Teruyasu Tamura

pamphlet #302
This pamphlet is profound, insightful, charming, informative, helpful. Tamura discusses commonalities and distinctions between Zen and Quakerism. In the course of this, he clarifies some Buddhist ways of quieting the mind, which can be helpful to Friends. He also explores the two aims of Quaker worship identified by Howard Brinton as mystical contemplation and prophetic ministry, which Zen would see as almost incompatible, but Quakerism does not. He advocates for two kinds of devotional exercise, as he finds also in William Penn, the waiting upon God for leadings, and the contemplation for complete inner silence to go utterly beyond words and concepts, seeking unity.
There is a lot more here as well. He formulates a call for a religion for our times, that transcends cultures and particular religions, that recognizes that humans share the same life and spirit with the rest of nature, and that acts to realize what it knows. He hopes such a religion will emerge out of the close communion between Quakerism and Zen.… (meer)

This is a wonderful pamphlet, profound, insightful, charming, informative, helpful. Tamura discusses commonalities and distinctions between Zen and Quakerism. In the course of this, he clarifies some Buddhist ways of quieting the mind, which can be helpful to Friends. He also explores the two aims of Quaker worship identified by Howard Brinton as mystical contemplation and prophetic ministry, which Zen would see as almost incompatible, but Quakerism does not. He advocates for two kinds of devotional exercise, as he finds also in William Penn, the waiting upon God for leadings, and the contemplation for complete inner silence to go utterly beyond words and concepts, seeking unity.
There is a lot more here as well. He formulates a call for a religion for our times, that transcends cultures and particular religions, that recognizes that humans share the same life and spirit with the rest of nature, and that acts to realize what it knows. He hopes such a religion will emerge out of the close communion between Quakerism and Zen.… (meer)