Showing posts with label spiritual practice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spiritual practice. Show all posts

2022/06/17

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Zen Buddhism: Baroni, Helen Josephine: 9780823922406: Books

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Zen Buddhism: Baroni, Helen Josephine: 9780823922406: Books

https://www.scribd.com/document/240352459/Illustrated-Encyclopedia-of-Zen-Buddhism-The


Helen Josephine Baroni
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The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Zen Buddhism Hardcover – Illustrated, January 30, 2002
by Helen Josephine Baroni (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars 7 ratings
===

• Over 1,7 in-depth entries from A to Z, containing information on the beliefs, practices, and history of Zen Buddhism as well as its most significant movements, organizations, and personalities. • Complete with black-and-white photos throughout that illustrate the many aspects of Zen Buddhist culture and religion, including temples, relics, artifacts, and the ceremonial objects used by practitioners. • Thoroughly cross-referenced entries guide the reader to related terms and concepts. • 8 1/2" x 11" • Library-bound • 5 pages • Copyright 22 Zen Buddhism is one of the most important and influential world religions. Its unique forms of artistic, philosophical, and spiritual practices, including meditation, haiku, and calligraphy, have spread throughout the world. Written in a clear and accessible style, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Zen Buddhism introduces readers to this vital and influential tradition. Helen J. Baroni, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the department of religion at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She received a bachelor of arts from Grinnell College in 1981, a master's degree in divinity from the Princeton Theological Seminary in 1984, and both a master's degree (199) and a doctorate degree (1993) in philosophy from Columbia University. From 199 to 1991, Dr. Baroni was a visiting research fellow at the International Research Institute for Zen Buddhism of Hanazozo College in Kyoto, Japan. She was awarded a Japan Foundation Dissertation Fellowship in 199, a Weatherhead Fellowship in 1992, and a grant from the Harvard Pluralism Project in 1998. Dr. Baroni has published a number of journal articles on Japanese religions. She is also the author of Obaku Zen: The Emergence of the Third Sect of Zen in Tokugawa, Japan, published by the University of Hawaii Press (2).
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This encyclopedia covers festivals, texts, doctrine, rituals, practices, biographies, deities and heroes, architecture, mythology, sects, and institutions of the religious tradition covered. Among the more than 1,700 entries are Dogen Kigan, Filial piety, and Shikhin Buddha. Much of the content consists of short, dictionary-type definitions, although some (for example, Bodhisattva precepts, Buddha, Pilgrimage) are more expansive. The illustrations are all black and white, occur on approximately one-quarter of the pages, and usually cover less than half a page. The entries include extensive cross-references, and the "Contents by Subject" at the beginning of the encyclopedia aids the reader in locating thematically related entries. The coverage of the subject areas is good.

The encyclopedia could have been greatly improved with the inclusion of glossaries giving the terms in the various languages involved. A glossary of Sanskrit, Chinese characters, pinyin and Wade-Giles Chinese transliteration methods, and transliterated Japanese would significantly increase the utility. Although the volume is adequate for the general reader, this conspicuous omission limits its usefulness for the more serious researcher.

Libraries that already have common religion reference sources, such as Eliade's The Encyclopedia of Religion (Macmillan, 1987), will probably find no reason to add this new encyclopedia to their collections. Some other subject encyclopedias may also be more useful. For example, Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia (Kodansha, 1993) includes the Chinese characters with Japanese transliterations along with far superior illustrations and gives good coverage of religious themes. However, academic libraries supporting large religious studies departments may want to buy The Ilustrated Encyclopedia of Zen Buddhism for the added coverage. Public libraries that have no other resources on Zen Buddhism might also consider it. RBB
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved




Product details
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Rosen Pub Group; Illustrated edition (January 30, 2002)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 426 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0823922405
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0823922406
Reading age ‏ : ‎ Baby
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.4 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9 x 1.25 x 11.5 inchesBest Sellers Rank: #1,533,514 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)#1,127 in Zen Philosophy (Books)
#2,827 in Religion EncyclopediasCustomer Reviews:
4.2 out of 5 stars 7 ratings




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John Stucky

3.0 out of 5 stars Some good an insightful entries---but she refers to Bodhidharma as BodhidarumaReviewed in the United States on December 14, 2016
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Some good and insightful entries---but she refers to Bodhidharma as Bodhidaruma...??!! This makes me wonder about the quality of information overall.

