Whiteheadian Concept of God: Corroborating the Truth of Anattā or ‘Sūnyatā (1/2)
Wong Weng Hon
Introduction
My greatest harvest in reading Mahāyāna literature is that of the knowledge gleaned from the exegesis of the Buddhist doctrine of Emptiness (‘Sūnyatā) unveiled in the Nāgārjuna’s Mahāyāna ‘Sāstra of Mūlamadhyamakārikā (The Philosophy of the Middle Way). Emptiness points directly to the Truth of process theistic concept of God expounded by Alfred North Whitehead. The doctrine of Emptiness (‘Sūnyavāda) is actually the process or perennial philosophy of the ontology of dynamic becoming (bhava). My greatest gain in reading Sufi literature is the knowledge derived from the exegesis of the Islamic doctrine of Tawḥīd or the Sufi doctrine of Waḥdat al Wujūd unravelled in Haji Muhammad Bukhari Lubis’s Sufi literature of ‘The Ocean of Unity’. The Sufi commentaries contained in ‘The Ocean of Unity’ is derived essentially from towering Sufi philosopher Ibn Arabi’s work of ‘Fuṣūṣ al – Ḥikam’ (Seal of Wisdom).
Discovery of Communal Truth
It was the greatest Dhammic joy in my life to discover that Ibn ‘Arabī’s concept of God defined as the Unity of Existence (Wah̄dat al Wujūd) is synonymous with the Mahāyāna Buddhist doctrine of ‘Sūnyatā (Emptiness of immutable self-nature). In fact, succinctly put , The Theravāda doctrine of Anattā (Non-self or Egolessness) is also a God concept. What is other than self or ego is God. Anattā is the negation of self or ego. Thus, Anattā and God are consonant. Whoever conceives a personality view (sakkāya dițțhi) is alienated from God. Personality is the erroneous view of autonomous existence of human personality separable from others. Knowledge of God rejects autonomous existence of any being. Any thought of a being separable from others is alienation from God. This simple statement is actually very profound . It has a soteriological significant. Whoever discerns this Truth knows his true Self. Thus, he knows his Lord. Therefore, Anattā is God. God, ‘Sūnyatā, and Anattā are synonymous because they are synonymous with the universal absolute Truth of dependently co-arisen Unity or Non-duality.
My subsequent intensive readings and scrutinies of the exegesis on ‘Process and Reality’ of Alfred North Whitehead , a celebrated western Process or Organic philosopher corroborate undoutedly that the Truth of ultimacy is indeed one and not two (ekaṃ saccaṃ na dutī̄yam). The communal Truth of wisdom perceived by all esoteric religions is dependently co-arisen Unity or Non-duality. Please take heed : Unity or Non-duality is a very profound religious Truth . It is the right knowledge of Brahman, Tao, Buddha, God or Allah. Process or perennial ontology is the Truth of this absolute Reality (Sans.: Tathatā, Dharmatā ; Ara. : Ḥaqq, Ḥaqīqah). The Process Thought reveals that the Truth is dynamic but not static. The ordinary worldlings perceive the world statically. The saints perceive the world dynamically. A static perception leads to attachment or aversion. A dynamic perception of the world eliminates the deludedly created attachment and aversion. A static view of the world is illusion; a dynamic of the world is self-awakening.
Whiteheadian Philosophy
Whitehead’s process philosophy is indeed the greatest gift to Christian process theology or process thesism because his work ‘Process and Reality’ sheds much light on the concept or Truth of God in terms the primordial nature and consequent nature of God. The primordial nature of God is parallel to Buddha-nature. The consequent nature of God is consonant with the creation of the conditioned phenomena world through Dependent Co-arising of conditioning and being conditioned . Though the concept of Emptiness and Dependent Co-arising are not employed directly to explain the Truth of God in Whitehead’s work, it is evident that Whitehead’s notion of process or perennial becoming resonates with the Truth of Emptiness and Dependent Co-arising. Most significantly, it corroborates the Buddhist ontology of Anattā (Non-self or Egolessness) or ‘Sūnyatā or Pratityasamutpāda (Dependent Co-arising). Whiteheadian philosophy of organism or process vindicates that God is synonymous with Brahman, Tao, Buddha, and Allah. This discovery of communal Truth of Wisdom promotes and fosters interfaith understanding, and bridges diverge religions which have unfortunately divided the world. The original function of religion is to integrate and unite the world .
