Amelia Ziegler

The Truth As Non-foundational According to Zen Buddhism: Truth As a Ceaseless Creative Process Amelia Ziegler

This book features a discussion of truth as non-foundational through the perspective of Zen Buddhism. Zen Buddhism in particular criticizes foundational truth as it interprets the doctrine of dependent co-arising, the Buddha's core teaching, in a radically non-dualistic way. In addressing the truth as non-foundational according to Zen, I will introduce the doctrine of dependent co-arising and emptiness, discuss the way in which the concept of emptiness lead to the split between the gradual and sudden schools of Zen, with a focus on the function of encounter dialogue as it evolved from the legitimization of the sudden tradition, and conclude by addressing the non-teleological aspects of Zen, pointing out that truth asserted as non-foundational maintains that truth is a ceaseless creative process. As the tradition of Zen has recently become largely popularized, this work will offer the reader a historical background of the tradition, as well as provide those interested with an intellectual insight into the practice of Zen.