Abstract
The American ecopoet W. S. Merwin is a lover and practitioner of Zen Buddhism which was born and raised in ancient China. The recurrent themes of "oneness", "connections", and "karmic repetition" in Merwin's poetry correspond to the "Paticcasamuppada" philosophy in Zen Buddhism; and the "silence", "disembodiment" and "emptiness" in his poetry mirror the "Selflessness" doctrine in Zen Buddhism. And from his description of the natural world, we can sense the concept of "Buddha nature". The Eastern ecological wisdom of Zen Buddhism has left an imprint in Merwin's eco-poetry, and opens a new vista for his poetry writing.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 101-108 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Foreign Literature Studies |
| Volume | 34 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| State | Published - Oct 2012 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Cultural fusion
- Ecopoetry
- W. S. Merwin
- Zen Buddhism