Zen has exerted a magnetic attraction on the West for over 100 years. Zen authority D.T. Suzuki (1870-1966) was a primary catalyst for this interest, writing over 100 books, such as the seminal ¡°An Introduction to Zen Buddhism¡± (1934), on the topic.
Inspired by Suzuki, Western writers like Christmas Humphreys (1901-83) and Alan Watts (1915-73) further popularized Zen. Humphreys¡¯ book ¡°Zen Buddhism¡± (1949) was name-dropped by Van Morrison in his song ¡°Cleaning Windows,¡± while Watts influenced Beat Generation writers like Jack Kerouac (1922-69). Kerouac was hailed as ¡°the first patriarch of Buddhism in America¡± by Tricycle magazine. His classic novel, ¡°The Dharma Bums¡± (1958), oozes passion for Zen on every page. ¡°Some of the Dharma¡± (completed in 1958, published 1997), is a sprawling compendium of Kerouac¡¯s thoughts on Buddhism.
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