This thesis is a translation, with notes and introduction, of the Commentary to the Hua-yan Dharma-realm Meditation, This text is a commentary to the Dharma-realm Meditation, which is incorporated into the former. The core text is by the first patriarch of the Hua-yan school of Buddhism in China, Du-shun (557-64-0); the commentary is by the fifth patriarch of the Hua-yan school, Zong-mi...
The linguistic expression of religious experience is problematic for both the experiencer and the philospher. For instance: is the religious experience nonverbal, i.e. does it utterly transcend all words, concepts, and thought? Or is it ineffable – not amenable to verbal expression? In either case, what can one make of all the talk and writings of those who do report religious experiences? The...