Uncanny Parallels:The Problems and Possibilities that Swedenborgianism and Buddhism Share

May 16, 2014 

Friday|  8 PM

Uncanny Parallels: The Problems and Possibilities that Swedenborgianism and Buddhism Share

Although Swedenborgianism played a little-known role in introducing Buddhism to the West, there is much more to the relationship between them. They share the essential insight that religion is really about personal transformation, though they offer differing paths to achieve that end. There are also interesting similarities between the Buddhist concepts of karma and rebirth and Swedenborg’s understanding of heaven and hell: both relate to our view of the self, and both have become problematic in some ways. Given the common ground between these two traditions, what can they learn from each other? And what do they both tell us about the spirituality of the here and now?

   David Loy is a professor, writer, and Zen Buddhist teacher. He is the author of nine books and numerous articles that offer a Buddhist perspective on Western culture and has taught internationally at the university level about Buddhism.