Buddhist Modernism

The article describes the transcultural impact of Chinese written characters in East Asia and their global influence on modernism. Ezra Pound, inspired by the works of Ernest Fenollosa, transformed the Western perception of Chinese poetry, popularising the use of Chinese characters as a model for poetry. Fenollosa, influenced by Kegon Buddhism and its philosophy of interconnectedness, saw the characters as dynamic representations of nature, in contrast to Pound's interpretation focused on individual details. This interaction reflects how cultural ideas are transformed as they cross contexts, highlighting the fluid and changing nature of transcultural exchanges.