Abstract:
This thesis aims at a comparative study of the concept of liberation in Theravada and Zen Buddhism. Although Theravada and Zen belong to different schools of Buddhism, they have the same belief in emanicipation and realize that emanicipation is the highest goal. The scope of comparative study confines to 5 topics : 1) the unique teachings about liberation, 2) the highest goal, 3) the method of attaining liberation, 4) different stages of liberation, 5) the state of one who has attained liberation. The research has revealed that Theravada and Zen Buddhism have similarities and differences on following significant considerations: Some important teachings about the liberation: Zen fundamentally deals with Sunyata, Emptiness or Voidness and Koans. Considering the essence of these teachings of Zen, it may be said that they are not absolutely alien from the Theravada's doctrine of Anatta. Thus, the teachings of both school may be regarded as in accord with each other. The highest goal: Both Theravada and Zen agree that life is full of suffering. To eliminate suffering is of utmost importance. Thus the highest aspiration of Theravada and Zen Buddhism is one and the same, i.e. to find out the way leading to the end of suffering and attaining to the highest happiness. The only difference in this regard is that Zen lays more emphasis on a sudden liberation than Theravada. The method of liberation: The ways of practice for attaining liberation in Theravada and Zen bases necessarily on three successive methods : Sila, Samadhi and Panna which are collectively called the Noble eighfold path. But there are some minor differences in the details of practice such as, for intance, while Theravada prescribes contemplation on the loathesomeness of the body, Zen Buddhism does not have this method, and while Zen regards Koan as indispensable stepping-stone to the final goal, theravada has nothing of the same. There are some problems involve in this research. liberation is a matter of spiritual and individual experience; only one who has already attained it can comprehend it fully, and this attainment always requires a long time of practice. This research is, therefore, an attempt to give a general outlook regarding similar and different aspects of Theravada and Zen Buddhism. The reserarch, however, reveals that with regard to the general idea of liberation Theravada and Zen have many thing in common ; the differences found between them are only of the minor details.