Books about buddhism w a deleuzian flavor...
The first thing to say is that the deleuzian elements of buddhism are often
connected with other paths, and things can get rather tangled up. Thus,
tantra, which is hindu in origin i think, makes a big contribution to tibetan
buddhism. Taoism, which predates buddhism in China, makes a big
contribution to zen. In many ways, it's these hybridizations which make for
some of the more deleuzian areas of buddhism. Esoteric hybrids too.
The second thing to say is that altho there are books that can show connections
, study of yoga, taoist martial arts or meditation practices are what will
give you experiences of what might be called a-thousand-plateaus type
experience. The ways in which language is deterritorialized, in which body
is deterritorialized by practice of these things, the care with which practice
is developed, are fundamental.
I also think it has to be acknowledged that there is a fundamental contradiction
between d&g's thought and much buddhism, in that the drive for transcendence,
for a state of "unmovement" or stillness is key to much buddhism. On the other
hand, the immanence of zen, or the concept of the boddhisattva, who refuses
to enter nirvana until all other beings can join him or her, suggest a
buddhism of engagement that does funny things to the world-as-illusion
thing. It suggests that engaging illusions is a political act. The Dalai
Lama and Thich-Naht Hanh are examples of buddhist political practice: it
would be interesting to know if the French and Italian Guattari/Negri axis
had comments on them.
OK, books. For zen, "Moon in a Dewdrop, writings of Zen Master Dogon". Dogon
was a thirteenth century Jaanese monk who studied in China (big taoist
influence) and founded the Soto school. "The Time Being" and "Mountains
and Water Sutra" are awesome philosophical works (and short!), one dealing
with time producing monads (i think), the other, the immanence of flow
in water. The book also contains detailed practice instructions.
For tibetan buddhism, "The tibetan book of the dead" ed. Evans-Wentz is
key. "Tibetan Yoga and secret doctrines" also ed. Evans-Wentz is great. Indo-
Tibetan Buddhism ed Snellgrove is good for an overview and contains good
stuff on tantra. A modern tibetan buddhist classic is "cutting through
spiritual materialism" by Chogyam Trungpa (this is quite well known) - good
on practice.
A key chinese buddhist text is "Scripture of the lotus blossom of the fine
dharma" aka The Lotus Sutra, trans Leon Hurvitz, which expresses the
boddhisattva path, and is full of buddha-multiplicities and proliferations.
Taoist texts. I love "The Taoist Experience" ed. Livia Kohn, which has
a lot of alchemic taoist texts, which deal with secret paths in the body
and such things. taoism is full of lines of flight. Some of this stuff
reads like science fiction even (and that's a complement. Also key:
Chuang Tzu ed. Burton Watson. Chuang-Tzu, while definitely not a buddhist,
is certainly very deleuzian, a philosopher of chaos, of lines of flight,
of immanence. Peter Lamborn Wilson has some very interesting ideas about
Chuang Tzu and anarchism, which he's published in pamphlet form.
Enough for now. I'm pleased there are other people on the list who link
d&g to buddhism. Love to you all.
Marcus Boon
------------------
The first thing to say is that the deleuzian elements of buddhism are often
connected with other paths, and things can get rather tangled up. Thus,
tantra, which is hindu in origin i think, makes a big contribution to tibetan
buddhism. Taoism, which predates buddhism in China, makes a big
contribution to zen. In many ways, it's these hybridizations which make for
some of the more deleuzian areas of buddhism. Esoteric hybrids too.
The second thing to say is that altho there are books that can show connections
, study of yoga, taoist martial arts or meditation practices are what will
give you experiences of what might be called a-thousand-plateaus type
experience. The ways in which language is deterritorialized, in which body
is deterritorialized by practice of these things, the care with which practice
is developed, are fundamental.
I also think it has to be acknowledged that there is a fundamental contradiction
between d&g's thought and much buddhism, in that the drive for transcendence,
for a state of "unmovement" or stillness is key to much buddhism. On the other
hand, the immanence of zen, or the concept of the boddhisattva, who refuses
to enter nirvana until all other beings can join him or her, suggest a
buddhism of engagement that does funny things to the world-as-illusion
thing. It suggests that engaging illusions is a political act. The Dalai
Lama and Thich-Naht Hanh are examples of buddhist political practice: it
would be interesting to know if the French and Italian Guattari/Negri axis
had comments on them.
OK, books. For zen, "Moon in a Dewdrop, writings of Zen Master Dogon". Dogon
was a thirteenth century Jaanese monk who studied in China (big taoist
influence) and founded the Soto school. "The Time Being" and "Mountains
and Water Sutra" are awesome philosophical works (and short!), one dealing
with time producing monads (i think), the other, the immanence of flow
in water. The book also contains detailed practice instructions.
For tibetan buddhism, "The tibetan book of the dead" ed. Evans-Wentz is
key. "Tibetan Yoga and secret doctrines" also ed. Evans-Wentz is great. Indo-
Tibetan Buddhism ed Snellgrove is good for an overview and contains good
stuff on tantra. A modern tibetan buddhist classic is "cutting through
spiritual materialism" by Chogyam Trungpa (this is quite well known) - good
on practice.
A key chinese buddhist text is "Scripture of the lotus blossom of the fine
dharma" aka The Lotus Sutra, trans Leon Hurvitz, which expresses the
boddhisattva path, and is full of buddha-multiplicities and proliferations.
Taoist texts. I love "The Taoist Experience" ed. Livia Kohn, which has
a lot of alchemic taoist texts, which deal with secret paths in the body
and such things. taoism is full of lines of flight. Some of this stuff
reads like science fiction even (and that's a complement. Also key:
Chuang Tzu ed. Burton Watson. Chuang-Tzu, while definitely not a buddhist,
is certainly very deleuzian, a philosopher of chaos, of lines of flight,
of immanence. Peter Lamborn Wilson has some very interesting ideas about
Chuang Tzu and anarchism, which he's published in pamphlet form.
Enough for now. I'm pleased there are other people on the list who link
d&g to buddhism. Love to you all.
Marcus Boon
------------------