The Social Organization of Zen Practice: Constructing Transcultural Reality

Abstract

Foreword Randall Collins Preface Part I. A Sociological View of Zen: 1. Approaching the study of religion 2. On going native Part II. A Profile of Zen Membership and Formal Orgainzation in Southern California: 3. A profile of Zen membership 4. The physical layout of a Zen center 5. Formal organization and staff Part III. The Zen Teacher: 6. The teacher 7. Daily schedule 8. Interaction with students Part IV. What is Zen?: 9. Learning about Zen 10. Varieties of Zen practice 11. Zen viewed sociologically 12. Zen practice Part V. Meditation as a Social Phenomenon: I: 13. Becoming a Zen practitioner 14. Consequences of meditative practice 15. Becker's model Part VI. Meditation as a Social Phenomenon II: 16. The social constructionist view 17. Meditation defined 18. Some consequences of meditative practice Part VII. Doing Zen Meditation: 19. Sudnow's view of improvised conduct 20. Using Sudnow to see Zen practice sociologically 21. The social organization of Zen meditation 22. Problems in Zen practice 23. An experience of sitting meditation Part VIII. The Social Organization of Zen Meditative Ritual Practice and its Consequences: 24. Bourdieu's concept of habitus 25. Ritual, self-transformation, and reality construction Part IX. The Meanings of Zen Practice: 26. Subjective (conscious) meaning 27. Objective (unconscious) meaning Part X. Summary and Conclusions Appendix Notes References Index.