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John Sorensen

3.0 out of 5 stars mehReviewed in the United States on June 29, 2015
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A wealth of terms left out


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Hakuyu

4.0 out of 5 stars Useful, but rather restricted.Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2005

If the title is taken literally, this Encyclopaedia of Zen Buddhism fulfils its function well - giving the general reader handy notes and references to Zen Buddhism, its practices, customs and institutions -as found in Japan. However, given the weighty 'Chinese' legacy behind Japanese Zen Buddhism, one might have expected more references to the Chinese background,if only transcriptions of the Chinese way of pronouncing key names, terms and idioms found in the Japanese sources. More than a few eminent Japanese Zen monks travelled to China to practice in the Ch'an temples there, and a bit more of the Chinese background, generally, would have made this book considerably more useful. Similar problems arise when it comes to the use of Sino-Japanese idioms derived from Sanskrit.

Without concessions in this direction, readers will probably have to look elsewhere for the links, which compromises the usefulness of this book as an encyclopaedia. Still, it will prove helpful for the general reader.

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Derek J.
4.0 out of 5 stars Zen a practise of its own.Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 16, 2016
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Very good book.
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Eihei Dogen: Mystical Realist: Kim, Hee-Jin 김희진 도겐

Amazon - Eihei Dogen: Mystical Realist: Kim, Hee-Jin, Leighton, Taigen Dan: 9780861713769: Books


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Hee-Jin Kim


Eihei Dogen: Mystical Realist Paperback – January 1, 2000
by Hee-Jin Kim (Author), Taigen Dan Leighton (Foreword)
4.6 out of 5 stars 34 ratings

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Eihei Dogen, the founder of the Japanese branch of the Soto Zen Buddhist school, is considered one of the world's most remarkable religious philosophers. Eihei Dogen: Mystical Realist is a comprehensive introduction to the genius of this brilliant thinker. This thirteenth-century figure has much to teach us all and the questions that drove him have always been at the heart of Buddhist practice.

At the age of seven, in 1207, Dogen lost his mother, who at her death earnestly asked him to become a monastic to seek the truth of Buddhism. We are told that in the midst of profound grief, Dogen experienced the impermanence of all things as he watched the incense smoke ascending at his mother's funeral service. This left an indelible impression upon the young Dogen; later, he would emphasize time and again the intimate relationship between the desire for enlightenment and the awareness of impermanence. His way of life would not be a sentimental flight from, but a compassionate understanding of, the intolerable reality of existence.

At age 13, Dogen received ordination at Mt. Hiei. And yet, a question arose: "As I study both the exoteric and the esoteric schools of Buddhism, they maintain that human beings are endowed with Dharma-nature by birth. If this is the case, why did the buddhas of all ages - undoubtedly in possession of enlightenment - find it necessary to seek enlightenment and engage in spiritual practice?" When it became clear that no one on Mt. Hiei could give a satisfactory answer to this spiritual problem, he sought elsewhere, eventually making the treacherous journey to China. This was the true beginning of a life of relentless questioning, practice, and teaching - an immensely inspiring contribution to the Buddhadharma.

As you might imagine, a book as ambitious as Eihei Dogen: Mystical Realist has to be both academically rigorous and eminently readable to succeed. Professor Hee-Jim Kim's work is indeed both.
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368 pages
Language

English
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Wisdom Publications
Publication date

January 1, 2000

Editorial Reviews

Review
"This book is an excellent comprehensive introduction to Dogen's massive corpus of intricate writings as well as to his elegantly simple yet profound practice. It stands as the best overall general introduction to Dogen's teaching." -- From the new foreword by Taigen Dan Leighton

"This book's re-issue represents an important moment in the history of Dogen studies. Kim's work still stands out for the depth and clarity of its elucidation of Dogen as a religious thinker and practitioner." -- Mark Unno, Editorial Board, Journal of Religious Ethics, and author of Shingon Refractions

"Down through the years and through its earlier editions, it was always to Dr. Kim's book that I turned first in any matter relating to Dogen. Now from his retirement from a fine academic career, we have the fruit of his lifetime of research and meditation. I am very grateful." -- Robert Aitken, author of Taking the Path of Zen and The Morning Star: New and Selected Zen Writings

"Dogen is no easy read--fortunately Kim's book, itself a polished gem, expertly guides a reader into what is simultaneously rich and playful in Dogen's Buddhist vision." -- William R. LaFleur, author of Awesome Nightfall: The Life, Times, and Poetry of Saigyo

"A essential volume in any Dogen library." -- Zoketsu Norman Fischer, former abbot, San Francisco Zen Center, and author of Taking Our Places: The Buddhist Path to Truly Growing Up

"Kim's work remains a beacon of scholarship into the mind of one of the most remarkable spiritual giants in the history of Zen." -- John Daido Loori, abbot of Zen Mountain Monastery

"Eihei Dogen: Mystical Realist remains a valuable contribution to all of modern Zen commentary." -- SirReadALot.org
About the Author
Hee-Jin Kim is Professor Emeritus at the University of Washington.


