BSTC 2003 1

Dr. Tony Chui

Centre of Buddhist Studies
tonychui@hku.hk
 Japanese concept of beauty and taste.
 Unique, fascinating, complex and multifaceted!
 Stereotypically “Japanese”. 2
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 The philosophy of beauty and taste.
 Visual arts, music, poetry, a play,
nature...
 What is considered to be beautiful?
 Many considered them to be
appealing.
 Someone might consider them to be
unattractive or not pleasing.
 Why are they appealing?
 Will you consider everything or
unattractive/ ugly things beautiful?

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 A. Renaissance B. Qianlong Emperor C. Edo, Tamba-ware
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www.menti.com

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 Unique
 How do you feel?
 Do you like / hate them?

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www.menti.com

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 Inborn?
 Pleasing to the eye?
 Shaped culturally?
 Collective interpretation?
 Cultural specific?
 Deeper meaning?
 Reflecting the viewers’ taste?
 What is it trying to convey?

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 Religions
Economic Factors Buddhism
Affordable vs Shinto
Luxurious Christian...

Socio-political
Foreign Cultures
Factors
Chinese
Social norms
Korean
e.g. Samurai,
Western
Meiji restoration Japanese
Aesthetics

 Complex.
 Many factors influencing Japanese aesthetic values.
 “Traditional Japanese” is deeply shaped by Zen Buddhism .
 Note: Not Zen Aesthetics, but aesthetics shaped by Zen.
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 Not totally influenced by Zen
Buddhism.
 Influenced by various religious
traditions as well:
 Shinto (e.g. Fushimi Inari 伏見稲荷
Shrine)
 Folk religion
 Christianity
 Other religions...

 Socio-political factors.
 Meiji restoration (e.g. Tokyo Station).
 Chair (Windsor style).

 Other cultures.
 e.g. Namban art (16-17th century 南蛮美
術).

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Lecture Date Topic

1 Jan 18 Introduction
2 Jan 25 Origin and development of Zen Buddhism
Lunar New Year Feb 1 No Class
3 Feb 8 The acceptance and development of Zen in Japan
4 Feb 13 Japanese aesthetic values 1
5 Feb 22 Japanese aesthetic values 2
6 Mar 1 Traditional Japanese arts.
Reading Week Mar 8 No Class
7 Mar 15 Influence on arts and literature
8 Mar 22 Influence on architecture and landscaping (Short Essay Due)

9 Mar 29 Zen and design

Ching Ming Festival Apr 5 No Class
10 Apr 12 Zen and lifestyle
11 Apr 19 Influence across the globe
12 Apr 26 Zen and contemporary aesthetics

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 (1) Short Essay (800-1000 words )– 25 %
 Suggested topics (Due Mar 22, 2021)

 (2) Final Essay (2000 words) – 60 %

 Suggested topics / any approved topic (Due May 10, 2021).

 (3) Attendance / Participation – 15 %

 Zoom: sign in with your HKU account/ email with registered
name.
 F2F: Please sign in with your UID registered name.

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 Outstanding – shows critical / research/ reflective elements,
novelty, correct understanding and historicity.
 Excellent – shows some research elements, originality,
correct understanding and historicity.
 Good – correct understanding of what is mentioned in the
lecture.
 Satisfactory – try your best to hand in something...
 Please submit on time.
 No plagiarism.
 Turnitin <30%
 Cite everything properly (with page numbers).
 Originality.

 4 or more academic sources. (for short essay, from Moodle

reading list).
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 Due March 22.
 800-1000 words.
 Examine a traditional Japanese art form in relation to the
aesthetic value influenced by Zen Buddhism.

 E.g. Wabi-sabi in Japanese Tea Ceremony.

Mono-no-aware in Bonsai Arts.

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 Religions
Economic Factors Buddhism
Affordable vs Shinto
Luxurious Christian...

Socio-political
Foreign Cultures
Factors
Chinese
Social norms
Korean
e.g. Samurai,
Western
Meiji restoration Japanese
Aesthetics

 In this course we will focus on:

 The Influence of Zen Buddhism on Japanese Aesthetics

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 1.Essential concepts, practices and historical background.
 2.Aesthetics of Zen:
 Philosophy and nature of beauty and taste.
 What is consider beauty? Why pleasing?
 Principles and concepts.

 3.Influences: (expression, inspiration, conveyed)

 Japanese traditional arts;
 Architecture and landscaping;
 Arts and literature;
 Spirituality;
 Design;
 Lifestyle.

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 A unique tradition.
 A unique form of Buddhism.
 Many different schools, Pure Land, Zen, Shingon,
Tendai, Nichiren...
 Buddhism impact
 How Buddhism influenced the Japanese.

