How did Japanese Zen emerge from a secluded feudal tradition to become a vital force in a modern nation-state and colonial empire? How did this transformation help forge a Buddhist world across continents and oceans?
In this landmark study, Aihua Zheng elucidates the career of Zen abbot Shaku Sōen (1860-1919), the foundational figure of Western Zen, alongside modern developments within the Rinzai tradition and monastic institutions. She also traces Japanese Buddhists' transnational engagements, from pan-Asian exchanges that fueled domestic revivals to collaborations with Theravādins and Vedāntins that introduced Buddhism to Western audiences.
These foundations directly shaped modern Buddhism and the global Zen boom--echoing all the way to figures such as Thich Nhat Hanh--and ultimately explain why Sōen and his Engakuji followers, including D. T. Suzuki, still provoke intense debate over their legacies.
