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• May 12, 2025
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On the occasion of Buddha Purnima, we wish you a great literary enlightening experience ahead! This blog is not occasional. It is a slow-paced, meditative journey towards understanding how we can rethink Buddha through literary lens. A literary work which lacks spirituality can never reach audiences. What do we find when we read? We find peace while flipping through the pages, smelling them as if they are our favourite persons. Indeed, they are! We are in our highest meditative stages when we read. Do you know why? Reading brings us closer to ourselves. It gives us the freedom to think independently and choose for ourselves and better understand our needs. Literature will always carry a meditative effect which we often do not address.

Obviously! We are preparing for UGC-NET English Literature exam to fetch a government job, quite likely a stable one! However, literature is not just a subject but it is the very constituent of our everyday existence. So, we should think beyond our primary motive. To have it is fine but to live it, you will need to understand the concept of meditative analysis or maybe, become a Zen maestro!

Textual Analysis: A Meditative Exam Prep Guide

Textual comprehension is a meditative journey in itself. There is so much stillness and mindfulness when you are trying to understand a particular text. This meditative practice will help you to not just score well in your UGC-NET English Literature exam. But it will help you to understand the context and the underlying meanings in a better manner. This is the power of interpretation. When preparing for exams like UGC-NET English Literature exam or PH.D. Entrance Exams, this meditative quality of textual analysis will help you think of new alternatives or possibilities. This is what we call Gadamerian hermeneutics. You must have come across this term when preparing for research methods in English literature. It is one of the major methods, which is a part of UGC-NET English Literature syllabus. Yes! Hermeneutics is a meditation on constant becoming. It is an evolutionary interpretative analysis. This blog will be an outcome of it. So, read on…

Buddha At The Heart of English Literature

In your vast UGC-NET English syllabus, the figure of Buddha appears not merely as a religious symbol but as a profound representation of detachment, enlightenment, and inner peace. Over time, writers and poets have turned to the Buddha and his teachings to contrast the chaos of the modern world, explore spiritual transformation, and question the limitations of Western rationalism.

Let us explore the ideas of Buddha through a literary journey:

1. T.S. Eliot: In The Waste Land(1922), T. S. Eliot draws upon a collage of religious traditions, including Hinduism and Buddhism, to address the spiritual crisis of post-war Europe. The poem closes with the chant “Shantih shantih shantih,” a Sanskrit expression that loosely translates to “the peace which passeth understanding.” This invocation of Eastern wisdom, particularly Buddhist serenity, marks a deliberate turning away from Western disillusionment and a turn toward inner stillness and transcendence. These are the key aspects of Buddhist philosophy.
2. Rudyard Kipling: In the poem The Buddha at Kamakura(1892), Rudyard Kipling offers a glimpse of reverence for the stillness of Eastern spirituality:

“…may feel the Soul of all the East / About him at Kamakura.”
While Kipling wrote during the colonial period, his work here reveals a deep sense of meaningfulness while exploring the philosophical and emotional depth of Buddhist teachings. The image of the silent Buddha becomes a powerful emblem of quiet strength and humility, qualities that many Victorian readers found missing in their industrial lives.

3. Hermann Hesse: Although originally written in German, Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse has become a cornerstone of modern English literature through translation. The novel traces the spiritual journey of a young man named Siddhartha, who mirrors the historical Gautama Buddha. However, rather than simply following doctrines, Siddhartha emphasizes direct personal experience, aligning closely with the Buddhist path of self-realization through meditation and awareness. Hesse beautifully explores themes of impermanence, suffering, and enlightenment in a way that speaks to readers across cultures and religions.
4. Aldous Huxley: In The Perennial Philosophy(1945), Aldous Huxley explores the shared truths across the world’s religious traditions, frequently citing the Buddha’s teachings. For Huxley, Buddhist insights on ego, suffering, and illusion offer a necessary lens for understanding the universal human search for meaning. His work builds bridges between Eastern mysticism and Western rationalism, making Buddhist thought more accessible to mid-century readers.
5. Jack Kerouac: In The Dharma Bums(1958), Jack Kerouac and his fellow Beat writers embrace Zen Buddhism as an antidote to Western consumerism. The novel is filled with meditative hikes, impromptu chanting, and the search for what Kerouac calls “Buddha nature.” He writes:

“I see a vision of a great rucksack revolution… Zen lunatics who go about writing poems… and digging Buddhism.”
Here, Buddhism is not merely a doctrine. It is a lifestyle of freedom, mindfulness, and non-attachment. It fuels an American literary rebellion that’s deeply spiritual at its core.

6. Ezra Pound: In The Cantos, Ezra Pound weaves in Buddhist and Confucian ideals as part of his attempt to reconstruct civilization through art. His reverence for Eastern ethics and balance can be read as a subtle nod to Buddha’s path of moderation and harmony.

Buddhist Echoes in Modern Poetry

Even when the Buddha is not directly mentioned, his influence can be felt in modern English poetry. Writers like Philip Larkin reflect on impermanence, mortality, and the illusion of permanence, which are central themes in Buddhist thought. Their minimalist expressions often resemble Zen-like clarity and detachment.

In English Literature, Buddha is the divine causation himself who allows us to become more peaceful, mindful, and enlightened. He is the depiction of self-understanding in this fragmented world. Whether invoked through chants, characters, or silent statues, his presence signals a turning inward—a reminder that liberation begins not in the outer world, but within the self.

From the solemn verses of Eliot to the rebellious spirituality of Kerouac, Buddha’s footprints are embedded in the very soul of English literature, guiding readers toward a deeper, quieter, more compassionate understanding of life.

Becoming a student of Literature is a journey of long-life meditation with complete awareness of oneself and the surroundings. Once we are aware of ourselves, we will be able to rise beyond our limitations and help make a better world. Literature is a conscious pathway to living a life which is simple, non-convoluted, yet profound! Studying Literature is not some job-seeking task; it is a rebellion, it is a causation in itself. It is a constant journey of becoming that you are witnessing.  Become a witness to it, not just a government job-seeker. Live it. Breathe it. And surrender.

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