Putting a Price on Zen: The Business of Redefining Religion for Global Consumption

摘要: Over the past several decades, Zen has become a mark of global cosmopolitanism. Largely divorced from its religious context, word “zen” appears in many languages with remarkable diversity accepted meanings and usages. In this paper, I outline historical cultural factors which have contributed to dramatic semiotic transformation popular imagination international media over century. demonstrate that ideas about evolved through strategic linguistic associations, show how resulting polysemy led becoming an ideal marketing byword—one is freely appropriated commoditized manner differentiates almost all other traditions. further suggest for Japanese sects, popularity cosmopolitan appeal come hand-in-hand decentralization traditional authority challenge clergy’s role shaping future development Zen.