Jack Kerouac and the Beat sect of American Zen Buddhism

• Main Author: Jenkins, Barry S., 1969-
• Other Authors: Memorial University of Newfoundland. Dept. of Religious Studies
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 1997
• Subjects: Kerouac; Jack; 1922-1969 > Knowledge > Zen Buddhism; Zen Buddhism > United States; Beat generation; Newfoundland studies; University of Newfoundland
• Online Access: http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/theses3/id/110186

Thesis (M. A.), Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1998. Religious Studies Bibliography: leaves [118]-127 Beat Zen is considered by many scholars to be a corruption of Zen Buddhism. If Beat Zen is examined as a model of the Americanization of Zen, comparable to the Sinicizing of Buddhism during the Han Dynasty described by Zurcher, Ch'en, and Wright, Beat Zen can be a useful tool to determine how Zen Buddhism is changing as it is being received into American society. Just as Han Dynasty Buddhism developed according to the Chinese "national character" so the Beat Generation altered the practice of Zen Buddhism and developed the authority to make these changes in the same manner.