When considering the depth of a philosophical inquiry and staring deep into the void of philosophical and theological thought, the one penultimate door before enlightenment arrives: Nihilism.
In primarily the Western world, Nihilism is seen as a task to be overcome. A rut one finds themselves in which they must dig out of. To Kaiji Nishitani though, Nihilism is a state we should strive to be in. A state of mind one should be proud to be in and proud to have been in. For it is the penultimate door, a necessity one must pass through to reach true enlightenment in any field be that religious or not.
Kaiji Nishitani, born in Japan but a prolific thinker of Western philosophies. He studied Nietzsche’s books for most of his adolescence and it is said he carried a copy of Thus Spoke Zarathustra with him everywhere he went – although this is not confirmed. When he was of an age to go to university, he travelled to Germany to study under Martin Heidegger. It was here Nishitani became enthused with Existentialism and the pursuit for Theological truth as, when he was younger, he was a practicing Buddhist.
In understanding life we must undergo a quest. A true, deep, nihilistic quest of either theological or philosophical proportions. Imagine a university: an institue people of sound mind and body choose to be in to learn more about any given subject. The students there have free will, signed a form, got accepted and are enrolled in a course they have chosen. But how many of those students are actually performing learning rituals and using the time as intended – bent over books in libraries, visiting lectures, travelling to see outside speakers on subjects, running tests. A guarantee can be given that a majority of students enrolled will sometimes study, do the minimum of coursework, and pass with a degree – they will spend most of their time at parties, pubs and social events.
To Nishitani, this is a test of a true quest. A deep involvement in a source. It is this devotion that separates Mr Smith who goes to church every Sunday and keeps the ten commandments, from the Pope or a Martyred Saint. A falsity and outlier of devotion.
Although Nishitani speaks greatly about religion, the was not religious in his later life and used it as a method for unveiling false worshipers who hide behind a mask of their faith. The quote “God is Dead” by one of Nishitani’s biggest influences: Friedrich Nietzsche, is one we are all familiar with. But to a thinker such as Nishitani, this is not an anit-religious statement. He claims that the quote does not condemn religion to be dead, but instead sees it as a foreshadowing to a revival.
Dualistic thinking, such as how people read and understand the quote above, was a dangeous way of thinking to Nishitani. The idea that there is an either/or scenario was incorrect. This also proved his points of the fragmented thoughts of essence. People could be told the story of modern Christian thought in five minutes, they could nod their head and say that they understand it. But what Nishitani would say if that they understood a fragment of it, a subsection. The dualistic or monistic approach to thought like this is dangerous as it shuts out the other pieces of light which offer clarity to complicated subjects.
“The shift of man as person from person-centered self-prehension to self-revelation as the manifestation of absolute nothingness requires an existential conversion, a change of heart within man himself” – Keiji Nishitani
There is a common phrase which states that at the end of the tunnel there is light. But, much alike the quote of Nietzsche stated earlier, we are hearing this with dualistic or monistic presuppositions. What people forget to agknowledge is that to reach the light at the end of the tunnel, one must first walk through th tunnel – stare into the abyss and reflect in the solitude. Grow and learn in the depths of Nihilism. Then, and only then, after complete devotion to the craft, can one understand and be changed in the light.
While Nishitani seeks Nihilism as a quest and not a problem to be overcome, I would state this as a tightrope of thought. Though every great thinker has had to stare into these abyss’s and change their heart through existential conversation, what we are forgetting are the many thousands of thinkers who never leave the tunnel. They enter in search of enlightenment, but fall unknowingly and cannot see the forest for the trees.
If one is truly devoted to a god – Nishitani would say – devoted to a search for and understanding and faith in their god, they will emerge changed and enlightened on the ther side: be that in the ways they intended or not. Meanwhile the people who move along as merely practicing followers will only understand certain fragments of their faith and, yes, may go to an afterlife after death, but will be unchanged on this earth.
But Nishitani does not hold these thoughts of enlightenment purely in esoteric and theological realms. They can be taken by any subject: philosophy, reading, writing, art etc. True envolvement in a subject and devotion to it will enevitably cause the person to be enlightened.
It is here though that I must disagree with Nishtani. His statement of true and pure involvment and devotion denies the fundmentals of a well-lived life first coined by Aristotle and since developed on by many more Eastern and Western thinkers over the ages.
“Happiness comes from finding balance. Too much of anything disrupts the harmony of virtues. Courage, not recklessness, balance is the key to true happiness.” – Aristotle
To say that Aristotle is right in his question of balance only on the grounds that it is different and from a classical mode of philosophy would be imperitvley wrong for me to state. The evidence therefore to show Aristotle favour of being right is that of simply living. Too much involvement in subjects such as watching Television or painting a picture, causes the person to loose sight of other things such as their own health, cleanliness and social life. It does not take a person with a PhD in psychology to understand that variation in a life is key to keeping the flame of devotion to a craft or faith alive.
Although these tunnels are purely mental and have no fixed length or darkness, the possiblity of people overcome with Nihilism is vastly more common than those who emerge changed. Nishitani, therefore, condemns himself to being a hypocrite to his own teachings against dualistic thought by not mentioning those who cannot emerge enlightened. Balance, simply put, is the way though Nishitani’s Nihilistic abyss.
The paragraphs above are not an affront to Nishitani’s works, nor an argument against his philosophies. An unsung hero in modern western philosophy unknown and unappreciated by most in his time. The popularity of his works have only become common understanding and teaching in the past decade. If one were not a part of the Kyoto school of philosophy – or even akin with members of this school – one would possibly live their entire life without hearing his name. His writings, whether you are familiar with his name or not, is one which has shaped modern western thinking on the subjects of vanity, religion, modern enlightenment and more. And so here I write this essay as an entry point to his works, his philosophies and the life of an unsung hero of modern enlightenment and Nihilistic thought.
Sources: Keiji Nishitani: Religion and Nothingness (Pub 1982, University California Press)