Modern Buddhism and its Cultural Translations. Reflections from a Qualitative Case Study of Two European Zen Monks

Buddhism has expanded around the world as a variety of schools and branches. In Western countries, the encounter between modernity and Buddhism has resulted in a heterogenic cultural product called ‘Modern Buddhism.’ For several authors, it is a recent invention, quite different from ‘Traditional Buddhism.’ But is Modern Buddhism an exception in the history of Buddhism? The current article critically reflects on this question, using the notion of ‘cultural translation’ and, to do so, presents a qualitative case study of two European Zen monks. One is a Catalan monk from Spain; the other is a German abbot living in Japan. Interpretations and cultural translations of Buddhist ideas and practices are regarded as being influenced by the background of Modern Buddhism and by the singular personal biographical trajectories of the two monks. It will be argued that the cultural translations described in Modern Buddhism are not an exception but an expected interpretation.