Zen and Pastoral Psychotherapy: A Reflection on the Concept of No-I

Abstract

This articles creates a dialogue between the Eastern no-self and the Western strong self in order to allow Zen to enrich the practice of pastoral psychotherapy. Explaining the Buddhist no-self in Western psychological and theological languages, the article argues that no-self, or no-I, is an expression of the healthy Freudian ego and not the negation of the entire self. The influence of Zen practice on brain-wave functioning is placed into dialogue with the theologies of Walter Wink, Miroslav Volf, and Emmanuel Levinas to help Western Christian believers better understand Eastern Zen.