Taking the I out of being: Zen Buddhism and Postmodern (Dis)contents in Ruth Ozeki's A Tale for the Time Being

Abstract

By internalizing Zen Buddhist teachings, the protagonists of Ruth Ozeki's A Tale for the Time Being (2013) resolve their conflicts with the world and within themselves. The scenario echoes current theoretical interest in the Buddhist concept of no-self as a model of self that is suited to the postmodern condition. This article argues that since the fundamental Buddhist principles conceptually accommodate the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics-the key to the novel's structure-and the metaphysical framework of postmodernity, Ozeki's novel illuminates the empowering aspects of the fractal nature of postmodern selves, while charting the possibilities for their actualization.