Name/Title
Zen and the comic spirit / M. Conrad HyersEntry/Object ID
BQ4570 .H85 H9 1974Description
D.T. Suzuki once wrote that 'Zen is the only religion or teaching that finds room for laughter', but though the unusual prominence of comic elements in Zen is commonly recognized, not until "Zen and the Comic Spirit" has anyone attempted a thorough study of this remarkable side of Zen Buddhism.
The result is a unique book, with many intriguing interpretations and surprising insights. A rich body of imagery is explored, from the apocryphal origin of Zen in Kasyapa's smile, and early theories on the laughter of the Buddha, through the gleefully dancing figures of Pu-tai and Ryokwan, and the raucous buffoonery of the Zen Fools, to representations of the sage as the 'child of Tao'.
Special sections are devoted to the numerous anecdotal portrayals of the Zen master as 'clown-figure', 'holy fool', and 'comic midwife'; the function of humour in Zen pedagogy; the uses of wit, satire and in the radical iconoclasm of Zen; and the Zen reading of the folly parody of the desiring ego and its attachments.
Substantial treatment is also given to the recurrent image of the clown-fool in Zen painting, the employment of the comic perspective in Zen literature and art, the celebration of the commonplace and the everyday in Zen life, and the meaning of nonsense and absurdity in Zen koans and mondos.
"Zen and the Comic Spirit" offers a refreshingly different approach to Zen, written by one who has not only an academic, but a personal interest in both the comic spirit and the spirit on Zen. In addition to their contribution to the literature on Zen. In addition to their contribution to the literature on Zen, these essays also provide a sensitive appreciation for the peculiarities of the Chinese and Japanese spirituality. As the author suggests: 'Out of the collision of the lofty spiritualism of Indian Buddhism and the earthiness of Oriental humanism and naturalism come both Zen and the comic spirit of Zen... In it the Chinese dragon smiles, and the Indian Buddha roars with laughter.' --Rear cover.
Contents:
The Smile of Truth
Zen Masters and Clown Figures
The buddha and the bullfrog
The Celebration of the Commonplace
Laughing at the Buddhas and Abusing the Patriarchs
The Folly of the Desiring Self
Socrates in china
Getting the Point of the Joke
The Child of TaoCollection
Jotidhammo CollectionDimensions
Dimension Description
192 pages : illustrations ; 22 cmBook Details
Author
M. Conrad HyersPublisher
Rider and CompanyDate Published
1974Publication Subjects
Zen Buddhism and humorCall No.
BQ4570 .H85 H9 1974ISBN
0091175216