Daisetsu Teitaro Suzuki (October 18, 1870 – July 12, 1966) was
a Japanese author of books and essays on Buddhism, Zen and Shin that
were instrumental in spreading interest in both Zen and Shin (and Far
Eastern philosophy in general) to the West. His American wife, Beatrice Lane Suzuki, was a member of the Theosophical Society (Adyar) and played an important role in Japanese Theosophy. Dr. Paul Carus befriended the Japanese Zen master Soyen Shaku (1859-1919), whom he met at the Parliament. After attending the Parliament Soyen traveled to Sri Lanka to study Pali and Theravada Buddhism for three years. At Carus's request Shaku also sent one of his students, Daisetsu Teitaro Suzuki, to the United States to translate Buddhist works for Carus's Open court Publishing Company. He also became close to Anagarika Dharmapala.
Dr. Suzuki wrote about Blavatsky's book The Voice of the Silence: "Undoubtedly Madame Blavatsky
had in some way been initiated into the deeper side of Mahayana
teaching and then gave out what she deemed wise to the Western world..." He also commented: "Here is the real Mahayana Buddhism."
I
write to convey the sad news that Ms. Mihoko Okamura-Bekku died in
Kyoto on June 17, 2023 at the age of 88. Ms. Okamura, who was born and
raised in the United States, was a student, assistant, secretary, and
confidant of D.T. Suzuki from the early 1950s until Suzuki's death in
1966. Following Suzuki's passing, Ms. Okamura taught at Otani
University, worked for the Japan Foundation, and served on the board of
trustees for the Japan Folk Crafts Museum. She also lectured widely in
Japan about Suzuki's life, Zen Buddhism, folk crafts, and traditional
Japanese arts. Ms. Okamura was the co-author, with Ueda Shizuteru, of
several books, some illustrated with numerous photographs she took,
concerning her life and travels with Suzuki and his teachings.
Offering the first complete overview of Suzuki's approach, reputation,
and legacy as a philosopher, this is for anyone interested in the
philosophical relevance and development of Mahayana Buddhism today.
How the “Great Simplicity” of D.T. Suzuki popularized Zen in America
An Analysis of His Presentation at the Interfaith Conference
Compared to his early years and post-1949 lectures in the United States,
as well as his English publications on Mahayana Buddhism, his half-year
journey through Europe in 1936 is understudied. With limited access to
primary sources in Japanese and English, previous studies tended to
label him a “nationalist.” Instead, I analyze Suzuki’s discourses and
other newly discovered primary sources from a historical perspective.
Through this analysis, this paper will clarify Suzuki’s scheme to
present Mahayana Buddhism, particularly Zen, to Westerners during the
interwar period.
Race and Zen Julius Evola, Facism, and D.T. Suzuki Filippo Pedretti
Evola’s use of Daisetsu Teitarō Suzuki’s sources in his writings
(hereafter D. T. Suzuki), showing how Evola confronted their
Japanese nationalist/nativist elements, as well as their responses to
Japan’s encounter with Euro-American colonialism.
https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://arcjournal.library.mcgill.ca/article/download/293/309&ved=2ahUKEwjSupvEwJ2GAxWZGFkFHUlgCZUQFnoECBYQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1CNNPySN-S-wTPY2FuDncV (hereafter D. T. Suzuki), showing how Evola confronted their
Japanese nationalist/nativist elements, as well as their responses to
Japan’s encounter with Euro-American colonialism.
D.T.Suzuki and Swedenborg: an Introduction.
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| With John Cage |
Zen was a conservative form of Buddhism in Japan that eventually became a way for Americans to find inner peace.
Good bio by Tsem Rinpoche, Feb. 14, 2018