Product details
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wisdom Publications; Revised edition (January 1, 2000)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0861713761
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0861713769
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.1 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.9 x 9 inchesBest Sellers Rank: #1,050,779 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)#823 in Zen Philosophy (Books)
#1,061 in Zen Spirituality
#1,127 in Asian & Asian Americans BiographiesCustomer Reviews:
4.6 out of 5 stars 34 ratings




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Jazz Fish Zen

5.0 out of 5 stars but I thought this was a good introduction to his life and thoughtReviewed in the United States on July 10, 2018
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I'm fairly new to Dogen, but I thought this was a good introduction to his life and thought. I've practiced Zen over twenty years and found it compatible but challenging. It did open my eyes to many things about Zen and Zen practice. It gets very philosophical and was hard for me to follow at times though. Without a solid Zen practice though I doubt a person could necessarily make heads or tails of what's being conveyed. Gassho...

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Robert Hughes

5.0 out of 5 stars Basic.Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2020
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This book,
along with Kim’s sequel, “Dogen on Meditation and Thinking,” (2007) has been my basic guidance in life.

4 people found this helpful

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Upasaka Heng He

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, complicatedReviewed in the United States on June 23, 2013
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It's a good study, just don't buy if you need an "easy intro to Dogen" - that's not the book you're looking for. It's scholastic and rather advanced.

11 people found this helpful

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Holographic Harry

5.0 out of 5 stars Five stars for much historyReviewed in the United States on October 21, 2011
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Very informative. Historical background revealing where Dogen came from in his thought process and practical position. More doctrine and dogma than a course in Buddhism. Excellent work.

6 people found this helpful

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Sam KoKyo

5.0 out of 5 stars Five StarsReviewed in the United States on October 16, 2014
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Well written, and well documented !

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Ted Biringer

5.0 out of 5 stars The Most Essential Work on Dogen Available in EnglishReviewed in the United States on April 18, 2008

If I had to choose between Hee-Jin Kim's Eihei Dogen: Mystical Realist and all the other books on Dogen Zenji, author of Zen masterpiece Shobogenzo, I would not need to ponder--I would choose Mystical Realist.

The only other books in English that come close to Mystical Realist in their importance for understanding and appreciating Dogen and his writings are Hee-Jin Kim's two other masterful explorations of this seminal thirteenth century Zen master. These are, Dr. Kim's most recent book Dogen on Meditation and Thinking: His View on Zen, and his 1985 publication, Flowers of Emptiness: Selections From Dogen's Shobogenzo.

Ever since its original publication in 1975 (then titled: Dogen Kigen--Mystical Realist) Professor Kim's Eihei Dogen: Mystical Realist has remained at the top of the list as the definitive English language book on the founder of Soto Zen in Japan and his works. This work has undergone several revisions (the latest in 2004) that have allowed Hee-Jin Kim to improve upon his original message. These revisions have allowed Kim to expand upon his ideas as they have been refined through the years, as well as to make corrections to the translations and keep the book current with ongoing scholarship.

While the revisions have improved the overall flow of his message, and improved the book's readability, its central teachings have stood firmly throughout. The insight that Kim offered us on Eihei Dogen and his work has remained essential unchanged. Like Master Dogen's own work, Kim's Mystical Realist is as vital and lively today as it was when it was originally published. This book is truly an extraordinary achievement, and as of all Kim's work, an essential text for students, not only of Dogen, or even Zen, but for anyone interested in exploring the human condition and its potential for actualization.

39 people found this helpful

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Hakuyu

4.0 out of 5 stars An engaging studyReviewed in the United States on October 14, 2005

Kim's work has won the praise of many, not least Robert Aitken Roshi, an American with a lifetime's experience of Zen training. In his foreword to the third edition, Aitken Roshi stated:

"this revised edition . . .now includes many new translations and studies of Dogen, and thus it is most welcome. Dogen wrote at the outermost edge of human communication, touching with every sentence such mysteries as self and other, self and non-self, meditation and realization, the temporal and the timeless, forms and the void.@He wrote of the attitude necessary for understanding, of the practice required. . .of the various insights that emerge, and of the many pitfalls. He did not generally write for beginners - most of his points require very careful study and a few of them elude almost everybody. These challenges are compounded by his creative use of the Japanese language. It has been said that he wrote in "Dogenese," for he made verbs of nouns, nouns of verbs, created new metaphors, and manipulated old sayings to present his particular understanding. . . "

