Journal of Higher Education Research

Natsume Sōseki, one of modern Japan’s most iconic literary figures, was deeply influenced by classical Chinese literature from his youth, particularly the works of poets such as Wang Wei and Tao Yuanming. Following his studies in England, Sōseki distanced himself from Chinese-style poetry and prose for nearly a decade, only resuming their composition during his convalescence from a serious illness in Shuzenji. Nevertheless, the worldview of Chinese literature remains vividly present in works such as Kusamakura (The Three-Cornered World), Gubijinso (The poppy), Michikusa (Grass on the Wayside), and Meian (Light and Darkness). This study focuses on Meian,Sōseki’s unfinished posthumous novel, alongside his contemporaneous Chinese-style poetry. By examining shared thematic elements of Zen Buddhism and the philosophical concept of “Sokutenkyoshi” (Following Heaven, Abandoning the Self) across these texts, the analysis identifies their ideological convergences. Furthermore, it traces the evolution of “Sokutenkyoshi” — a cornerstone of Sōseki’s late-period thought — to reveal how Zen philosophy bridges the thematic and ideological realms of his poetry and fiction.