Przypadek pustej formy kompozycji Johna Cage’a 4′33″ z perspektywy buddyzmu zen
The case of the empty form of John Cage’s 4′33″: A Zen Buddhist perspective

Summary/Abstract: The article aims to examine the piece 4′33″ and its composer John Cage through the lensof some concepts developed in Zen Buddhism, a philosophy embraced by Cage himself. Thisapproach requires gesturing toward a broader context which can be generalised as ‘Easterninspirations,’ mainly meaning concepts and practices derived from Indian, Chinese andJapanese cultures and related to the Buddhist thought and its kin movements. The concept ofemptiness is an essential element of this cultural field. In some sense, Cage’s 4′33″ seems toemphatically express the meaning of this concept. Importantly, given what we know of Cage’sbiography, exploring his work through the lens of ‘Eastern inspirations’ appears to be a well-warranted approach and to afford opportunities for subtle transcultural reflection, which is alsopart of this article.

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