Zen and 'cultural studies' group-think

[Peter B. High]

<D2AFDCADBA45D3119D490001FA7EF1495C6E06 at mail1.tay.ac.uk> の、
   "Zen and 'cultural studies' group-think" において、
   "Craig Sisman <C.Sisman at mail1.tay.ac.uk>"さんは書きました：

> Zen and 'cultural studies' group-think
>  
>  I was delighted to see that there is someone else out there who is
> interested in the influence of Zen on Japanese cinema (see Neil Martin's
> recent self-introduction)
>  
> Back in March I  asked the list if anyone knew of any Japanese films which
> reflect the influence of Zen aesthetics and philosophy. At the time I was
> somewhat puzzled both by the complete lack of response to my query and by
> the wide spread interest in 'the Peruvian Donkey from Hokkaido'
>  
> Over the months however I have become less naive about the list and the
> interests of its members. A tendency which I have detected is that to
> express an interest in Zen or traditional Japanese culture is seen as
> 'orientalist' whereas to express an interest  in contemporary Japanese
> popular culture (such as 'the Peruvian Donkey from Hokkaido') is seen as
> 'politically correct'.
>  
> One of the delights of contemporary Japanese culture is the co-existence of
> the old and the new. It  is a shame that the 'cultural studies' group-think
> which is so prevalent on the list seems to marginalise traditional aspects
> of Japanese culture in its valorisation of populist cultural forms...
>  
> Any thoughts - from anyone?
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Okay, I've decided to take the bait, if but briefly. 
I think a lot of us on the list do have an alert interest in "traditional" Japanese 
culture. As for Zen, I myself once spent a year in a Zen monastary (Antaiji, a 
Soto-shu temple in Kyoto) and continue to have a genuine interst in Buddhism. 

I don't think most people on the list would particularly object to  a serious, 
well-documented exploration of the subject, as long as it is fresh and leads to 
insights deeper than "...and that's very Zen!" However, I also think most of us are 
skeptical of such efforts, and for very good reason, too. 

Once upon a time, in the bad old days, there was a tendency among Westerners eager 
to get a hand-hold on the "essence of Japaneseness" to find Zen influences wherever 
they chose to look. Armed with little more than a couple of Zen primers by such as 
Suzuki Taisetsu or Alan Watts, they blithely plunged in and began rummaging among 
the various artifacts of Japanese culture, including distinctly modern ones, making  
categorical claims that "this expresses the satori spirit" and "that is a reference 
to 'mu.'" Their 'analytical' work, combining half-baked notions about Zen with a 
scattering of factual knowledge about Japanese culture, tended only to obfuscate 
both. Such was the case with the various essays which continued to be published, 
occasionally, into the 1970s in Western film magazines, articles with such knowing 
titles as "Ozu and Zen," etc. 

This is the ridiculous history you would have to dispose of in some manner if you 
want to re-open the discourse on Zen influences in Japan cinema.

My advice would be 1.) first to check the public statements of the director, 
scriptwriter, etc., to see if he/she actually expresses the intention of  treating 
some aspect of Zen in that particular work. ...And you'd better know as much about 
the subject as the filmmaker. 2.) Avoid, ABSOLUTELY, the claim that the 
filmmaker(s) have been "unconsciously" influenced by Zen. 3.) Make sure that your 
analysis doesn't tunr into a treasure hunt for jewels of Zen-like wisdom. 4.) Keep 
in mind that films are a twentieth century art form, transforming 
kaleidescopically, and interactively,  with the the fads, concerns, intelledctual 
currents, technological developments and whatnot of the world around them.

If you still think you have something to contribute by pursuing the subject, go 
right ahead. Give us posting of you discoveries. 

Yours, skeptically,
P.B. High