Zen, mangled in the west

As I've written previously, there are plenty of imported words used in Japan that have very different meanings from the original. This happens to a lesser extent in the opposite direction, but it does indeed happen. One notoriously mangled word is 禅 - Zen.

In Japanese 禅 refers to a branch of Buddhism (仏教　ぶっきょう　bukkyou). Certain rituals connected with Zen Buddhism have been embraced by non-Zen Buddhists, such as the practice of meditation while in 座禅　ざぜん(zazen) pose, or the refined vegetarian cuisine developed by some Zen Buddhist monks called　精進料理　しょうじんりょうり　(sho-jin ryouri). But the word Zen seems to have taken a life of its own in the west, specifically in English, to mean anything from simple and uncluttered or vaguely 'enlightened', to anything remotely Asian or 'Oriental'.

In Japanese, the word Zen is never used in this way. So, if you would try to say something like あなたの部屋はとても禅ですね　あなたのへやは　とてもぜんですね　(your room is very Zen), most likely you'll get a puzzled look in return.

Personally, when I hear the word Zen bandied about so trivially it annoys me a bit because it smacks of pop-Zen. But then, I'm rather easily annoyed. I must achieve a Zen State or acquire Zen Habits or something, I suppose.

See also: Kaizen, or ooh, those inscrutable Japanese.

Comments

[Elsa]

Just out of curiosity, what adjective would you otherwise recommend? I feel that I use the word Zen to describe simple and uncluttered things that are still highly functional. Especially if it feels like it has a calming (or maybe enlightening) affect.

Thanks :D

[maki]

If you are using the word Zen in an English conversation, I don't see anything inherently wrong with the way you use it, because the word has taken on a life of its own that is quite different from where it originated, and people will mostly likely get what you mean. It is just not directly usable in that context in a Japanese conversation. Some Japanese words that would mean simple, uncluttered and functional would be 簡素　かんそ　(kanso) 　簡潔　かんけつ　(kannketsu) - both meaning 'simple, clean' , 合理的　ごうりてき　(gouriteki) - functional, すっきり　(sukkiri) - uncluttered, etc.