The Transformation of the Human Self through Religious Practice in Sufism and Buddhism
Elif Emirahmetoğlu
Journal of Islamic and Muslim Studies December 1, 2022 DOI: 10.2979/jims.7.1.03 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Buddhism |
| Key points | The article argues that both Sufism and Mahāyāna Buddhism treat the human self as already possessing a latent spiritual nature—primordial awareness of God (fiṭra) in Sufism and Buddha nature in Buddhism—and that practices such as dhikr, nembutsu, and zazen are conceived as means of uncovering or realizing that inherent nature rather than acquiring something new. |
Abstract
Abstract:This article offers a comparative analysis of the transformation of the human self in Sufism and Mahāyāna Buddhism focusing particularly on the nature and role of religious practice in human transformation. It first outlines the Qur’ānic concept of innate human nature (fiṭra) and the Sufi practice of invocation of God (dhikr, lit. “remembrance”), and explores how the practice of dhikr is conceived as a process of uncovering a primordial awareness of God possessed by all human beings. This article then examines the concept of Buddha nature and practices of invocation of the Amida, aka Amitābha, Buddha (buddhānusmṛti/nembutsu) and zazen (sitting meditation). Specifically, it discusses how these practices are intended to facilitate the realization of Buddha nature, which is likewise considered to be latent in all sentient beings. Based on this doctrinal and ritual background, this article concludes with a comparative analysis of human nature and spiritual transformation through religious practice in Sufism and Mahāyāna Buddhism.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mental balance and well-being: Building bridges between Buddhism and Western psychology. | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Buddhist Modernism and the Rhetoric of Meditative Experience | 1995 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Buddhist and Psychological Perspectives on Emotions and Well-Being | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Too Early to Tell: The Potential Impact and Challenges—Ethical and Otherwise—Inherent in the Mainstreaming of Dharma in an Increasingly Dystopian World | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From self to nonself: The Nonself Theory | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |