Paper Details

Name: Anamika Malkoti & Tripath K
Country: India

Year: 2023
Volume: Volume-10, Issue-1 (January-June)
Page Number: 7-14

ABSTRACT
A common man finds it hard to survive the immense pressure of this competitive, apathetic world. People resort to religion and spirituality for their sanity and peace of mind throughout the tug-of-war of the survival of the fittest, with the sole hope that it would teach them how to deal with this experience called life.

This research paper tends to analyse the incidents in the novel The Tale for the Time Being from the perspective of Zen philosophy and how lessons of Zen Buddhism are used vividly throughout the novel providing a stark contrast between the chaotic and tragic city lifestyle to that of Zen lifestyle in a temple, the cruelty of the city folks to that of the healing kindness of Zen Buddhist nuns. It will also throw light on how societal alienation affects a family so much that their whole psyche gets unhinged as they develop depressive and suicidal tendencies. This research paper will also discuss the characters mental anguish, how cultural shock, a toxic work environment, and bullying drove them to consider suicide as their only option, how alienation and the cultural shock led them to a miserable existence, and how there was a recurring theme of contemplating suicide because the constant torment of their existence was too much to bear as they were all fighting their own battles while trying to survive.

The study would also discuss how the Zen teachings moulded their life and made a difference, the nun was their only saviour as she pulls them out of the dark void they were in, through her simple Zen lessons.

Keywords- Dogen, Zen Buddhism, Suicide, Japan, Shobogenzo, Mindfulness, Zazen