The Cloud of Nothingness ― The Negative Way in Nagarjuna and John of the Cross

?This book explores ‘nothingness’, the negative way found in Buddhist and Christian traditions, with a focused and comparative approach. It examines the works of Nagarjuna (c. 150 CE), a Buddhist monk, philosopher and one of the greatest thinkers of classical India, and those of John of the Cross (1542-1591), a Carmelite monk, outstanding Spanish poet, and one of the greatest mystical theologians. The conception of nothingness in both the thinkers points to a paradox of linguistic transcendence and provides a novel insight into via negativa. This is the first full-length work comparing nothingness (emptiness) in Nagarjuna (Mahayana Buddhism) and John of the Cross (Christianity) in any language. It augments the comparative approach found in Buddhist-Christian comparative philosophy and theology. This book is of especial interest to academics of Buddhist and Christian studies searching for avenues for intellectual dialogue.

C. D. Sebastian (PhD, Banaras Hindu University) is Professor of Indian Philosophy in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, Mumbai, India. He is an established Indian Buddhist scholar and has expertise in philosophy, theology and religious studies. Among his works are Metaphysics and Mysticism in Mahayana Buddhism (2005, Bibliotheca Indo-Buddhica Series – 238) and Recent Researches in Buddhist Studies (2008, Bibliotheca Indo-Buddhica Series – 248).