Buddhist-Ecofeminist Spiritualities: Beyond the Entanglement of New Materialism and Engaged Buddhism in Ruth Ozeki’s A Tale for the Time Being

Abstract

ABSTRACT A Tale for the Time Being articulates from a Buddhist-ecofeminist perspective Ozeki’s ecological view of interconnected beings and her heightened awareness of increasing global ecological crisis. Entangling new materialism with engaged Buddhism, Ozeki in this novel highlights the ecological interdependence between humans and non-human nature, underscores environmental problems intertwined with nuclear-industrial and military-industrial complexes, and exposes systematic violence, in/visible hazards, and harms on othered beings and nature. Building on Karen Warren’s ecofeminist spiritualities that challenge the patriarchal system and its destructive beliefs, Ozeki’s Buddhist-ecofeminist spiritualities interrogate life-denying and self-aggrandizing practices justified by the dominant patriarchal power, such as building nuclear power plants and military aggression. As a compassionate Zen Buddhist-environmental activist, Ozeki stresses ethical responsibility toward the interconnected ecosystem not only on the level of individuals, but also on the structural level, by exposing systematic violence on humans and non-human nature. A Tale for the Time Being evokes caring ethics and responsibility for living and non-living beings on earth, and it is her tale of possibilities for changes and strategic interventions for the interdependent ecology.