George Breeden Blog 9

Outside Reading: Daisetz T. Suzuki. Zen and Japanese Culture.

How art is not Zen

Suzuki writes: “What differentiates Zen from the arts is this: while the arts have to resort to the canvas and brush or mechanical instruments or some other mediums to express themselves, Zen has no need of things external…” (17) What does this mean? In my previous post we saw that it was possible for art to be Zen, but now there can only be uncertainty. Is it the case the art can be Zen in theory, but not in practice? That is certainly what it sounds like at first. But I think there is a much deeper meaning behind what is being said. What this is really refereeing to is the fact that art consciously created through tools is not the only true form of art. Rather there is a form of art that can be created through simple non-action and non-thought. Is that not the most beautiful from of harmony that can be achieved? Absolute acceptance of all possibilities with out discerning between them is like a glorious painting or a grand symphony. Thus the Zen mindset is a mindset of great beauty.