Comparative analysis of the teachings of Hafez and Carlos Castaneda to solve the suffer of the meaninglessness

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

PhD of Persian language and literature, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran

10.22103/jcl.2025.25594.3861

Abstract

Abstract

Introduction

The course of philosophical thinking in the West has changed from an existential encounter with man and existence to a purely scientific and technological encounter. According to Nietzsche and Heidegger, the end of this intellectual-philosophical course has led to nihilism. Nihilism means the unfoundedness of existence and the emptying of the space of existence from the presence of the sublime, and as a result, the life of modern man becomes meaningless and unsupported. Nietzsche said in the early 19th century that God is dead. This sentence of Nietzsche was the beginning of the spread of absurdity throughout the West, which gradually spread to the whole world in the 20th century. Against the pervasive and formidable current of emptiness, a current called modern spirituality was formed, which aimed to restore meaning to life. In this article, we compare the teachings of Hafez from Iranian-Islamic mysticism with the teachings of Carlos Castaneda, who is one of the leaders of new spiritualism, so that we can find a solution to give meaning to the life of modern man from their thoughts.
 

Methodology

In this research, we have first referred to reliable library sources such as books and articles, and then we have scanned the related materials. Finally, we have written the collected slips with a descriptive-analytical method.
 

Discussion

Contemporary man is existentially homeless and without a support. Modernity has destroyed human shelters and left man wandering in the wilderness of existence. Contemporary man must find a support for himself. Eastern sages and wise men and Western philosophers have always been trying to provide an existential support for man. Iran is one of the main centers of Eastern wisdom and civilization, in whose lap many wise men have grown.
      Iranian poets have also been wise and thoughtful, and have expressed their thoughts and teachings in the language of poetry. Classical Persian literary texts are full of wisdom and solutions for contemporary man. Contemporary man is a man for whom modernity has transformed all his intellectual and mental foundations. Modernity was a fundamental movement that changed man's attitude and outlook towards himself, existence, and the relationship between the two. This movement created a new man with different existential concerns. One of these inner concerns is the question of the meaning of life. The meaning of life was not an issue for traditional man, but for modern man it is the most important issue.
      Although the meaning of life is not directly mentioned in classical Persian texts, by rereading these texts from the perspective of the concerns of a modern person, we can extract teachings that answer the question of the meaning of life and provide a solution for a authentic life. To better understand these texts, we can compare them with other texts to find out the similarities and differences between the approaches of Iranian wise poets and other thinkers of the world. Hafez is one of the Iranian wise men who was very sensitive to the existence of man in this world. He had existential concerns and tried hard to find an answer to solve his concer In this article, we have analyzed the teachings of Hafez and Carlos Castaneda in order to find an answer to the difficult question of the meaning of life, so that we can offer modern man a solution for a authentic life by combining the wisdom of the East and the West.
 
 
 
4.Conclusion
Hafez considers several fundamental beliefs necessary to have a peaceful, happy, and meaningful life: belief in the impermanence and unfairness of existence, which leads to acceptance of life and existence as it is, conscious acceptance of the existence of suffering in life, hope, and contemplation of death. He also considers benefiting from love, "rendy"(The main concept of Hafez's poetry), and good times in the field of behavior to complete the art of living and the evolution of human existence. Castaneda also considers the mind trapped in the fence of repetitive patterns to be the main cause of meaninglessness. Castaneda's solution for liberating a person from the mind is based on accepting life, death of consciousness, inner silence, and achieving a new outlook on life.
      In fact, the focal center of Castaneda's thought is understanding the reality of life beyond the illusion that we are trapped in. By presenting his theoretical wisdom, Hafez tries to destroy the conventional, repetitive, and superficial understanding of existence. Freedom from the chains that bind the mind is possible by taking advantage of his profound worldview and applying his practical wisdom in life. Rend, who has reached mature wisdom through spiritual perspiration, experiences the vision of Castaneda. Castaneda considers it a suitable solution to embrace peace, accept life and get rid of the result; Hafez has considered this approach and emphasized that the flower of life cannot be without thorns, one should stop complaining and complain about the part and start accepting. Both of them believe that contemplation and awareness of death indicate the green opportunity of life. Having an eye in the eye of death leads to authentic living; And authentic living means meaningful living.
     Today's human being has wandered in the barrenness of meaninglessness, to get rid of boredom and repetition and create meaning, it is inevitable to reach into the lap of deep wisdom - both Eastern and Western, traditional and modern - to be able to you should discover and understand his existential talents and achieve transcendence by living based on those wisdoms. The apparent difference in these wisdoms is related to the difference in their language and expression, while their deep structure shows a way to liberation.
 

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Journal of Comparative Literature
Volume 17, Issue 33 - Serial Number 33
Current Issue
December 2025
Pages 131-151

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