FOREWORD
aboutothers,enjoymentandfear,andheshallnotclingtoany
creature."^ Itisinthis thatthe"unity"ofthebeingconsists,
and thismeans "being turnedinwards".Thismeans "thata
manisturnedinwards,inhisownheart,sothattherebyhecan
feel and understand theinner working and theinner words
ofGod".^ This new condition ofconsciousness, arising from
religious practice, is distinguished by the fact that outward
things nolonger affect an ego-like consciousness, whence a
reciprocalattachmenthasarisen,butthatanemptyconscious-
nessstandsopentoanotherinfluence. This "other"influence
willno longerbefeltas one'sownactivity, butas thework
ofa non-ego which hasconsciousness as its object.' It is as
thoughthesubject-characteroftheegohad beenoverrun,or
takenover,byanothersubjectwhichhastakentheplaceofthe
ego.* Itisaquestionofthatwell-knownreligiousexperience
whichhas beenformulated bySt. Paul {Gal. ii,20).Here a
new condition of consciousness is undoubtedly described,
separatedfromtheformerconditionofconsciousnessbymeans
ofafar-reachingprocessofreligioustransformation.
Itcouldbeobjectedthatconsciousnessinitsel/wasnotchanged,
butonlytheconsciousnessofsomething,justas though one had
turnedoverthepageofabookandnowsawadifferentpicture
withthesameeyes.Iamafraidthisconceptionisnomorethan
anarbitrary interpretation, as it does notconform with the
facts. Thefact isthatin thetextit isnotmerely adifferent
picture orobjectthat is described,butrather theexperience
of a transformation, often resulting from the most violent
convulsions.Theerasingofonepictureanditssubstitutionby
another is quitean everyday occurrence which has none of
the attributes ofa transformation experience. It is not that
somethingdifferentisseen,butthatoneseesdifferently.Itisasthough
the spatial actofseeingwere changed by a newdimension.
When the masterasks, "Doyouhear themurmuringofthe
brook?" he obviously means something quitedifferent from
»Opcit.p.57.
- Op.cit.p.62.
•"OLord....Instructmeinthedoctrineofthenon-ego,"etc.(Quoted
froml.ankavatara-sutra.Suzuki:Essay!in^enBuddhism,I,p.76.)
*AZenmastersays,"Buddhaisnoneother...whostrivestoseethis
mind."(Suzuki:Eac^iin^enBuddhism,I,p.76.)