Prof. Kim's study has been based on a careful reading of Dogen's chosen idioms. He has endeavoured to amplify Dogen's understanding of 'do-ri' - or 'reason of the way.' Kim is keen to show that Dogen's use of Zen language is not merely provisional or instrumental, but embodies a 'realisational' dimension. This is exemplified in the notion of the 'genjo-koan' or koan realised in the present, which is to say, actualised in every day activity. In this way, Kim endeavours to show that Dogen's Zen culminates in ' the great way of total exertion' (gujin no daido) or the total actualisation of practice as realization. Kim is a foremost interpreter of Dogen's thought - and, as such, this book deserves a place in every Buddhist library. My only reservation about this study, is that it might have made better sense of the question of how the so-called 'instrumentalist' aspect of koan practice relates to the 'realizational' aspect. Quite rightly, Kim is at pains to point out that accounts of Zen which stress the 'instrumentalist' view of koan practice - and that alone, are one sided, and he has therefore endeavoured to illustrate a different perspective. However, without reflection, we might be left to conclude that Rinzai Zen favours the 'instrumentalist' view - and Soto, the 'realizational' view. Kim knows better, and indeed, in places (p. 165), he has cited certain remarks from Dogen, which concede that the term 'genjo-koan' originated with Engo - a Rinzai master of the Sung, evidently meaning that Rinzai practitioners have appreciated the 'realizational' aspect. As such, the critical references to (Dai-e) Ta-hui which appear elsewhere in the book, seem strangely out of tenor with this fact. Yuan-wu (Engo) was Ta-hui's teacher, and the latter must surely have known of his master's references to the genjo-koan. Conversely, much as we might identify Dogen's Zen with 'shikantaza' (just-sitting), playing down the instrumentalist approach, Dogen also had his experience of 'casting off mind and body' (shinjindatsuraku) - a breakthrough experience more or less akin to that realised by Rinzai followers. Perhaps Prof. Kim will enlighten us on this unresolved problem, at some future point.

25 people found this helpful

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Stndsure

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding on Zen and DogenReviewed in the United States on June 6, 2016

This is an outstanding text that debunks many of the new-age and Californiacted versions of Zen - not to mention the plethora of internet sites claiming expertise on the subject - particularly the ant-intellectual and intuition-only tendencies that are so common among modern students. More later...

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Tariki
5.0 out of 5 stars Difficult, profound and life-givingReviewed in the United Kingdom on February 24, 2017
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A difficult read and perhaps that is not just a judgement upon my own brain cells! I would have to say that for one like myself who has found that a lot of religion is simply the betrayal of THIS world for some imagined "other", the attraction of Mahayana Buddhism's identification of samsara ( our world of birth and death ) with nirvana has always held the potential to heal and redeem. Dogen, according to Mr Kim's exposition, taught such. The text must be read slowly and carefully - at least, so I found. Yet the text rewards such care and attention. Though myself a Pure Land Buddhist ( or as Mr Kim writes, "Pure Realm Buddhism" ) and Mr Kim draws distinctions between the thought of Dogen and Shinran ( one of the "fathers" of Japanese Pure Land Buddhism ) I found some passages deeply transformative - or as transformative as words/philosophy can be. Also extraordinarily "modern". One of the very best books I have ever read. Thank you.

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QIreviews
5.0 out of 5 stars A Masterpiece - Rewarding, but hard workReviewed in the United Kingdom on March 23, 2014
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This is a first rate book. It definitely leans towards the philosophical and uses some very dense language. However if you want to understand Shobogenzo I couldn't think of anything better. A masterpiece.

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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Impeccable brand new condition - good Intro' by the author bringing the research up to ...Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 24, 2016
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Impeccable brand new condition - good Intro' by the author bringing the research up to date since it was written 40 years ago, with references in different languages.
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Klara Fall
5.0 out of 5 stars Einer der besten Einführungen zu Dogens DenkenReviewed in Germany on June 9, 2014
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Wer plant, sich mit dem Denken des einflussreichen japanischen Zen-Meisters Dogen-Zenji zu beschäftigen, sollte nicht gleich zu seinem schwer verdaulichen Hauptwerk, dem Shobogenzo, greifen, sondern sich diese geniale Arbeit von Prof. Kim zu Gemüte führen. Leider ist diese gut verständliche Einführung noch nicht ins Deutsche übersetzt worden. (Deutsche Verlage, die sich auf Zen-Literatur spezialisieren, ignorieren diese wichtige, dem Verständnis zuträgliche Arbeit nach wie vor). Zen-Interessierte, die vor dem Englischen keine Berührungsängste haben, empfehle ich auch noch zwei andere Arbeiten von Hee-Jin Kim: Dogen on Meditation and Thinking: His View on Zen, und Flowers of Emptiness: Selections From Dogen's Shobogenzo.

