Nishitani Keiji

Essays and Reflections 1

Sova P. K. Cerda & James W. Heisig, eds.

This, the first of two volumes of translations by the celebrated Japanese philosopher Nishitani Keiji, contains a collection of 17 essays on general Buddhist thought and Zen, and reflections on the modern world, rounded off by 7 records of interviews and personal reminiscences. Together they give us a portrait of the opening of Japanese philosophy to the wider world and a challenge to its customarily Eurocentric inclinations. The range of Nishitani’s knowledge of Buddhism, Christianity, and the intellectual history of thought from the ancient world down to the present is both astonishing and illuminating.

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“Becoming chief editor of The Eastern Buddhist in his sixties involved Nishitani Sensei to a large extent in the English translations that made up the bulk of the material we published…. I like to think that the very substantial selection of translations in this new book, many of which we can assume benefitted from his personal advice, would have given him considerable pleasure.” — Normal Waddell

“This collection of forty-three thought-provoking essays by Japan’s preeminent philosopher of religion is a treasure trove and that rounds out his magnum opus, Religion and Nothingness.” —John C. Maraldo

“This collection offers a rare combination of philosophical insight, personal moments, and Nishitani’s character that is an invaluable window into his life and work, other key figures of that time such as D T Suzuki, and the history of the Kyoto School and beyond.” — Mark Unno

“Several of the essays in these volumes also offer relevant insights into the complex ways that Nishitani takes Zen Buddhism—and other forms of Buddhism at times— as a point of departure to address philosophical problems and contemporary issues.” — Carlos Barbosa