Zen Buddhism

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses how the author presents Zen Buddhism in a Western language - English - while acknowledging that languages, especially Western languages, are completely inadequate to defining Zen Buddhism. The paper describes how the word "Zen" may translate reasonably well as "enlightenment," yet it is not the kind of enlightenment Westerners usually think of. The paper shows how the author's style of writing is effective for his purpose. The paper concludes that the reader is left with the feeling that perhaps Westerners really can't comprehend Zen Buddhism, but attempting to understand this book would be a good exercise for students of Japanese and Chinese culture.

From the Paper:

"The sources the author uses are quite remarkable. They include the "Flower Sermon" given by Buddha, when he held up a flower but said nothing, ancient writings from China and India, and numerous writings from around the world including Japan and Germany. He also quotes the critics of Zen Buddhist, giving considerable attention to harsh comments such as "Zen Buddhism is mind-murder," perhaps alluding to the idea that logic is of no use on this path to enlightenment and in fact gets in the way: people cannot get to a state of Nirvana through reason. The author's anger regarding some of the criticisms made about Zen Buddhism comes through at these points in the text."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Suzuki, D. T. An Introduction to Zen Buddhism. New York: Grove Press, 1964.

More papers on Zen Buddhism:

• Term Paper # 121225 : "Zen Buddhism"
• Essay # 137530 : "Daoism, Zen Buddhism & Western Ideas of Self & Socialization"
• Analytical Essay # 138309 : "Emptiness in Ch'an/Zen Buddhism"
• Term Paper # 131867 : "Zen Buddhism - An Introduction for Westerners"

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