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Felipe
4.0 out of 5 stars Very good bookReviewed in Brazil on January 26, 2018
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A great book. However, it is very academic (not recommended for beginners). Complicated reading, which depends on a lot of attention, previous knowledge and frequent re-reading of previous excerpts. For those who like philosophical knowledge and analysis, recommended.
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Eihei Dogen: Mystical Realist
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Eihei Dogen: Mystical Realist
by Hee-Jin Kim, Taigen Dan Leighton (Foreword)
 4.26  ·   Rating details ·  65 ratings  ·  3 reviews
Eihei Dogen, the founder of the Japanese branch of the Soto Zen Buddhist school, is considered one of the world's most remarkable religious philosophers. Eihei Dogen: Mystical Realist is a comprehensive introduction to the genius of this brilliant thinker. This thirteenth-century figure has much to teach us all and the questions that drove him have always been at the heart of Buddhist practice.

At the age of seven, in 1207, Dogen lost his mother, who at her death earnestly asked him to become a monastic to seek the truth of Buddhism. We are told that in the midst of profound grief, Dogen experienced the impermanence of all things as he watched the incense smoke ascending at his mother's funeral service. This left an indelible impression upon the young Dogen; later, he would emphasize time and again the intimate relationship between the desire for enlightenment and the awareness of impermanence. His way of life would not be a sentimental flight from, but a compassionate understanding of, the intolerable reality of existence.

At age 13, Dogen received ordination at Mt. Hiei. And yet, a question arose: "As I study both the exoteric and the esoteric schools of Buddhism, they maintain that human beings are endowed with Dharma-nature by birth. If this is the case, why did the buddhas of all ages - undoubtedly in possession of enlightenment - find it necessary to seek enlightenment and engage in spiritual practice?" When it became clear that no one on Mt. Hiei could give a satisfactory answer to this spiritual problem, he sought elsewhere, eventually making the treacherous journey to China. This was the true beginning of a life of relentless questioning, practice, and teaching - an immensely inspiring contribution to the Buddhadharma.

As you might imagine, a book as ambitious as Eihei Dogen: Mystical Realist has to be both academically rigorous and eminently readable to succeed. Professor Hee-Jim Kim's work is indeed both. (less)
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Paperback, Third Edition, 368 pages
Published January 1st 2000 by Wisdom Publications
Original TitleEihei Dogen: Mystical Realist, Revised, Third Edition
ISBN0861713761  (ISBN13: 9780861713769)
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Henry
Jan 05, 2022Henry rated it really liked it
Zen Master Dōgen was one tripped out mf. Some parts were extremely difficult to comprehend. I'd say I understood like 40% of the book ngl. It was very wordy in parts.

It was worth the effort though...It's elucidated a lot of the underlying philosophy of Zen for me which I've found deeply rewarding. (less)
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R Strange
Aug 23, 2013R Strange rated it it was ok
Not recommended for casually curious readers. I've been slowly working on this one for months. You have to have some experience with the specific concerns of Zen to realize much interest in the role Dogen played as a reformer in Japan. This book is largely about Dogen's scholastic influence, and the context of his objections and simplifications. Though the author teases continually throughout the book that they are going to get around to discussing his poetry, fans of his elegant, beautiful verse, or people who have viewed the movie of his life of rambling for years on foot, or his stands against the warrior monasteries run by noble appointees, will be disappointed at how the book is strangely devoid of Dogen's finer moments as a mystic poet, instead preferring a dogmatic survey of his theoretical writings. The author of this book is a devoted student, but not a fellow poet, and definitely not a mystic. (less)
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Ed
May 30, 2013Ed rated it really liked it
There is really a lot of depth here, and spending time with it has enhanced my reading of Dogen's work in some foundational ways. But I would still love to see a non-academic overview of Dogen's life and work for the lay Zen practitioner. This is not the last time I plan to read this book. (less)
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2022/06/15

Dōgen - Wikipedia

Dōgen - Wikipedia

Dōgen

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Dōgen
Soto-Zen-Master-Dogen-Zenji-Portrait.png
TitleZen Master
Personal
Born26 January 1200
Died22 September 1253 (aged 53)
Kyoto, Japan
ReligionBuddhism
SchoolSōtō
Senior posting
PredecessorRujing

Dōgen Zenji (道元禅師; 26 January 1200 – 22 September 1253),[1][2] also known as Dōgen Kigen (道元希玄), Eihei Dōgen (永平道元), Kōso Jōyō Daishi (高祖承陽大師), or Busshō Dentō Kokushi (仏性伝東国師), was a Japanese Buddhist priestwriterpoetphilosopher, and founder of the Sōtō school of Zen in Japan.

