I saw some people on Reddit discussing whether someone was being orientalist, and I agreed they were simply by using the phrase “zen-like concentration”. I’m not offended by them using this term, I just find it stupid. “Zen-like” has absolutely no meaning, but gives an air of eastern spirituality and mysticism. I personally think you should only be able to use that phrase if you can give a detailed and verifiable explanation about the differences between zen-like concentration, huayan-like concentration, mahasthabir nikaya-like concentration, and chan-like concentration, as well as recognize that the last one is exactly the same as zen.
And why is it only ever “zen-like”? I’m sure everyone would find it strange if Asians suddenly started to use the terms “seventh day adventism-like” or “independent fundamentalist baptist-like” to refer to the elements of American culture they find exotic.
i think you get “zen” because it’s so much shorter and convenient than “meditative”. there’s definitely some magical overlap with midcentury martial arts, especially with kyudo being called “zen archery” sometimes.
was buddhism exported like yoga was? (it was but that guy sucks shit lol) i remember somebody tried to have a struggle session about crackers doing yoga but nothing came of it because that was given rather than plundered.
there’s a bunch of japanese media that treats christian symbols and syncretic mysticism the way that you get norse gods in marvel or whatever. that seems kinda normal and maybe there should be more of it.
abrahamic symbolism in anime fucking rocks (except for when it doesn’t)