1st Edition
Lay Zen in Contemporary Japan Tradition, Interpretation, and Invention
This book explores the emergence and growth of Zen as a non-monastic spiritual practice in modern Japan. Focusing on several prominent lay Zen associations, most notably Ningen Zen, it explores different aspects of lay Zen as a lived religion, such as organization, ideology, and ritual. Through a combined approach utilizing Buddhist text, historical sources, and ethnographic fieldwork, it explains how laypeople have appropriated religious authority and tailored Zen teachings to fit their needs and the zeitgeist.
Featuring the findings of three years of fieldwork, interviews, and archival research, the book comprehensively describes various Zen practices and explores their contemporary meaning and functions. It undermines the distinction between traditional or established Buddhism and the so-called New Religions, emphasizing instead the dynamic relations between tradition and interpretation.
Written in accessible language and offering insightful analysis, this book brings to light the essential role of lay Zen associations in modernizing Zen within Japan and beyond. It will be of interest to scholars and students of religious studies, particularly those studying Buddhism, Japanese society, and culture.
List of Figures
Acknowledgments
1. Introduction
2. Doctrinal and historical background
Fundamental patterns
The Zen Challenge
Lay Zen in pre-modern Japan
Summary
3. A modern Zen revolution
A Foot in the Door
First Among Equals
Breaking the Old Bottles
Summary
4. True men with ranks—Lay Zen Establishment
Lay Lineage
Membership Fee Zen
Religious and Secular Authority
Equals and more equals
Summary
5. Zen for Shakaijin—Lay Zen Ideology
Zen Restoration
Pragmatic Spirituality
Character-Building and Earthly Paradise
The Zen of Practical Benefits
Nostalgia and Cultural Uniqueness
Summary
6. The dōjō experience
Alternative space and part-time practice
Zen essentials
Zazen
Sanzen
Sermon
Manual-labor
Meals and Tea
Ceremonies
Initiation ceremonies
Calendrical ceremonies
Informal rites
Summary
7. Discussion
Zen and the New Religions
The power of constraint
The variety of interpretation
Agents of Traditional Culture
8. Appendix—Documents and Liturgy
Foundation Principles (original Japanese)
Selected Liturgy (original Japanese)
Lineage Chart and Certifications
Glossary
Index
Biography
Erez Joskovich is Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy at Ben Gurion University of the Negev and in the Department of East-Asian Studies at Tel-Aviv University, Israel.