Originally ordained as a monk in the Tendai School in Kyoto, he was ultimately dissatisfied with its teaching and traveled to China to seek out what he believed to be a more authentic Buddhism. He remained there for five years, finally training under Tiantong Rujing, an eminent teacher of the Chinese Caodong lineage. Upon his return to Japan, he began promoting the practice of zazen (sitting meditation) through literary works such as Fukan zazengi and Bendōwa.

He eventually broke relations completely with the powerful Tendai School, and, after several years of likely friction between himself and the establishment, left Kyoto for the mountainous countryside where he founded the monastery Eihei-ji, which remains the head temple of the Sōtō school today.

Dōgen is known for his extensive writing including his most famous work, the collection of 95 essays called the Shōbōgenzō, but also Eihei Kōroku, a collection of his talks, poetry, and commentaries, and Eihei Shingi, the first Zen monastic code written in Japan, among others.

Biography[edit]

Early life[edit]

Dōgen was probably born into a noble family, though as an illegitimate child of Minamoto Michitomo, who served in the imperial court as a high-ranking ashō (亞相, "Councillor of State").[3] His mother is said to have died when Dōgen was age 7.[4]

Early training[edit]

At some later point, Dōgen became a low-ranking monk on Mount Hiei, the headquarters of the Tendai school of Buddhism. According to the Kenzeiki (建撕記), he became possessed by a single question with regard to the Tendai doctrine:

As I study both the exoteric and the esoteric schools of Buddhism, they maintain that human beings are endowed with Dharma-nature by birth. If this is the case, why did the Buddhas of all ages — undoubtedly in possession of enlightenment — find it necessary to seek enlightenment and engage in spiritual practice?[5][6]

This question was, in large part, prompted by the Tendai concept of original enlightenment (本覚 hongaku), which states that all human beings are enlightened by nature and that, consequently, any notion of achieving enlightenment through practice is fundamentally flawed.[7]

The Kenzeiki further states that he found no answer to his question at Mount Hiei, and that he was disillusioned by the internal politics and need for social prominence for advancement.[3] Therefore, Dōgen left to seek an answer from other Buddhist masters. He went to visit Kōin, the Tendai abbot of Onjō-ji Temple (園城寺), asking him this same question. Kōin said that, in order to find an answer, he might want to consider studying Chán in China.[8] In 1217, two years after the death of contemporary Zen Buddhist Myōan Eisai, Dōgen went to study at Kennin-ji Temple (建仁寺), under Eisai's successor, Myōzen (明全).[3]

Travel to China[edit]

In 1223, Dōgen and Myōzen undertook the dangerous passage across the East China Sea to China to study in Jing-de-si (Ching-te-ssu, 景德寺) monastery as Eisai had once done.[citation needed]

In China, Dōgen first went to the leading Chan monasteries in Zhèjiāng province. At the time, most Chan teachers based their training around the use of gōng-àns (Japanese: kōan). Though Dōgen assiduously studied the kōans, he became disenchanted with the heavy emphasis laid upon them, and wondered why the sutras were not studied more. At one point, owing to this disenchantment, Dōgen even refused Dharma transmission from a teacher.[9] Then, in 1225, he decided to visit a master named Rújìng (如淨; J. Nyōjo), the thirteenth patriarch of the Cáodòng (J. Sōtō) lineage of Zen Buddhism, at Mount Tiāntóng (天童山 Tiāntóngshān; J. Tendōzan) in Níngbō. Rujing was reputed to have a style of Chan that was different from the other masters whom Dōgen had thus far encountered. In later writings, Dōgen referred to Rujing as "the Old Buddha". Additionally he affectionately described both Rujing and Myōzen as senshi (先師, "Ancient Teacher").[3]

Under Rujing, Dōgen realized liberation of body and mind upon hearing the master say, "Cast off body and mind" (身心脱落 shēn xīn tuō luò). This phrase would continue to have great importance to Dōgen throughout his life, and can be found scattered throughout his writings, as—for example—in a famous section of his "Genjōkōan" (現成公案):

To study the Way is to study the Self. To study the Self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be enlightened by all things of the universe. To be enlightened by all things of the universe is to cast off the body and mind of the self as well as those of others. Even the traces of enlightenment are wiped out, and life with traceless enlightenment goes on forever and ever.[10]

Myōzen died shortly after Dōgen arrived at Mount Tiantong. In 1227,[11] Dōgen received Dharma transmission and inka from Rujing, and remarked on how he had finally settled his "life's quest of the great matter".[12]

Return to Japan[edit]

Dōgen watching the moon. Hōkyōji monastery, Fukui prefecture, circa 1250.

