Nishitani Keiji Quotes
Nishitani Keiji was a Japanese philosopher and one of the principal figures of the second generation of the Kyoto School. A student of Nishida Kitaro at Kyoto and of Heidegger at Freiburg, he combined Mahayana Buddhist thought, especially the Zen concept of emptiness, with the Western philosophical tradition in works such as The Self-Overcoming of Nihilism and Religion and Nothingness. The quotes below are attributed to Nishitani Keiji, organized by topic.
Nishitani Keiji on God
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Attributed to Nishitani Keiji:
“Nihilism, properly understood, is the gateway to religion.”
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Attributed to Nishitani Keiji:
“Religion is the place where one comes to know oneself.”
Nishitani Keiji on Mind
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Attributed to Nishitani Keiji:
“Sunyata, emptiness, is the foundation of true selfhood.”
Nishitani Keiji on Truth
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Attributed to Nishitani Keiji:
“Meaninglessness is the ground from which meaning grows.”
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Attributed to Nishitani Keiji:
“Only the standpoint of emptiness can hold together being and nothing.”