Suzuki Daisetsu (Daisetz) Teitarō 鈴木大拙貞太郎(fi870–fi966)—or, more commonly, D. T. Suzuki—was a monumental figure in the development of modern Buddhism. Rising from his position as a Japanese scholar and thinker, he emerged internationally as the most celebrated popularizer of Buddhism in the West during the mid-twentieth century. Suzuki was an unlikely candidate to achieve such recognition, for he did not grow up in a Buddhist temple, nor did he follow the ordinary trajectory to prominence in Japanese Buddhist scholarship. But he was an extraordinary autodidact and an exceptional communicator who appeared at a crucial juncture in history when Japan and the West engaged each other and when Buddhism itself was undergoing radical changes. He published extensively in both Japanese and English—on Zen 禅 first and foremost, but also on Mahayana Buddhism, Pure Land Buddhism, classical Chinese philosophy, and religion in general. His writings stand as paradigmatic examples of Buddhist thought in the modern period, heavily influencing the image of Buddhism in the West. But the origins of Suzuki’s thinking and the impact of his ideas are complex and diverse.
目次
Suzuki’s Early Years 3 Higher Education and Zen Training 7 Sojourn in America 10 Establishing a Career in Japan 16 Suzuki at Otani University 22 Wartime and Postwar Years 33 Rise to Fame in America 41 Twilight Years in Japan 55 Suzuki’s Death 68 Suzuki’s Significance 70 Abbreviation 73 Bibliography 73 Primary Sources 73 Research Resources 75 Secondary Sources 76 Multimedia 83