Dōgen returned to Japan in 1227 or 1228, going back to stay at Kennin-ji, where he had trained previously.[3] Among his first actions upon returning was to write down the Fukan Zazengi[13] (普観坐禅儀; "Universally Recommended Instructions for Zazen"), a short text emphasizing the importance of and giving instructions for zazen, or sitting meditation.[14]

However, tension soon arose as the Tendai community began taking steps to suppress both Zen and Jōdo Shinshū, the new forms of Buddhism in Japan. In the face of this tension, Dōgen left the Tendai dominion of Kyōto in 1230, settling instead in an abandoned temple in what is today the city of Uji, south of Kyōto.[15] In 1233, Dōgen founded the Kannon-dōri-in[16] in Fukakusa as a small center of practice. He later expanded this temple into Kōshōhōrin-ji (興聖法林寺).[17]

Eihei-ji[edit]

In 1243, Hatano Yoshishige (波多野義重) offered to relocate Dōgen's community to Echizen province, far to the north of Kyōto. Dōgen accepted because of the ongoing tension with the Tendai community, and the growing competition of the Rinzai-school.[18]

His followers built a comprehensive center of practice there, calling it Daibutsu Temple (Daibutsu-ji, 大仏寺). While the construction work was going on, Dōgen would live and teach at Yoshimine-dera Temple (Kippō-ji, 吉峯寺), which is located close to Daibutsu-ji. During his stay at Kippō-ji, Dōgen "fell into a depression".[18] It marked a turning point in his life, giving way to "rigorous critique of Rinzai Zen".[18] He criticized Dahui Zonggao, the most influential figure of Song Dynasty Chán.[19]

In 1246, Dōgen renamed Daibutsu-ji, calling it Eihei-ji.[20] This temple remains one of the two head temples of Sōtō Zen in Japan today, the other being Sōji-ji.[21]

Dōgen spent the remainder of his life teaching and writing at Eihei-ji. In 1247, the newly installed shōgun's regentHōjō Tokiyori, invited Dōgen to come to Kamakura to teach him. Dōgen made the rather long journey east to provide the shōgun with lay ordination, and then returned to Eihei-ji in 1248. In the autumn of 1252, Dōgen fell ill, and soon showed no signs of recovering. He presented his robes to his main apprentice, Koun Ejō (孤雲懐弉), making him the abbot of Eihei-ji.[citation needed]

Death[edit]

At Hatano Yoshishige's invitation, Dōgen left for Kyōto in search of a remedy for his illness. In 1253, soon after arriving in Kyōto, Dōgen died. Shortly before his death, he had written a death poem:

Fifty-four years lighting up the sky.
A quivering leap smashes a billion worlds.
Hah!
Entire body looks for nothing.
Living, I plunge into Yellow Springs.[22]

Miraculous events and auspicious signs[edit]

Several "miraculous experiences"[23] and "auspicious signs"[24] have been recorded in Dōgen's life,[23][25][26][note 1] some of them quite famous.[28][26] According to Bodiford, "Monks and laymen recorded these events as testaments to his great mystical power," which "helped confirm the legacy of Dōgen's teachings against competing claims made by members of the Buddhist establishment and other outcast groups." Bodiford further notes that the "magical events at Eiheiji helped identify the temple as a cultic center," putting it at a par with other temples where supernatural events occurred.[23] According to Faure, for Dōgen these auspicious signs were proof that "Eiheiji was the only place in Japan where the Buddhist Dharma was transmitted correctly and that this monastery was thus rivaled by no other."[32]

In Menzan Zuihō's well-known 1753 edition of Dōgen's biography, it records that while traveling in China with his companion Dōshō, Dōgen became very ill, and a deity appeared before him who gave him medicine which instantly healed him:[26]

Dōgen fell gravely ill on his way back from China but had no medicines that could be of use. Suddenly, an immortal appeared and gave Dōgen a herbal pill, after which he immediately became better. The master asked this deity to reveal its identity. The mysterious figure replied, “I am the Japanese kami Inari” and disappeared. The medicine became known as Gedokugan, which has been ever since been part of the Dōshō family heritage [...] Dōgen then told Dōshō that this rare and wondrous medicine had been bestowed on him by a true kami for the protection of the great Dharma, [and that] this medicine of many benefits should be distributed to temples so that they might spread the Dharma heritage.[26]

This medicine, which later became known as Gedokuen or "Poison-Dispelling Pill" was then produced by the Sōtō church until the Meiji Era, and was commonly sold nationwide as an herbal medicine,[33] and became a source of income for the Sōtō church.[26][33]

The statue memorializing Dōgen's vision of Avalokiteshvara at a pond in Eihei-ji, Japan.

