D.T. Suzuki And Zen Study In The Western Context

D. T. Suzuki is undoubtedly the most crucial figure in the formation of Zen context of the 20th century in the West. His achievements not only prevent Zen from scapegoat-type presentation by Jesuit missionaries and Orientalists, but also make Zen enter Western world as an academic research. Therefore, He represents a new epoch in the history of Western Zen. People call this phenomenon "Suzuki effect" or "Suzuki stage". From this, one can see how important Suzuki is to the Zen study in the Western context. This thinking pattern is what my paper follows and expands. The whole structure and content can roughly be expressed as below:Introduction:to expound the motivation and purpose of this paper by four questions which are "Who is D. T. Suzuki?", "What does Suzuki effect bring to West?", "How does Zen be understood and interpreted in the Western context?", "Is there any problem of communication between Zen and Western culture?" According to these four questions, the theme and scope of this paper can be described as to discuss D. T. Suzuki's Zen and relevant study by Western scholars from the fields of psychology, philosophy, history and religion. From this, one can know clearly that West absorb something from Zen on the surface, but in fact there exists an ideology of Orientalism.Chapter One:Focus on discussing the description of Zen from 16th Century to 19th Century which forms the "Zen context" of 20th Century in the West. Basically the image of Zen belongs to atheism, mysticism and quietism both in the observation from Jesuit missionaries and in the books written by Orietalists. It doesn't make any change until the World's Parliament of Religion in Chicago,1983. Zen Masters coming from East introduce the real Zen during the Conference; this is the first time for Zen to speak about itself. Japanese Zen monk Shaku Soyen who is Suzuki's spiritual teacher is one of the crucial figures in this big event. After that, through Suzuki's efforts, he finally makes Zen enter Western world successfully.Chapter Two:Focus on discussing Suzuki's life history, academic career, sectarian heritage and Zen experiences. This is a way that we place Suzuki in the circumstances of the whole society so that one can explores specifically the background from which Suzuki and his thought grow up. It's surprise to know that the life of Suzuki is not just only his own personal history, but also reflects a trend of the time of the academic achievements. Some people praise him as "The great results of human knowledge" or "a great persuasive advocate of Zen"; but also some people criticize him as "a great tailor of Western Zen" or "the spirit of colonist". Such a life that mixes with praises and criticizes just stand out the meaning and worth of my research.Chapter Three:Focus on the inheritance and development of Suzuki's Zen thought from Chinese Ch'an school. One can see specifically the conncetion between it and Daosheng, Sengzhao, Huineng, Huayan school. Moreover, Nishida's "pure experince" which emphasies on direct experience integrated subject with object also enrich the interpretation of Suzuki's Zen. But without the spirit of practice, one can't understand clearly about what real Suzuki's Zen thought is, therefore, we must discuss "the Ch'an methods of Linji" and "the combination of meditation and wisdom". Those two factors bring the spirit of practice and life into Suzuki's Zen, this is why it is so attractive to West.Chapter Four:Focus on the psychological characteristic of Suzuki's Zen, such as "self", "consciousness", "unconsciousness". This tendency builds a close connection between Zen and Western psychology. For example:Fromm thinks Zen and psychology share the same goal because of the insight into human nature and the release of inside power; Jung thinks Zen's unconsciousness is more profound than Freud's repressed unconsciousness. Although the connection is built by Suzuki and those psychoanalysts, but the truth is their differences are more than similarities. For example:psychology wants unconsciousness to enter into consciousness, but Zen asks consciousness to go back to unconsciousness. One can see Zen and psychology share the same words with different meanings. Moreover, Western psychology often treats Zen as a kind of psychotherapy, but the truth is Zen help people not only to return to normal, but also to live in an integral life of body and mind. Therefore, it is true that Zen shows up the strong side on psychology, but Zen is not a kind of psychology, it is more than that!Chapter Five:"Eexperience" is the core thought of Suzuki's Zen which has the characteristic of individuality, intuition and ineffabiliy. Coincidentally, there are the similar essences in the mystical experience of Christian, so both of Zen and Christian get a further chance to know each other. For example:Suzuki praises Eckhart's thought is very close to Mahayana Buddhism especially Zen; and Thomas Merton thinks Zen can wake Christian's religious consciousness because Zen includes many contents of practice which is similar to Western religion. This kind of idea is accepted by many Westerners, so they treat Zen as a kind of mysticism. Therefore, Suzuki starts to clarify the differences between Zen and mysticism. In addition, West chooses to practice Zen through meditation which Suzuki mentions less. Some scholars think this phenomenon represents West has went out of Suzuki's effect, but we think no matter which way to approach Zen, the final goal is still something that Suzuki emphasizes.Chapter Six:Although Suzuki insists not to confuse Zen with any system of philosophy, but his philosophical interpretation of Zen just stands out the philosophical factors in Zen. This way builds a strong connection between Zen and post-modern philosophers in the second half of the 20th century, especially on the concepts of "illogical", "practical experience" and "absolute freedom". For example:Van Meter Ames declares both Suzuki and Dewey are the critics of traditional logic, they all try to de-construct the method of dichotomy; moreover, both Suzuki and Heidegger grasp "person" as a subject through Being and experience. Such analogy from appearance is a habitual way for West to study Zen, but in fact, there exist some key points which are completely different in Zen and philosophy. For example:Heidegger sets up an average state of Being for people to follow, but Zen opposes this kind of state because it violates the basic spirit of human. In sum, Zen comes from experience; philosophy derives from logical analysis and conceptual knowledge, therefore, Zen after all can't be confused with any philosophy.Chapter Seven:In the eighties of 20th century, West turns its methodology of Zen study into historical and critical research, it seems a debate between Suzuki and Hu Shih happens again in the West. They expect to pull Suzuki's non-historical Zen back to the scene of history in order to get new understanding. The result is Suzuki and his Zen thought are subjected to strong criticism. Moreover, by using systematic academic discourse and narrative strategy, West scrutinizes Suzuki's ideology, then put many labels such as ideology of sectarian, ideology of nationalism or reverse Orientalism on Suzuki himself. This is the main content of Zen study in the West of the eighties of 20th century. Such intention of strong criticism or action of de-construction and re-construction actually reveals an ideology of Orientalism that Edward W. Said mentions that is no matter what Suzuki says, West is the real one to interpret Zen.Chapter Eight:Undoubtedly, "D. T. Suzuki" is the name worthy to be remembered forever in the history of Western culture; He is not only a pioneer of Zen study in the West, but also a driver in this field. Just like Luis O. Gomez says that to stand on Suzuki's shoulder one can see farther. Indeed, in the Zen boom of 1950, West finds out its own potential of culture through Suzuki's Zen; and in the academic change of 1980, West retrieves its own cultural identity also through Suzuki's Zen. These two leaps represent not only the influences caused by "Suzuki effect", but also the manifestation of Orientalism of West. Therefore, Suzuki is just like the bridge of Zhaozhou which never mind people's abuse and just finishes its duty. But when we look closely into the study of Zen in the West, we find out obviously that West is anxious to restate Zen before completely understand it, so even though Zen in the West obtain a new epistemology, but it has already lose the essence of Zen. Suzuki says that Zen will be invited as long as people needs. It means Zen is always flexible and free enough to be applied to any kind of situation and to meet different people in the world. This is why Zen can be developed in the fields of psychology, philosophy, history and religion. From this point of view, we can say that Zen is just like a moon in the sky which becomes thousands of moons on thousands rivers, and each moon in the water is real, because there is no certain form called moon, this is Zen!...