Death in the eyes of Heideggerian, Marcelian existentialism and Zen buddhism

• Main Author: Tolete, Mary Ann M.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 1998
• Subjects: Death > Religious aspect; Existentialism; Zen Buddhism; Buddhism and philosophy
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/1540
• Institution: De La Salle University

This study entitled Death in the Eyes of Heideggerian Marcelian Existentialism and Zen Buddhism is a comparative study that directs itself to the question: How does Zen Buddhism's view of death differ from the existential view? Thus, it aims to present different views of existential philosophies on death and Zen Buddhism perspective on death. In the existential perspective, the author considered Martin Heidegger and Gabriel Marcel. Martin Heidegger's philosophy of death deals with his own death . Death, in an existential analysis, is the human existent's ownmost non-relational, inevitable. In death, the being reaches his/her wholeness. Death is not only perceived as a someday event, but it affects the present moment. Upon knowing the destiny --death, individual treats every moment preciously knowing that he/she is finite. Our experience of death is the death of another person. This is the philosophy of death in the light of Gabriel Marcel. Gabriel Marcel focused not on is own death but the death of the loved one. Gabriel Marcel discussed that though the loved one is not anymore present physically, the presence is still there because of the bond that ties them. This bond is love. Love transcends death, in one of Gabriel Marcel's play, the character said: Thou, thou shall not die . Zen Buddhism welcomes and completely affirm the inevitability of death. To Zen, death is the natural course of life. In one neither clings on to nor is attached to the bifurcating mind, one will realized that no one is born, no one dies. It is just an illusion. Existentialism and Zen Buddhism are two philosophy that deals with the concreteness of life. Both presented their varying views on death. And all are aware that death is an inevitable phenomenon but both do not approach death as a problem to overcome instead both are aware of the inevitable event.