Christian Mysticism in the Light of the Buddha's Doctrine

Summary

Spanning more than thirty pages, this ambitious comparative study explores convergences and divergences between Christian mysticism and Buddhist doctrine. The author first summarises the core teachings of the Buddha on impermanence, non‑self and the Four Noble Truths, emphasising the soteriological goal of extinguishing craving through meditative insight. He then outlines key themes in Christian mysticism, drawing on writings of early desert fathers, medieval mystics like Meister Eckhart and St. John of the Cross, and Eastern Orthodox hesychasts. The article notes that both traditions describe a process of purgation, illumination and union achieved through contemplative practices that quiet the mind and cultivate compassion. In Buddhism, samatha and vipassanā meditation lead to states of jhāna and ultimately to nirvāṇa; in Christian mysticism, practices like prayer of the heart and apophatic contemplation aim at a transformative union with God. The author points out similarities: emphasis on detachment from worldly desires, ethical purification, and the ineffable nature of the ultimate experience, which transcends concepts and language. Yet significant differences remain: Christian mystics retain a personal theistic framework and interpret the experience as participation in divine love, whereas Buddhist doctrine denies a permanent soul and posits liberation as the realization of emptiness. The article examines historical contacts between the two traditions, including possible influence of Indian thought on early Christianity via Alexandrian milieus, and more modern dialogues between Western scholars and Buddhist monks. It also analyses metaphors used by mystics—dark night, abyss, cloud of unknowing—and compares them to Buddhist imagery of the void and the lotus. Ethical consequences of mystical experience are considered: both traditions link contemplative realization with heightened compassion and service to others. The author cautions against superficial syncretism, arguing that meaningful comparison must respect doctrinal contexts. By juxtaposing texts from the Pāli Canon and Mahāyāna with passages from the Bible and Christian mystical treatises, the study invites readers to appreciate both shared psychological processes and divergent metaphysical interpretations.