Zen-Boeddhistiese selfloosheid as sentrale interteks van die Breytenbach-oeuvre

The article argues that the Buddhist concept of selflessness is central to the art and writing of Breyten Breytenbach. It contrasts this idea with Western philosophical traditions and analyzes it within Buddhist experiences such as Sunyata, Satori, Zazen, and Taoist relativity. The author addresses a need identified in discussions with colleagues and students: while Zen Buddhism is accepted as a primary intertext in Breytenbach's work, references to concepts like Satori and the Void are often used without clarifying how Buddhist philosophy pertains to the creative process itself. The article suggests that understanding Buddhist principles can elucidate the nature of Breytenbach's oeuvre and the creative experience, rather than treating Buddhist terminology as a mere plot device or moralistic framing.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The aim of this article is twofold: • To postulate the Buddhist notion of selflessness as central to the art and writing of Breyten Breytenbach. • To provide an overview of the philosophy this implies and of the way in which it offers a reading of the Breytenbach-oeuvre. The Buddhist concept of selflessness as expressed in the work of Breytenbach is by way of contrast firstly set against the background of the more familiar Western philosophical tradition, and then analysed within the context of Buddhist experiences such as Sunyata, Satori, Zazen and the Taoist principle of relativity to which it is inexorably linked. In doing so an attempt is made to fulfil a need that became apparent from discussions with colleagues and (post)graduate students: Although Zen -Buddhism in general has long been accepted as a primary intertext of the Breytenbach oeuvre, and although it is common practice to refer to notions such as Satori, Zazen and the Void when studying his work, it is not always clear in which way the Buddhist philosophy is pertinent to the creative process as such, be it that of creative writing or painting. To construe the presence of Buddhist terminology in the Breytenbach text as a mere tool for the unfolding of plot or as an attempt to define his writing as moralistic or mystical is an unfortunate misconception. In addition to the focus on Buddhist selflessness and the way in which it is reflected in Breytenbach’s work, this article therefore offers some suggestions on the way in which an understanding of Buddhist principles can serve as elucidation of the nature of the Breytenbach oeuvre and the creative experience as such.