Events Comparative Mysticism

Mysticism is mostly employed in the context of theistic religions because historically, mysticism aims at a unification with God. It must first be clarified if the project of comparative mysticism can be carried out properly when including non-theistic religions. For this purpose, I examine phenomena such as quietism, ectasis, and contemplation. The Greek term ekstasis means “standing beside oneself,” and meditation or contemplation can lead to mental states that sometimes even quite literally evoke this expression. In Buddhist traditions, such states can be brought about by philosophical reflection and contemplation, which is not entirely alien to Christian mysticism or Sufism either. It is thus necessary to widen the term “mystic” until it also includes contemplation. Contemplation does not lead to ecstatic raptures, but it can lead to a state of “standing beside oneself.” Nishitani calls this “the ecstatic awareness of Dasein,” which means that the finitude of Dasein is transcended. There thus is ekstasis in Buddhism.