A Comparative Ontology of the Concept of Non-existence in Buddhism and Rumi's Thought

Conducting a comparative study in mysticism, is a difficult path to take. The inconsistency of semantic horizons, both in terms of time and geography makes it even more difficult and to study similarities between asynchronous and asymmetric phenomena, which are formed in two more or less different structures, will not always lead to a definite conclusion. Non-existence in its mystical sense is one of the similar aspects of Islamic mysticism and Buddhism. The high emphasis and focus that mystics of both schools have had on this concept as the extremity of mystical journey, confirms this claim. In this article, first, the philosophical meanings and foundations of the concept of non-existence and its differences with the mystical concept of this term are explained and afterward, the mystical principles of non-existence are explained by focusing on the thoughts of Jalaluddin Mohammad Balkhi (Rumi) and Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha). Examining the commonalities and also the main differences between Buddhist mysticism and Islamic mysticism about the two concepts of Nirvana and non-existence is another focus of this article, which is explained by analytical-descriptive method and using content analysis of primary and main texts.