Dada and Zen are Unlikely Twins

So, ladies and gents, I had a little thought yesterday that was pleasant enough to want to share, but complicated enough that I'm required to do a bit of 'splanin' if I want to actually share it.

The Thought:

That Zen Buddhism and the Dada art movement have a LOT of philosophical overlap, and what they share makes me immensely happy.

The 'Splanin':

1. The Easy Part

Without much thought or research, I think that we can all agree that Zen parables are pretty Dada.

For example, here's an oldie & goodie:

A man walking across a field encountered a tiger. He fled, the tiger chasing after him. Coming to a cliff, he caught hold of a wild vine and swung himself over the edge. The tiger sniffed at him from above. Terrified, the man looked down to where, far below, another tiger had come, waiting to eat him. Two mice, one white, one black, little by little began to gnaw away at the vine. The man saw a luscious strawberry near him. Grasping the vine with one hand, he plucked the strawberry with the other. How sweet it tasted!

Or here's a Zen anecdote that I found online, that I liked OK:

Roshi Kapleau agreed to educate a group of psychoanalysts about Zen. After being introduced to the group by the director of the analytic institute, the Roshi quietly sat down upon a cushion placed on the floor. A student entered, prostrated before the master, and then seated himself on another cushion a few feet away, facing his teacher.

"What is Zen?" the student asked. The Roshi produced a banana, peeled it, and started eating. "Is that all? Can't you show me anything else?" the student said. "Come closer, please," the master replied. The student moved in and the Roshi waved the remaining portion of the banana before the student's face. The student prostrated, and left.

A second student rose to address the audience. "Do you all understand?" When there was no response, the student added, "You have just witnessed a first-rate demonstration of Zen. Are there any questions?"

After a long silence, someone spoke up. "Roshi, I am not satisfied with your demonstration. You have shown us something that I am not sure I understand. It must be possible to TELL us what Zen is."

"If you must insist on words," the Roshi replied, "then Zen is an elephant copulating with a flea."

Now, that's pretty Dada, right? I think so. I was pleased.

Oh. If you don't know what Dada is, here is the Wikipedia page and a link to the most famous work of Dada art. What is that work of art? It is a urinal that's been turned sideways, signed like it was a painting, and submitted to an art show. Edgy stuff for 1917.

2. The Tough Part

Oy. So what do I think that Zen and Dada are simultaneously trying to teach us, and how am I going to relate this to gushing about my favorite movies and rock bands?

I'm going to need some operational definitions that are specific to this conversation, just to make things go a bit more easily.

Here my operational definition of Zen Buddhism:
(I think I've actually nailed it pretty dern close to how Zen Buddhism defines itself, too.)

An ancient technique used to try to keep the mind sincerely free of personal bias and unnecessary emotional structures so that it can be as intellectually sharp, emotionally durable, and compassionate toward all things as is humanly possible.

Now, maintaining an emotional state of genuine loving kindness towards everything is a top priority for every Zen teaching that I've read, but this isn't to say that Zen teaching is free of snark or feather-ruffling. The small acts of silly rudeness are designed to shake the audience up and help demolish unnecessary reverence to make room for better critical thinking.

Much like Dada art, actually. EXACTLY like Dada art, actually.

And the rock band Devo, who I'm listening to right now and loving it. And... The movie "Harold and Maude." Whew! Almost didn't mention a movie. But that movie is actually perfect for combining one's Dada and Zen practices into a single whimsical activity, and I'm proud of myself for citing it on the spot just now. Go me.

Well? Bollocks, I think I've nailed the thought on the head a bit earlier than I'd planned to.

So instead of operationally defining Dada and then writing another paragraph or two about how many elements of its philosophy parallel Zen philosophy, I'm just going to post this as-is. I might write a part two later. (I probably will.)

Stay classy!