Shaku Sōen and Rinzai Buddhism in Modern Japan

Aihua Zheng elucidates the career of Zen abbot Shaku Sōen (1860–1919), the foundational figure of Western Zen, alongside developments within the Rinzai tradition and monastic institutions. How did Japanese Zen emerge from a secluded feudal tradition to become a vital force in a modern nation-state and colonial empire? How did this transformation help forge a Buddhist world across continents and oceans? In this landmark study, Aihua Zheng elucidates the career of Zen abbot Shaku Sōen (1860–1919), the foundational figure of Western Zen, alongside modern developments within the Rinzai tradition and monastic institutions. She also traces Japanese Buddhists’ transnational engagements, from pan-Asian exchanges that fueled domestic revivals to collaborations with Theravādins and Vedāntins that introduced Buddhism to Western audiences. These foundations directly shaped modern Buddhism and the global Zen boom—echoing all the way to figures such as Thich Nhat Hanh—and ultimately explain why Sōen and his Engakuji followers, including D. T. Suzuki, still provoke intense debate over their legacies.