Zen in Japanese Culture

The Japanese Buddhologist and cultural theorist Daisetz Suzuki (1870–1966) is a famous popularizer of Zen Buddhism philosophy in the Western world. He lived for a long time in Europe and the USA, lecturing at leading universities in the Old and New Worlds, publishing one fundamental work after another aimed at the perception of the Western reader. Among his works, many of which have been translated into Russian, the most important and fascinating is undoubtedly the iconic book "Zen in Japanese Culture," which was published in 1938 and has been reissued multiple times in all Western countries. By detailing the influence that Zen Buddhism philosophy has had on various aspects of Japanese culture - from literature, painting, and poetry to ikebana, tea ceremonies, and the samurai code of honor Bushido - Suzuki provides in his narrative the quintessence of traditional Japanese ethics and aesthetics. Understanding the enigmatic Japanese soul and feeling the spirit of Zen will also be aided by an anthology of Zen poetry, which became an appendix to the Russian edition.