Zen Buddhism in AWSC

Having completed A Wild Sheep Chase, the one thing that stood out to me was the parallels between the narrator's usual stoic personality and the principles of Zen Buddhism. Zen has influenced every aspect of Japan's culture, including Japanese literature, but it was surprising to find such elements from Murakami, whose works are known for their many Western influences. 

There were two elements of Zen that I discovered in the novel: non-attachment and compassion. Non-attachment is defined as the act of letting oneself free from holding onto fixed ideas and one's sense of self. This is evident in the characterization of Boku, who is portrayed as having no desires. When a mysterious, powerful figure demanded that he find the sheep shown in the photograph, Boku's decision to find the sheep is an example of non-attachment, as he remains indifferent to losing his job, something that most people would desperately want to keep. Boku's lack of desire is a constant theme in the novel, from him moving on from his ex-wife's departure to his detached acceptance of loss throughout his journey.

Compassion is defined as the act of placing others before one's individual self.At the end of the novel, Boku doesn't judge the Rat for his choices or demand explanations. Instead, he simply listens and accepts his friend's decision to die rather than remain possessed by the sheep's corrupting influence. The Rat's suicide itself is an act of compassion, as he sacrifices himself to prevent the sheep from using him to harm others. Boku's acceptance of this death reflects the Zen understanding that compassion sometimes means allowing others their own path, even when it leads to death.

Anyway, this was how I interpreted the novel. There were probably a couple of other examples that I missed, but those were the ones that stood out to me the most.

Joline Abe