 Impact on Buddhism
 How the Japanese culture impacted on Buddhism.

 Majority of the modern Japanese population

would not consider themselves as particularly
religious.
 Daily activities and several special occasions have
clear roots in both Buddhism and Shinto.
 Shintoism 70.4%, Buddhism 69.8%, Christianity
1.5%, other 6.9% (2015 est. CIA The World
Factbook)
 In Japan, people often do not adhere to a single
religion.

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 Zen Buddhism was
predominating in the
shogunate period
(Kamakura 1185 to Edo
period 1868).
 The shogunate
governments have had
close relationship with
the Zen schools.
 Particularly the Rinzai
sect.
 Zen ideals were promoted
as superior and tasteful.
 Deeply ingrained in the
Japanese culture.
 “Traditional” Japanese.
 Culture of the samurai.
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 The Influence of Zen Buddhism on Japanese Aesthetics
 Much of “Japanese” aesthetics is influenced by Zen
Buddhism.
 Regarded as “Japanese cultural identity”.
 Buddhism and origin of Zen.

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 A form of Buddhism.
 Recent popularity...hyped...?
 “This is very Zen” .. “Zen life”...
 Meditation...
 Over the past 50 years, Zen has gain
many followers outside of Asia.
 The benefits of meditation appeals to
many people in search of meaning in a
rapidly changing world.
 Mental focusing. Handling suffering.
 Inner experience, people can find
happiness, peace, and harmony, even if
they are suffering.
 Enlightenment, satori, samadhi, and
kensho.

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 Wabi-sabi (侘寂)
 Yūgen (幽玄)
 Mono-no-aware (物の哀れ)
 Shibui (渋い)
 Iki (粋)
 Jo-ha-kyū (序破急)
⁞

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 Wabi sabi 侘び寂び/ 侘寂
 Aesthetic view highlighting
impermanence and
imperfection.
 Example:
 Jo-an (如庵)
 Japanese teahouse
(chashitsu) located in
Inuyama.
 National treasure.

 Axel Vervoordt.

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 Mono no aware (物の哀れ)
 Literature, poetry, arts...
 Awareness of impermanence.
 Reality of life is sad.
 Life is short.

 Beauty within impermanence.

 Because of life, we experience beautiful
things.
 Because of life, everything is possible.
 Enjoy and be content of what you have.
 Gratefulness towards nature.

 “Beauty of sorrow”.
 Cherry Blossom
 Hanami, sakura
 Momiji, red maple leaves.

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 The universe is deep and mysterious.
 “Creepy”.
 Sacred dimension.
 The beauty of mysterious.
 Something hidden is more beautiful.
 Not everything is explicitly revealed.
 Rooms for imagination.
 Humbleness towards nature.
 Our knowledge is limited.

 Pine Trees screens (Shōrin-zu byōbu, 松林

図 屏風 by Hasegawa Tōhaku 長谷川 等伯
c.1595)
 Wood-block print by Hasui Kawase (川
瀬 巴水, Kawase Hasui, 1883 –1957)

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 Geidō (芸道)
 traditional Japanese arts form:

 Noh (能) (theater),

 Kadō (華道) (Flower arrangement),
 Shodō (書道) (Calligraphy),
 Sadō (茶道) (Tea ceremony)

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 Traditional and
contemporary
architecture;
 Interiors;
 Landscaping

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 Paintings
 Ceramics
 Kintsugi
 Bonsai
 Suiseki
 Poems
 Haiku
 Literature

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 In Praise of Shadows (陰翳礼讃, In'ei
Raisan).
 Jun'ichirō Tanizaki (谷崎潤一郎，
1886 -1965)
 A book on Japanese aesthetics.
 Beauty of an old toilet.

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 Application in modern design
 “Less is more”

 Fashion design
 Industrial design
 Product design
 Apple?

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 Spirituality expressed in daily life.
 Modern Lifestyle.
 Danshari (断捨離).

 Cuisine.
 kaiseki-ryōri (懐石料理)

 Martial arts.
 Manga & Movies.
 Zen as commercial products.

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 Global Phenomenon.
 Re-invention?
 Popularized in the West by the
Japanese scholar Daisetz
Teitaro Suzuki (1870 - 1966)?
 British writer Alan Watts
(1915 – 1973)?
 Re-introduced/ to East Asia?
 Revival?

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 Interactions with contemporary
aesthetic ideals.
 Crossover.

 Impact on contemporary arts

and lifestyle.
 Minimalist and Zen.
 Avant-Garde arts.
 Japandi
 Japanese + Scandinavian

 Zen plays an important role.

