An Epistemological Analysis of Spiritual Awakening in Persian Mystical Literature and Satori in Zen Buddhism Narratives (case study: Rumi's Masnavi-ye-Ma'navi and stories of The Gateless Barrier and One Hundred and One Zen Stories)

An Epistemological Analysis of Spiritual Awakening in Persian Mystical Literature and Satori in Zen Buddhism Narratives (Case Study: Rumi's Masnaviye-Maʾnavi and Stories of  The Gateless Barrier and One Hundred and One Zen Stories) Awakening means the annihilation of ignorance, and it is one of the most important concepts in Islamic mysticism, which Rumi has discussed and analyzed many times in the stories of Masnaviye Maʾnavi. The concept of Satori has the same meaning in Zen Buddhism texts, and understanding and experiencing it is central to meditation and spiritual journey. Hence, the goal of the present essay is to analyze awakening as reflected in Rumi's Masnaviye Maʾnavi as a prominent work of literature concerning Islamic-Iranian mysticism, alongside Satori narratives as presented in The Gateless Barrier and One Hundred and One Zen Stories, which are both famous texts in Zen mystical tradition. The demonstration of similarities and difference between these two philosophical traditions is done using a descriptive-analytical method. Upon analyzing the research data, it becomes evident that there is an overlap between features of awakening in Masnaviye Maʾnavi and Satori in Zen Buddhism; features such as being sudden, enlightening, and reproducibility, although the suddenness is reflected more in Satori narratives. Also, astonishment, which is a subfeature emerging from the audience's perspective, is reflected abundantly in Zen Buddhism texts, because of its irrationality and Incomprehensibility. Conversely, stories about wakefulness in Masnaviye Maʾnavi, which follow firm logical premises compared with Satori narratives, lack this feature.