One’s spiritual viewpoint leads them to a particular understanding of the way that the world seems to function. An affinity towards experiencing that world in a particular way comes with this understanding. To pursue the aesthetically pleasing and to impart beauty on one’s surroundings is to shape one’s preference as to how to experience the physical world. Aesthetics can be understood as intimately linked with spirituality, and the appreciation of beauty can be seen as a spiritual experience. A number of factors influence the way that we perceive our surroundings. On the most basic physical level we take in information through our outward senses, discerning color, sound, and shape to determine the identity of an object. The information gathered at this stage is considered largely objective. When it is sent to our brains for further evaluation, however, certain idiosyncrasies come into play. How does one determine whether or not an object is aesthetically pleasing, or beautiful? The many lenses established by personal experience and culture play a role in this evaluation. An aesthetic property such as beauty is subject to a great deal of interpretation and opinion. Its definition is influenced by established modes of thought; from personal preferences that differ between individuals to cultural norms governed by society, exposure to media, and values about the way that the world works. In his “Reading Against Culture,” David Pollack defines an aesthetic object as “an emblem of a group’s sense of itself in the world which summarizes the story of its relations with those others against whom the group defines itself” (Pollack 94). A cultural group generates this sense through many methods, all of which come into play in building this concept of aestheticism so important to the formation of an ideal image of the world. The construct of spirituality exists as a combination of internalized values and beliefs garnered from society. The culturally influenced religious beliefs and practices of a collection of individuals play a role in establishing a societal norm of aesthetics. It is also important to note that although this aesthetic is influenced by spirituality, its effect is not confined to religious individuals in a society. Instead, the effect described is one of culture, in which spirituality plays a part in defining a background of principles which then have an effect on aesthetic values. The goal of this paper is to explore the ways in which such aesthetic values can develop out of a set of spiritual concepts. Zen Buddhism in Japan will serve as a particular example of this phenomenon. The choice of Zen as a spiritual path through which to explore this theory is not an accidental one. Numerous aesthetic ideals can be derived from the philosophy of Zen. Zen also is unique in certain ways when compared to other religious traditions. The spiritual path’s central values are philosophies of life and the nature of the world. This contrasts with many other religious traditions, rife with precise rituals and elaborate ceremonies. An aesthetic mindset can be deduced straightforwardly by examining this set of philosophies because they, rather than formal procedures, are the elements at the Zen tradition’s forefront. The essay “In Praise of Shadows” by Japanese novelist Junichiro Tanizaki argues the presence of a culturally based aesthetic in Japan. Tanizaki explores this aesthetic by way of a series of anecdotes from his experiences in Japan and from experiences of friends in Western cities. Through these anecdotes he discusses works of art and architecture, foods, and traditions. Based on his experiences he has come to the conclusion that there is a fundamental difference in the way that the Japanese as a people perceive beauty and aesthetic appeal as compared to the ways those in the West construe these ideas. By deriving aesthetic principles from the philosophies of Zen and finding the ways in which they manifest in Tanizaki’s