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 Zen (ぜん), Chán, Ch’an, Seon,
Thiền...(romanized)
 Zen (禪/禅/禅) transliterates the Sanskrit
dhyāna 禪那 or “meditation”.
 “Meditation Buddhism”.
 “Seeking one’s Buddha-nature”.

 Zen Buddhism is a form of Buddhism.

 A development/ movement.

 Arrived and practiced in China since

around the 6th century C.E.
 Integrates Taoism and Confucianism.

 Exported to Korea (7th) and Japan (11th)

century.
 One of the predominated form of Buddhism
in China, Korea and Japan.
 Po Lin Monastery in Lantau Island.

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 “Zen” is a form of Buddhism.
 6th century CE in China.
 Embraces the teachings of Shakyamuni,
the historical Buddha(c. 5th to 4th
century BCE).
 A development of Buddhist teachings.
 Interpretation / reinterpretation by his
followers.
 Integration of local cultures as Buddhism
spreads.

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 11th Century
6th Century

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Indian context

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 A prince named Siddhartha Gautama
(called Shakyamuni after his
enlightenment), who was born in India
about 2500 years ago.
 After he became enlightened and was
called the Buddha, the enlightened one.
 Realized the nature of reality.
 That is, the reality of the world and life.

 The Buddha expounded numerous

teachings.
 Purpose of his teachings:
 to liberate the mind, which includes
liberating oneself as well as liberating other
sentient beings.
 Liberation? from where/ what?
 Suffering (un-satisfactoriness, “no-
enjoyment”).
 Nirvana.

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 His father, Śuddhodana, was a
king.
 When Gautama was born, a wise
man predicted that this young boy
will either become a powerful ruler
or a great ascetic.
 His father wished Gautama to
inherit his monarchy.
 Confined Gautama inside his
palace.
 With luxurious goods, music, ladies...
 To keep him from being an ascetic.

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 The young Gautama was
curious about what the
world is like outside the
palace.
 He urged his charioteer,
Channa, to sneak out with
him.
 “Sightseeing”.

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Sickness Death

Old age Ascetic

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The Four Sights
 One night Gautama left his
palace, in search of
meaning of life.
 He came across lots of
hardship, failures...
 One day he became
enlightened under the
Bodhi tree.
 After his enlightenment, he
taught others to become
enlightened, or at least, free
from suffering.

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 Essential teachings in understanding Zen Buddhism:
 The Four Noble Truths
 Dependent Origination
 Impermanence
 Non-self
 Non-attachment
 Emptiness

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 After he became enlightened, the Buddha gave his
first sermon to five ascetic monks who were his
earliest followers. At this sermon the Buddha
expounded the Four Noble Truths:
 The Four Noble Truths are thus the foundation of
the Buddhist teachings.
1.Suffering
2.Cause of suffering
3.Cessation of suffering
4.Path leading to the cessation of suffering

 Understanding these Four Noble Truths, one has

a correct view of the nature of sentient existence.
 Without understanding these foundation
teachings, one continues in a state of confusion
and delusion.
 Life is not suffering, but our mind forces us to
suffer.

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 Leading to suffering.
 Attachment to things.
 Money, relationships, health,
powers...
 Thinking these are permanent.
 Clinging.
 Leading to dissatisfaction.
 Unhappiness.
 Regret the past, worry about the
future.
 Became a victim of your view.
 Everything is subjected to changes
according to Buddhist teachings.

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 Attachments:
 To our loved ones, our body, our
senses, our habits, our
possessions, our preconceived
ideas and concepts, and, above all,
our idea of independent selfhood.
 Attachment lead to suffering.
 As we forget everything is
impermanent.

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 Suffering (dukkha)
 Suffering is an unavoidable feature of life.
 Change and uncertainty, unlimited desire, physical and mental pain
as well as pleasure, subject to getting old, illness and death. These
are all suffering. “Impermanence” .
 Acknowledge the existence of suffering.

 Origin of Suffering (samudaya)

 Suffering originates in our own mind.
 Due to our misinterpretation (wrong views) of “ourselves” / “I am
permanent”, “I am perfect”.
 Nothing is permanent, everything is in continuous change, including
“oneself”.

 Cessation of Suffering (nirodha)

 Since suffering results from our mind (misinterpretation, wrong
views), it is possible to be relieved of suffering by having the correct
interpretation of what life actually is.

 Path to end Suffering (magga)

 The way out of suffering is to follow the Noble Eightfold Path, which
consists of Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Actions,
Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Meditation, and Right Wisdom.
 To follow the Noble Eightfold Path is to practice the Buddha Path to
liberation from suffering.
 That is, not to grasp or attached to permanence and perfection.

