Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki

Richard M. Jaffe

Zen and Japanese Culture is one of the twentieth century's leading works on Zen, and a valuable source for those wishing to understand its concepts in the context of Japanese life and art. In simple, often poetic, language, Daisetz Suzuki describes his conception of Zen and its historical evolution. He connects Zen to the philosophy of the samurai, and subtly portrays the relationship between Zen and swordsmanship, haiku, tea ceremonies, and the Japanese love of nature. Suzuki's contemplative work is enhanced by anecdotes, poetry, and illustrations showing silk screens, calligraphy, and examples of architecture. Since its original publication in 1938, this important work has played a major role in shaping conceptions of Zen's influence on Japanese traditional arts. Richard Jaffe's introduction acquaints a new generation of readers with Suzuki's life and career in both Japan and America. Jaffe discusses how Zen and Japanese Culture was received upon its first publication and analyzes the book in light of contemporary criticism, especially by scholars of Japanese Buddhism.

Zen and Japanese Culture

Manu

To the pure-minded everything is pure. The world is, after all, our own subjective construction. There is no such thing as what can be called an absolutely objective reality as long as each of us has his own inner lite. This we can say is in the nature of a haiku and constitutes its beauty.

But we must remember that, when traveling is made too easy and comfortable, its spiritual meaning is lost. This may be called sentimentalism, but a certain sense of loneliness engendered by traveling leads one to reflect upon the meaning of life, for life is after all, a traveling from one unknown to another unknown. 

Simplicity of form does not always mean triviality of content. 

He has learned to be self-sufficient with insufficiency of things.

Environment has a great deal to do with the molding of a man's character and temperament, but he is also the molder and even the creator of his environment, for man is at once creature and creator. So tranquillity is something man adds to his environment from his inner self.

But the fact is, beauty is something momentary and ever-fleeting, and if it is not appreciated while it is fully charged with life, it becomes a memory, and its liveliness is entirely lost. 

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