Lay Zen in Contemporary Japan

Tradition, Interpretation, and Invention

Erez Joskovich

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English

Routledge
06 May 2025

Regional studies; Religion: general; Buddhist life & practice; Zen Buddhism; Oriental religions

Series: Routledge Contemporary Japan Series

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.

By: Erez Joskovich
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
Weight: 370g
ISBN: 9781032497952
ISBN 10: 1032497955
Series: Routledge Contemporary Japan Series
Pages: 190
Publication Date: 06 May 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

1. Introduction 2. Doctrinal and historical background 3. A modern Zen revolution 4. True men with ranks 5. Zen for Shakaijin 6. The dōjō experience 7. Conclusion

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.