On the Conceptions of God, the World, and the Human Person in Five World Religions

Abstract

Seen methodologically, the following text consists of a short philosophical-buddhological reflection that develops dialectically — moved by the gradually-appearing contradictions between the doctrinal systems of the five world religions introduced here. For the rational theory that attempts to discover a hidden unity of the mutually-opposing positions in this situation of conflict, three possible forms of synthesis are given a priori:

• a synthesis of“both…and” (et-et synthesis: both the position of Buddhism and the position of some other religion, Christianity, for instance, are true and as partial truths they both live on the total truth);

• a synthesis of“either…or” (aut-aut synthesis: only one of these theoretical positions is true, the other is false);

• a synthesis of“neither…nor” (nec-nec synthesis: none of the discussed theoretical positions is true and can function as absolute, i.e. as the unconditional basis of Buddhist religious practice.