The Buddhist Nothing（無）and the Buddhist Truth（真如）correspond simply to the Platonic ἰδέα in their immuability

‎Shinya Ogasawara‎ to Heidegger Research Group

I must tell you, dear members of our Heidegger Research Group, that I'm really fed up with ideas suggested from time to time by some of you concerning some possible relationship between Heidegger's teaching and Buddhism. I affirm that there is none. The Buddhist ontology is belonging to Platonic metaphysics Heidegger criticises in his seynsgeschichtlich perspective. The Buddhist Nothing（無）and the Buddhist Truth（真如）correspond simply to the Platonic ἰδέα in their immuability. The actual nihilistic situation of Japanese society is exactly the historical product of Buddhism. And with Buddhism Japanese can never overcome their nihilism. So please stop talking of Buddhism here in this group.

Comments

Joaquin Trujillo So true. Thanks for stating it categorically as the belief detracts focus from the hard hermeneutic work at hand.

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Pery Fernandez How about Taoism?

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Gregory Jackson Although your argument here may hold merit, it would have to be shown to be the case. Read Heidegger's On the Way to Language where he deals with the relationship between the West and what he (very reductively and with probably racist connotations) calls the 'Orient'. From my reading of Heidegger, your argument does not hold (for him, at least). This is because the 'Orient' has its own philosophical 'inception'. Further, as he claims in that text, the Buddhist Nothing and Truth, etc., belong to their own 'house' of being. As such, although Heidegger many times affirmed the Buddhist Nothing, claiming it did (perhaps) have some affinity with his own use, he seems to hold in that text that it would be impossible to tell. As such, he (kind of) would agree with you, but certainly not because it has anything to do with Platonic metaphysics. This, in Heidegger's view, belongs solely to the West.

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Gregory Jackson By the way, I am not claiming that Heidegger is right here (in fact, this essentialising of the traditions, with its stark distinction between the 'West' and the 'Orient', and the difficulty of a fruitful dialogue between the two, makes me very uncomfortable) but in my reading that seems to be what his position would be. It is definitely the case that Heidegger saw great wisdom in the Buddhist and Taoist traditions, even if he, later on in his life, felt that these traditions with the West are too far apart to really tell how much proximity his own views had with these traditions.

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Edward Mcdougall That is a complete misreading Buddhism- and Buddhist philosophy- such an interpretation would equate Buddhism really Indian Vedanta - the Two worlds doctrine of Platonism- is the founding principle western metaphysics- it can be seen through Christianity, however Mu in Buddhism is not equivalent to a separate transcendental realm of higher reality. -

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Edward Mcdougall Also not all East Asian Philosophy and religion is Buddhism- Daoism represents an important influance on Heidegger's thought- in fact I can see more direct links between Daoism and Heidegger

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Melvin Alexander Sanchez I think it's OK for anyone to talk about Buddhism in this group. Prohibitions make you seem like a square

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Edward Mcdougall Might also say the terms Heidegger uses in On the Way into Language - might depend on the English translation - However in the translation I have in front of me - Heidegger refers to the 'East Asian World'- not the orient- I think this a more accurate translation of the German - elsewhere n Heideger's works he refers eastern - I think that 'eastern' or oriental- are both dated and unhelpful terms- but I'd say East Asian is more meaningful

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Edward Mcdougall Shinya Ogasawara- Your post really is a big pile of bullshit- that you have seen fit to post this page- I am really fed up with reading Bull Shit comments like the above post

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Edward Mcdougall Nihilism for Heidegger emerges from the Plantonic two worlds doctrine- this is the founding principle of classical theism including both Christian and Islamic thought, while modern atheism/ nihilism are inversions of this doctrine- Heidegger sees the East Asian World as originally standing outside of this two worlds doctrine- we can argue about this- but I really don't think that Nothingness in Buddhism- or for that matter Heidegger's Seyn- should be thought of Platonic terms. - I think on some level - Heidegger may have felt that Japan and China made a mistake in opening up to the west in the 19th century, though they didn't really have a choice in that matter- Heidegger would certainly acknowledge that the force of technology are difficult to rest. That's why it is not possible simply to get out of Europeanisation

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Melvin Alexander Sanchez You know what would be good? If anyone can back up their opinions with text (whether from Heidegger or Buddhist texts). You know why that would be good? Because it would show that we are all reading rather than bullshitting. You know who read a lot? Heidegger. That's who.

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Edward Mcdougall Should say there is also more to Japan than Buddhism - if anyone is interesting here is my paper on Heidegger and Folk Shinto https://www.academia.edu/.../EVERYDAYNESS_DIVINITY_AND... - where I like elements Folk Shinto with Heidegger's Four-Fold and argue that Folk Shinto shows a sense of the sacred that is radically outside Ontotheology and nihilism

EVERYDAYNESS, DIVINITY, AND THE SACRED: SHINTO AND HEIDEGGER

This essay focuses on the later writings of Heidegger,…

ACADEMIA.EDU

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Edward Mcdougall I think a crude equation of Buddhist 無 with Platonism is exactly sort of metaphysical misinterpretation which Heidegger is anxious to get away from- cite his discussion of Iki in A Dialogue on Language- Where he concerned to interpret iki in terms which don't impose meanings taken from western aesthetics - As said before the key thing about the East Asian World for Heidegger is that in his terms it is a radically different 'house of being' - we shouldn't these crude generalisations between western and East Asian thought.- If you want a Heideggerian explanation of nihilism in Japan- the answer is quite simple 'The Europeanisation of the Earth and Man attacks everything of an essential nature' - (Dialogue on Language) - Nishitani Keiji develops this further and takes about how the Japanese westernisation - Nihilism for Heidegger comes from Europe -