! -ESSAGE FROM THE %DITOR
4
HIS YEAR S ISSUE OF 2ELIGION %AST 7ESTT IS PRIVILEGED TO PUBLISH l VE PAPERS PRESENTED TO PARTICIPANTS IN THE ANNUAL .ORTHERN #ALIFORNIA #HAN :EN #ATHOLIC $IALOGUE &OR THE PAST FOUR YEARS DURING SEVERAL WINTER DAYS THIS DIALOGUE HAS BROUGHT TOGETHER SCHOLAR PRACTITIONERS FROM A COMPLEX OF TRADITIONS FOR PRESENTATIONS DISCUSSIONS AND JOINT PRACTICE AND WORSHIP 2ELIGION %AST 7EST CONTINUES THE PRESENTATIONS IN THE PAGES THAT FOLLOW .EVER FAR FROM THE CENTER OF THE PRESENTATIONS AT THE .ORTHERN #ALI FORNIA #HAN :EN #ATHOLIC $IALOGUE WAS THE THEME OF THE ROLE OF SELF AS AN OBSTACLE TO RELIGIOUS AWAKENING 4HE EMPTYING OF THE QUOTIDIAN LIMITED SELF AND ITS SURRENDER TO THE LARGER /THER IS A GOAL COMMON TO ALL THE GREAT MYSTICAL TRADITIONS )TS VARIOUS EXPRESSIONS IN "UDDHISM AND #HRISTIANITY ARE THE TOPICS OF THE l VE PAPERS ADAPTED FROM THE $IALOGUE AND PUBLISHED HERE !T THE SAME TIME SEVERAL ARTICLES SUBMITTED INDEPENDENTLY TO THIS YEAR S JOURNAL FROM POINTS FAR FROM .ORTHERN #ALIFORNIA COALESCED AROUND SIMILAR THEMES !S A RESULT WE ARE ABLE TO BEGIN THE JOURNAL WITH AN ARTICLE BY THE "RITISH THEOLOGIAN 2OB #OOK WHO l NDS PARALLELS AMONG THE "UDDHIST AND #HRISTIAN CONCEPTS OF EMPTINESS AND PLENITUDE AND TO FOLLOW HIS ARTICLE WITH AN EXPLANATION OF THE CONCEPTS OF SELF AND OTHER IN THE RICH TRADITION OF 3Ul SM WRITTEN BY THE SCHOLAR AND PHILOSOPHER -UHAMMAD +AMAL WHO TEACHES IN !USTRALIA ! DIFFERENT THEME l NALLY IS SOUNDED BY *OSEPH ,OIZZO WHOSE ARTICLE RECALLS ONE OF THE AXIOMS OF THIS JOURNAL NAMELY THAT REAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE RELIGIOUS LIFE MUST COME THROUGH A COMBINATION OF SCHOLARSHIP AND SPIRITUAL PRACTICE ˆ$AVID 2OUNDS
>HHJ: D8ID7:G
VII