Western Zen At Its Western Zenniest

I recently stumbled on a Wikipedia entry entitled, somewhat nebulously, Zen Narratives. Among the things that might have meant, the article turns out to be a survey of innovations effected in Zen by Western adherents, and their probable origins. For those of us who find ourselves simultaneously in the West and practicing Zen, it's essential reading.

As the lede of the Buddhist Modernism section puts it:

"In the 20th century the Traditional Zen Narrative was transformed into a modern narrative, due to the power of the Western colonial forces and the modernisation of Japan, and the popularization [of Zen] in the Western world."

The fact that the article is brief and non-technical makes it signally useful. And if you want to delve into a tributary point, the embedded links can keep you page-hopping for days.

For an even more candid snapshot of Western Zen at its Western-Zenniest, check out this Talk page, linked obliquely via "Zen Narratives'" own, wherein live Western Zen practitioners address the same issues, with varying degrees of scholarship and intellectual honesty. See how far you get before the room starts spinning and you have to sit zazen for half an hour to regain clarity.

In any case, I have no idea who chose not to call this piece "Movements in Western Zen", but it's well worth a stop. Surf in and see if you don't agree.

Gasshō.


(Photo courtesy of Makia Minich and Wikimedia Commons.)