Lay Zen in Contemporary Japan: Tradition, Interpretation, and Invention [Hardcover]

1. Introduction

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2. Doctrinal and historical background

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3. A modern Zen revolution

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4. True men with ranks

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5. Zen for Shakaijin??

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6. The dMjM experience

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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.

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.