This study focuses on the portrayal of Zen buddhism according to the counterculture icon Alan Watts; to see how he distinguishes the relationship between east and west, what differences Zen has in its character compared to other schools of buddhism, and how Zen could be of use for the western world. To acquire relevant and important information the chosen method is therefore a qualitative content analysis to decode the content of two books. Mentioned books are: The way of Zen and Talking Zen Reflection on Mind, Myth, and the Magic of life. The relationship between east and west has been, and still is, a complex phenomenon. Therefore, to ensure a clear picture the study has chosen to proceed with orientalism as its theoretical standpoint. More specifically; Richard King's use of the term orientalism and the mystic east. With orientalism as a ‘tool’ the inquiry could more easily proceed to show the importance of why religion should be seen in light of the cultural context. This due to the common occurrence of how westerners put the label religion on eastern peoples way of living without regards to their culture. The results show that even though Alan Watts had immense knowledge of Zen and the orient, he still saw it through the lens of orientalism. Watts paints a picture of eastern cultures such as Zen, as peaceful and living in harmony with nature, whilst the west is plagued by problems. One solution according to Watts, is to embrace the way of Zen, and experience true freedom.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:kau-98450 |
| Date | January 2024 |
| Creators | Ajobkhan, Motaleb |
| Publisher | Karlstads universitet, Fakulteten för humaniora och samhällsvetenskap (from 2013) |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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