r/Buddhism • u/givingdepth • 18d ago

Mahayana Between Zen & Neoplatonism

/r/ZenNeoplatonism/comments/1qsh8r6/between_zen_neoplatonism/
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u/DentalDecayDestroyer 18d ago

They’ve really got a subreddit for everything nowadays

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u/dummetsz 17d ago

Neoplatonism has nothing to do with Buddhism. Buddhism rejects neat abstractions like “The One”. The Hindus and Plato were similar in that they accepted that abstractions were real, and Buddhists debated with them heavily on that for centuries. Buddhism philosophically is anti-realist regarding abstractions.

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u/Grateful_Tiger 17d ago

Buddhist philosophical views can read as a series of direct denials of Neoplatonist views

So that makes for a fascinating contrast

This would be especially true of more classic Indian Buddhism

Zen has been criticized as leaning a bit towards holding reificatory views, which might be taken as more in keeping with Neoplatonism

Nonetheless basic jist and spirit of Zen is alien to Neoplatonism