On The Zen Aesthetic Implications In The Poetry Of Philip Whalen

Philip Whalen (1923-2002) is a key figure as a Beat poet and Zen Buddhist priest in the literary canon of the second half of the twentieth century. He is, also, considered as one of the progenitors of Zen poetry in America. His poems appeared in magazines and books, however, too few people have known this before his poetry collections, The Collected-Poems of Philip Whalen, was published in2008. His unique visually unorthodox style, along with original illustrations and his commitment to Zen Buddhism in his poems, makes him unequaled in that writing period. In fact, lots of researches could be done from various aspects; for his poems are widely involved with philosophy, literature, religion, and history. This thesis aims to discuss the implications of Zen aesthetic illustrated in Philip Whalen’s poetry collections. This thesis, first, combines the theory of Zen Buddhism and Zen aesthetic to provide a framework for the following analysis. Then, it explores Whalen’s Zen aesthetic thoughts in his poetry with the analysis of Zen aesthetic theory. This thesis is mainly concerned with two points:firstly, through the investigation of Whalen’s introspective mind in the practice of Zen meditation, it aims to provide readers a deep insight of Zen aesthetic thoughts and poetic wisdom in Philip Whalen’s poetry; secondly, it commits to make readers have a comprehensive understanding of Philip Whalen’s significant contributions to American Zen poetry and merging traditions of West and East.The thesis falls into six chapters. The first chapter is the introduction, which introduces Philip Whalen and his life, as well as some literature reviews on The Collected Poems of Philip Whalen. Chapter Two mainly concerns about the theoretical framework of Zen Buddhism and Zen aesthetic on which to base the interpretation of the next chapter. The following Chapter Three, Four, and Five are the specific analysis of the implications of the Zen aesthetic in Whalen’s poetry. Chapter Three deals with the Zen aesthetic state in Philip Whalen’s poetry, including the state of nothingness, the state of emptiness and tranquility, as well as the state of anatta (self-denial). Chapter Four focuses on the Zen aesthetic process in Philip Whalen’s poetry from three aspects, that is, the practice of Zen meditation, the enlightenment of the mind, and the presentation of enlightenment. Chapter Five analyzes the third feature-the Zen ethic aesthetic in Philip Whalen’s poetry. It, first, probes Zen eco-effects and Zen Buddha nature, and, then, explores the practice of Buddha nature. The last chapter sums up the whole thesis and explains the significance of this research.