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Writing a paper on Buddhism. I am having trouble finding ways in which it impacted modern music, tv, and lit?

Writing a paper on Buddhism, especially its impact on modern day society. I am having trouble finding ways in which it has impacted modern music, tv, literature, and even video games. Please Help Me!!

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  1. Depends on whose society you are wondering about. Countries where Buddhism is the major religion (Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka) obviously have a very close connection between their culture and Buddhism. I'm going to assume you mean America for now. If that's the case, the angle you want to take is probably the influence of ZEN Buddhism. Specifically a kind of psuedo-zen that you find everywhere these days. Look at the 60s. A lot of what was going on then in pop culture was influenced by american interpretations of Zen and some forms of Indian philosophy. (Some really BAD interpretations but I guess that's beside the point). Look at the "beat generation" like Allan Ginsberg and Jack Keroauc. They were heavily influenced by Zen Buddhism. Also you have the kind of Zen-tinged philosophy you find in martial arts films that people often take for zen. (Patience, Grasshoppah!) This is also tied up with Taoism. (research that Grasshoppah!) A lot of that has mystic connotations brought from the Samurai, which is influenced by Mahayana Buddhism and Zen. Sometimes you're playing a video game and you go into the room with the Wise Old Man that gives you the magic sword or something. Note: From a Zen Buddhist point of view, it is a distortion of the teachings to use meditation techniques to be able to kill more effectively. But as I said, we are talking about psuedo-zen here. Funny note: The first time I went into a one-on-one interview (Dokusan) with a Zen master, the first thing that popped into my head was "Hey, this is like the legend of Zelda!" Hope that gives you a start.
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