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 Suffering, discomfort and dis-ease.
 Range from very subtle unease or mood
fluctuations to heart-breaking or intense
experiences of misery.
 Change itself is dukkha
(impermanence).
 Awareness of suffering is central to
Buddhist teaching. In addition to its
being a "Noble Truth" and the first
teaching of the Buddha.
 This is the “truth” of nature, which is
natural.
 Suffering can be beautiful, depending on
our mindset.
 Art of pottery repairing (kintsugi 金継ぎ)

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 Pratītyasamutpāda translated as
dependent origination, or dependent
arising, is a key doctrine of Buddhist
philosophy.
 All phenomena arise in dependence
upon other phenomena.
 The concept of “I” is just and illusive
play of conditions and metal
processes.
 Concept of “non-self”.
 Our “existence” in interdependent
with others, and everything.
 E.g. our body is compose of cells,
molecules, and we interdependent on
our surroundings.

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 The ego.
 “I” am superior.
 Arrogant.

 Aesthetics with humbleness/ modesty.

 To oneself.
 To others.
 To the nature.

 Because we are all inter-dependent.

 Craw-in opening of a tea-house
(Nijiriguchi 躙口).
 Humbleness of a pottery.
 Harmonious with nature.
 Wa kei sei jaku
 Central to tea-ceremony.
 Harmony, respect, purity, and
tranquility.

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Indian context

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 The Perfection of Wisdom, prajñā

“wisdom” with pāramitā “perfection”.
 A collection of about forty texts,
composed around 100 BC and AD 600 in
the Indian subcontinent.
 Some Prajnāpāramitā sūtras are thought
to be among the earliest Mahāyāna
sutras.
 Examples: Heart Sutra, Diamond Sutra.
 Prajñāpāramitā is a central concept in
Mahāyāna Buddhism.
 Concept of anutpada (unborn, no origin).
 Śūnyatā (emptiness, 空, ku) as the
central theme.

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 Prajñāpāramitāhṛdaya “The Heart of the Perfection

of Wisdom”.
 Most popular Mahayana sutra.
 Basically, a summary or essence of Prajñāpāramitā
teachings.
 Form is emptiness, emptiness is form (色即是空,空
即是色).
 “Form is empty of intrinsic nature (svabhāva) , due
to dependent origination there is form.”
 5 skandhas... etc are also empty.
 Form is not ontological real but empirical real.
 Empty of intrinsic nature i.e. NO svabhāva.
 No-self.

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Heart Sutra towel and file

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 Because of Dependent origination,
there is no “fixed” or ontological
entity in Buddhism.
 Any phenomenon is empty of
intrinsic nature.
 The characteristic is known as
“emptiness” (空).
 Does not means “nothingness” nor
“nihilistic”.
 Empty of intrinsic nature, because
arise due to dependent origination.
 From the 5 skandhas, Four Noble
Truths... etc.
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 Not-Nothingness but an “Empty Vessels”
 The using of white colour to represent
emptiness.
 Emptiness is the ‘possibility yet to be filled’.
 Always be open, do not be filled with
preconceptions.
 The company stressed that they are not
minimalist.
 “Muji products ... are succinct, but they are
not in the minimalist style. That is, they
are like empty vessels. Simplicity and
emptiness yield the ultimate universality,
embracing the feelings and thoughts of all
people”.
 Hara Kenya (原研哉), art director of Muji.

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 Three Seals or Three Marks of Existence: suffering,
impermanence, and no-self.
 Suffering
 Inherent condition of cyclic existence (life).
 We suffer not only because of birth, aging, illness, and death,
but also with adversity, discomfort, and frustration. And we
suffer unease (or dis-ease) when things change. Even happiness
leads to the craving for more happiness and for happiness
never to evaporate, which it inevitably does.
 Impermanence
 All phenomena are conditioned. "Conditioned" refers to that
which arises out of numerous causes and conditions in the
passage of time.
 No-self
 If all things arise out of causes and conditions, there is nothing
that has a fixed nature except the fact of change itself.
 Buddhism says that what we regard as the self is the on-going
accumulation and memory of conscious experience that creates
an illusion of fixity, reality, and individual personhood. This
illusion is referred to as the "self."

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 Modern scholars suggested that the Zen school is
“originated” in China.
 As a meditative school.

 It is believed to be based on the teaching of the Indian

monk/ sage Bodhidharma (菩提達摩) who visited China in
the 5th century.
 Based on the Chinese Buddhist account, it can be traced
back to the historical Buddha.
 Integration of Chinese elements into Zen.

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Chinese context

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