Zen master dogen biography template

The catalyst in this case was institutional change. They had always been held on a regular basis at Eiheiji, but it was not until the Tokugawa period that their importance became realized. This was published inand became popular among the lay fraternities as a basis for lectures, and as an encouragement for all to become involved Bodiford, a, Abe worked with N.

In Japan there was the expected sectarian backlash. A Note on Sources It should be clear from the foregoing that great care must be taken to know the status and history of the sources one is using. What follows is a very short introduction to the basic texts, drawn from Bodiford, b, which must be the first stop for any serious scholar. Bodiford,— and another of a copy of an MS dated What is more, modern editors have mixed and matched at will, so that the textual genealogy of this work is extremely complicated Bodiford, b, 29— It must be assumed that the lectures were given in Japanese and then reproduced in Chinese to stand as a formal record.

Bibliography Abe, Masao, Heine, ed. Abe, Masao, Zen and Western Thought, in: W. Lafleur, ed. Bein, S. Bielefeldt, C. Bodiford, W. Faure, B. Foulk, G. Heine, S. Did Dogen Go to China? Wright, eds. Kasulis, T. Kim, Hee-Jin, trans.

Zen master dogen biography template

Kodera, T. Kopf, G. LaFleur, W. Leighton, T. Levering, M. Maraldo, J. Nearman, H. But that moment will not provide us with the full appreciation of what happened. Most stories of the enlightenment experiences don't tell us about the struggles that preceded realization. They don't tell us about the endless quest to resolve the question of life and death.

Dogen carried his doubts for over twenty years, desperate to find the answers, studying completely at every juncture. He was intellectually brilliant and a very diligent practitioner. As he made the journey to China, he drew closer and closer to the edge of his practice, the spiritual tension of his quest primed. On that edge, a spring breeze or a floating feather could have knocked him off it.

Dogen went to the abbot's zen master dogen biography template and offered incense. The dropped-off body and mind. Please don't approve me arbitrarily. How did he know? The fact of the matter is that realization transforms the entire body and mind. It's not something that is felt only internally; it manifests externally. It affects how you stand, walk, eat, dress and relate to people.

There are a hundred thousand ways of seeing it without a word being uttered. If Dogen had not gone up to the abbot's quarters and lit incense, Rujing would still have seen it. He probably wouldn't have approved Dogen right off. He would have probed, poked at him, to get it to fully blossom in Dogen's own consciousness. As the exchange began, Dogen was not aware of the full implications of what transpired.

He just knew something had happened. What does that mean? To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be enlightened by the ten thousand things. To be enlightened by the ten thousand things is to drop off body and mind of self and other. No trace of enlightenment remains, and this traceless enlightenment continues endlessly.

That last line is the key. How did he pass beyond the other side? What is the other side? The commentary continues: We should understand that this body and mind is not the bag of skin. So I ask you, what is it that is dropped off? Who is it that drops off? This is the place of inquiry that must be clarified. Haven't you heard the words of the teachers of old?

When the ten thousand things have been extinguished, there is still something that is not extinguished. What is it? You will surely spread the way of Zen. My finding you is like Shakyamuni Buddha finding Kayashapa. At one point during the ceremony, the disciple who's receiving the transmission is kneeling in shokei and the teacher is passing oral teachings to them.

The student then takes several steps in shokei toward the high seat where the teacher is sitting, and the teacher rubs the crown of their head. In China, when a child was born, traditionally, the parents would rub the crown of the baby's head. In Dogen was formally recognized as a successor to Rujing. Live in obscurity deep in the mountains and mature your enlightenment.

While he was in China, Myozen died, and Dogen brought his ashes to the monastery. Then, within a year, he expressed the sense of mission he was embarking on. I felt then that a heavy load was on my shoulders. He stayed at Kennin-ji for three years. Slowly, people became aware of the particular style of Zen that he was teaching. His name became famous and he started to attract disciples.

As his views were uncompromising and not in line with Kyoto orthodoxy, he started to get pressure from Mt. Eventually, to escape the political distractions, he moved to an abandoned temple in Fukakuza called Annu-in. It was there that he wrote Bendowa. Impermanence comes back into play here as well. Dogen believed that because everything is impermanent, it is constantly changing.

This means that even if we achieve enlightenment, it is not something that we can hold onto. The Buddha-nature is often compared to a seed. Just as a seed has the potential to grow into a tree, we all have the potential to attain enlightenment. But like a seed, it takes time, effort, and proper conditions for this to happen. He believed that we need to put in the effort to cultivate our Buddha nature.

This is why he placed such importance on the zazen. Being, in this very moment of time. The Japanese keyword uji has more meanings than any single English rendering can encompass. Nevertheless, translation equivalents include:. For the zen master dogen biography template being, I move on the deepest depths of the ocean floor.

Chang or Mr. Li [any Tom, Dick, or Harry]. Zazen is a way to connect with the present moment. It is a way to be with time-being. First, it is always best to find a teacher. It is challenging to learn Zen without the guidance of a teacher, as even Dogen needed to go out and find a good one. A good teacher can help you understand the teachings and put them into practice.

Once you find a teacher, you can begin to learn about the practice. Soto Zen is based on the teachings of the Buddha and the great Zen masters. It is a way of life that emphasizes compassion, wisdom, and mindfulness. The main exercise of Zen is based on Zazen, or sitting meditation, but it also includes other things such as eating mindfully, walking meditation, and working mindfully.

Dogen was a remarkable man and an important figure in developing Buddhist thought. His life and work continue to inspire Buddhists around the world. We hope this article has given you a taste of his teachings and why they remain relevant today. Please support the "Spread the Dharma" mission as one of our heroic Dharma Supporting Members, or with a one-time donation.

Be a part of the noble mission as a supporting member or a patron, or a volunteer contributor of content. A non-profit association sinceBuddha Weekly published many feature articles, videos, and, podcasts. If this is so, why do all the Buddhas, past, present, and future, seek enlightenment? Not being able to find the answer to that question in the Tendai school he was in, he set to study with Rinzai Zen Master Eisai and then his disciple Myozen.

They both undertook the trip to China to go where their master had studied, Jing-de-si temple. Dogen was dissatisfied with the heavy reliance on koans of the Rinzai tradition and finally found a teacher who taught him to sit in silence and meditate. Under this master not only found the answer to the question that was tormenting him but also achieved enlightenment after assiduous zazen sessions.

This marked the most important moment of his life. He was asked to return to Japan to spread Soto Zen. His teaching attracted the ire of some monks at Mt.