note: “God who dwells within us” is what Vedanta calls the Atman.

It is about intention, about being totally open to God, “not my will, but Your will,” as we consent to the presence and action of God within us.  Note: “Action of God within us” is unlike Vedanta as the Atman does not act.

Centering prayer is an exercise in letting go.  It is laying aside every thought, even that of looking for spiritual consolations.  Both the presence and the absence of God are experienced.

Advocates of centering prayer say it does not replace other prayer in Christianity but encourages silence and deeper connection to God. They say, moreover, that it is not an exercise in concentration, of focusing the attention on a mantra for instance, as in Vedanta.

Rather is it concerned with intention and consent.  The aim of the participant is to be present to the Lord, to consent to God’s presence and guidance during the time of prayer.

APOPHATIC PRAYER

Apophatic prayer entails being present with God without images or words.  God without content.  Apophatic prayer is emptying the mind of all words and ideas and simply resting in the presence of God.

Apophatic prayer can be praying a prayer-word, such as a mantra, as in Vedanta.  When person becomes a devotee of Vedanta he is given a mantra by his guru, a secret word that he keeps for his lifetime.  By praying his mantra, he takes the focus of attention off himself.

When one prays a mantra he is not concerned with success, only with being faithful to the discipline of detaching himself from self-centeredness.  The process is constant, having no stages by which it can be measured.  It is only what he notices in his daily life that assures him that something is happening.

Centering prayer in Christianity is similarly apophatic.

APOPHATIC THEOLOGY AND ADVAITA VEDANTA

In the words of the 9^th-century theologian John Scotus Erigena: “We do not know what God is.  God Himself does not know what He is because He is not anything,” (i.e. not any created thing.) Literally God is not, because he transcends being.  

When he says “He is not anything” and “God is not,” Scotus does not mean that there is no God, but that God cannot be said to exist in the way that creation exists; God is uncreated. He is using apophatic language to emphasize that God is “other.” 

In Advaita Vedanta, Brahman is defined, apophatically, as nirguna or without qualities.  Anything imaginable or conceivable is not deemed to be the ultimate reality.  A Hindu hymn speaks of Brahman as "one where the mind does not reach."  In the Upanishads, Brahman is described as "neti-neti" or "neither this, nor that."

In the Mandukya Upanishad, verse 7, the Atman, the personal aspect of Brahman, is said, in a similar way, to be "not inwardly cognitive, not outwardly cognitive, not both-wise cognitive, not a cognition-mass, not cognitive, not non-cognitive, unseen, with which there can be no dealing, ungraspable, having no distinctive mark, non-thinkable, that which cannot be designated.” 

The apophatic approach is found extensively in Buddhist philosophy, as well.

FUKE ZEN

Fuke Zen, or Fuke-Shu, was an offshoot of the Rinzai school of Japanese Zen Buddhism during the nation’s feudal era from the 13^th century until the late 19^th century.  Philosophically it is rooted in the teachings of Puhua, an eccentric Zen master.  Puhua was reputedly a multi-talented monk known for being inventive while at the same time quite strict. 

Fuke monks, called komuso, could be seen playing the shakuhachi bamboo flute in what was called suizen or “blowing meditation.” Suizen was an innovation from the more usual zazen or “sitting meditation” of other Zen sects. When on pilgrimage Fuke monks played the flutes wearing a large woven basket hat that covered their entire head, emphasizing the incommunicable aspect of enlightenment.

PRINCIPLE OF DEPENDENT ORIGINATION

The Buddhist Principle of Dependent Origination states that what is, is dependent upon something else, the law of cause and effect. If this is, that comes to be; from the arising of this, that arises; if this is not, that does not come to be; from the stopping of this, that stops. 

The skillful man asks, “What are the consequences of my actions? Will it lead to hurt of self, of others, or of both? What will happen if I stop, or do nothing?” It is like a clock where if one wheel turns, all the wheels turn, and if no wheel turns, none of the other wheels turn.

RHINOCEROS SUTRA

The Rhinoceros Sutra is an early Buddhist text that teaches the merit of solitary asceticism for gaining enlightenment.  This is as opposed to practicing as a householder or in a community of monastics.  The goal of this is to become a pratyekabuddha.

Pratyekabuddhas are said to achieve enlightenment without the use of teachers or guides by contemplating, according to some traditions, the principle of dependent origination. A pratyekabuddha is referred to as "a lone buddha," "a buddha on his own," "a private buddha," one who wanders alone through the forest like a rhinoceros.  The reference is to an Indian rhinoceros which is a solitary animal.