“To get the clearest and most efficient understanding of a thing, therefore, it must be experienced personally.”
— D.T. Suzuki, An Introduction to Zen Buddhism
Revolutionary in theology, traveler of heaven and hell, champion of the spiritual world, king of the mystical realm, clairvoyant unique in history, scholar of incomparable vigor, scientist of penetrating intellect, gentleman free of worldly taint: all of these combined into one make Swedenborg. Now, in Japan, the field of religious thought is finally reaching a state of crisis. Those who wish to cultivate their spirit, those who bemoan the times, must absolutely know of this person. This is the reason for this book.
Throughout his long life, this Buddhist scholar taught at colleges in Japan, the United States, and Europe, including Columbia, Yale, Harvard, Cambridge, and Oxford. His works are collected in the 32-volume Suzuki Daisetsu Zenshu, and translations of many of those works are still available in English, including An Introduction to Zen Buddhism, Essays in Zen Buddhism, Mysticism: Christian and Buddhist, and Zen and Japanese Culture.
You can read more about Suzuki’s thoughts on Emanuel Swedenborg and the connection between Buddhism and Swedenborg’s writings in Swedenborg: Buddha of the North, which is available in print or as an e-book.