We can therefore conclude convincingly that Mahāyāna’s Zen is consonant with Sufi’s wisdom of al Fanā’ which is enlightenment station of discerning Unity or Non-duality - the state of being born of God or Buddha . The Holy Spirit of Christianity is parallel to the Mahāyāna’s tenet of Dharmakāya (Body of Truth). Ātman-Brahman equation is consonant with Mahāyāna Bodhisattva Vimalakīrti’s exposition of the entrance into the door of Non-duality (Advaya). Non-duality is God.
Likewise, Nirvāṇa can be utilized to depict the climax of spirituality of complete obliteration of self-centric ego of a saved Hindu, Taoist, Buddhist, Christian or Sufi. Nirvāṇa is the spiritual state of emptiness of emptiness (‘sūnyatā-‘sunyatā) which is synonymous with Sufi’s final station of al-fanā’ al-fanā’ (destruction of destruction). Both soteriological stations denote the relinquishing all views, both substantial and insubstantial views. Any substantial view is a spiritual divorce from God which connotes unity of existence. It fulfills recommendation of ‘Sākyamuni Buddha of discarding the raft after have traversed from this shore to other shore beyond. It is the eradication of self-centric ego devoid of any notion of I or Mine. Destruction of self-centric ego redeems unity of existence that is God. God is philosophically and theosophically Brahman, Tao or Buddha.
Nirvāṇa and salvation
Nirvāṇa is the complete silence of the chatter of the human mind driven by illusory self or ego (Pāl.: Ahaṃkāra; Arab. : Anānīyah). The complete silence of the human mind is the total annihilation of self-centric ego. All major religions, such as Hinduism, Taoism, Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam or Sufism are orientated towards attaining ultimate salvation or emancipation (vimutti). Salvation or emancipation is only effected from the total destruction of self-centric ego. The pragmatic value of salvation in the present life is that the wisdom and moral development of a saved believer are consummated. Briefly put, a saved believer scores grade A in wisdom and ethics in practice. Most modern school, college and university students worship and strive themselves to their utmost to score grade A in English, Mathematics, Science, Accounting, Economics, Engineering, Management and so on. Why can’t they strive too to score grade A in Religion in theory and practice. Why do they seem to worship the artists more than they worship the scientists or religious gurus?
Salvation or emancipation should be conceived accurately as the highest good of life in which one has ceased totally to commit evils or to harm others. Bedides, he is continually immersed in great joy of being benevolent toward others. Most importantly he or she always places the public or national interest above all else. Most significantly, he advocates a win-win situation in every collective enterprise – smart partnership for common good. Salvation or emancipation is the consummation of private victory of self-cultivation and the public victory of preserving harmonious relationships to help preserve the unity of association with others in all collective tasks or enterprises. The unity of association between all members of association and other contigent conditions to actualize worldly accomplishments is the unity of God.
Whitehead defines God as the actual entity synthesized from contigent conditions. The actual entity is expounded as the conditioned phenomenon dependently co-arisen from the unity of dependent conditions. The actual entity is depicted by Ibn ‘Arabī as a necessary existent dependently co-arisen from the unity of contigent beings. Succinctly put, God is the unity of its parts. The actual entity is ontologically defined as God by Whitehead. The conditioned phenomenon synthesized from a cause and conditions is ontologically designated as Emptiness by Nāgārjuna or ‘Sākyamuni Buddha. The necessary existent is designated as unity of Existence by Ibn ‘Arabī. Unity of Existence is God according to Ibn ‘Arabī’s prehension. Actual entity or conditioned phenomenon is actual occasion of human experience of the synthesis of both physical and mental phenomena (rūpa-nāma-dhammas).
To be continued |
