MYSTIC-INTUITIVE PRACTICES OF THE ZEN BUDDHISM

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to consider the features of the spiritual essence of mystical and intuitive Zen Buddhism practices. The research methodological is based on a logical combination of historical, comparative, dialectical methods of scientific research. The scientific novelty consists in the analysis of the spiritual practices of Zen Buddhism as a means of self-knowledge, the way of intuitive search for the unity of one’s own existence, which determine its spread in the modern world. The authors note that the achievement of enlightenment, “satori”, in Zen Buddhism does not fit into an unambiguous logical-discursive explanation, and to achieve it, a number of mystical-intuitive practices aimed at intuitive comprehension of the true nature of things is used. The characteristic features claimed by the Zen teachings include the following: receiving revelation without sacred texts; faith is inseparable from the desire to experience personal enlightenment; Zen Buddhism involves direct contact with human objective-psychological essence (which is beyond feelings, thoughts of a person); the comprehension of this “secret nature” determines the path to the “perfection of the Buddha”. Intuitive insight appears as knowledge related to the universal and personal aspects of existence. There is no difference between birth and death, object and subject in the Emptiness as the first principle of the world. Enlightenment appears as a “complete awakening” of the whole person, when a person ceases to consider oneself as a thing, becomes open in feelings to the world. The task of a person is to understand this and achieve the unity of one’s own “Self”, and the idea of the existence of opposites disappears after realizing one’s deep involvement in all things. Conclusions. The authors conclude that in Zen Buddhism, self-knowledge is an extra-intellectual process that appears as the fullness of experience, which occurs as a result of a collision with the inner intuitive self-absorption in search of the unity of one’s own existence.