Another famous incident happened when he was returning to Japan from China. The ship he was on was caught in a storm. In this instance, the storm became so severe, that the crew feared the ship would sink and kill them all. Dōgen then began leading the crew in recitation of chants to Kannon (Avalokiteshwara), during which, the Bodhisattva appeared before him, and several of the crew saw her as well.[27] After the vision appeared, the storm began to calm down, and consensus of those aboard was that they had been saved due to the intervention of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshwara.[27] This story is repeated in official works sponsored by the Sōtō Shū Head Office[28][27] and there is even a sculpture of the event in a water treatment pond in Eihei-ji Temple.[27][30] Additionally, there is a 14th-century copy of a painting of the same Kannon, that was supposedly commissioned by Dōgen, that includes a piece of calligraphy that is possibly an original in Dōgen's own hand, recording his gratitude to Avalokiteshwara:

From the single blossom five leaves uncurled: Upon one single leaf a Tathagata stood alone. Her vow to harmonize our lives is ocean deep, As we spin on and on, shouldering our deeds of right and wrong. –written by the mendicant monk Dōgen, September 26, 1242.[34][27]

Another miraculous event occurred, while Dōgen was at Eihei-ji. During a ceremony of gratitude for the 16 Celestial Arahants (called Rakan in Japanese), a vision of 16 Arahants appeared before Dōgen descending upon a multi-colored cloud,[27] and the statues of the Arahants that were present at the event began to emanate rays of light,[35] to which Dōgen then exclaimed:

The Rakans caused to appear felicitous flowers, exceedingly wonderful and beautiful[29]

Dōgen was profoundly moved by the entire experience, and took it as an auspicious sign that the offerings of the ceremony had been accepted.[25] In his writings he wrote:

As for other examples of the appearance of auspicious signs, apart from [the case of] the rock bridge of Mount Tiantai, [in the province] of Taizhou, in the great kingdom of the Song, nowhere else to my knowledge has there been one to compare with this one. But on this mountain [Kichijōsan, the location of Eiheiji] many apparitions have already happened. This is truly a very auspicious sign showing that, in their deep compassion, [the Arahats] are protecting the men and the Dharma of this mountain. This is why it appeared to me.” [24][31]

Dōgen is also recorded to have had multiple encounters with non-human beings.[36][26][25] Aside from his encounter with the kami Inari in China, in the Denkōrou it is recorded that while at Kōshō-ji, he was also visited by a deva who came to observe during certain ceremonies, as well as a dragon who visited him at Eihei-Ji and requested to be given the eight abstinence Precepts:[36]

When he was at Kōshō-ji a deva used to come to hear the Precepts and join in as an observer at the twice-monthly renewal of Bodhisattva vows. At Eihei-ji a divine dragon showed up requesting the eight Precepts of abstinence and asking to be included among the daily transfers of merit. Because of this Dōgen wrote out the eight Precepts every day and offered the merit thereof to the dragon. Up to this very day this practice has not been neglected.[36]

Teachings[edit]

Zazen[edit]

Dōgen often stressed the critical importance of zazen, or sitting meditation as the central practice of Buddhism. He considered zazen to be identical to studying Zen. This is pointed out clearly in the first sentence of the 1243 instruction manual "Zazen-gi" (坐禪儀; "Principles of Zazen"): "Studying Zen ... is zazen".[37] Dōgen taught zazen to everyone, even for the laity, male or female and including all social classes.[38] In referring to zazen, Dōgen is most often referring specifically to shikantaza, roughly translatable as "nothing but precisely sitting", or "just sitting," which is a kind of sitting meditation in which the meditator sits "in a state of brightly alert attention that is free of thoughts, directed to no object, and attached to no particular content".[39] In his Fukan Zazengi, Dōgen wrote:

For zazen, a quiet room is suitable. Eat and drink moderately. Cast aside all involvements and cease all affairs. Do not think good or bad. Do not administer pros and cons. Cease all the movements of the conscious mind, the gauging of all thoughts and views. Have no designs on becoming a Buddha. Zazen has nothing whatever to do with sitting or lying down.[40]

Dōgen called this zazen practice "without thinking" (hi-shiryo) in which one is simply aware of things as they are, beyond thinking and not-thinking - the active effort not to think.

The correct mental attitude for zazen according to Dōgen is one of effortless non-striving, this is because for Dōgen, enlightenment is already always present.

Further, Dōgen frequently distanced himself from more syncretic Buddhist practices at the time, including those of his contemporary Eisai. In the Bendowa, Dōgen writes:[41]

Commitment to Zen is casting off body and mind. You have no need for incense offerings, homage praying, nembutsu, penance disciplines, or silent sutra readings; just sit single-mindedly.

Oneness of practice-enlightenment[edit]

The primary concept underlying Dōgen's Zen practice is "oneness of practice-enlightenment" (修證一如 shushō-ittō / shushō-ichinyo).

For Dōgen, the practice of zazen and the experience of enlightenment were one and the same. This point was succinctly stressed by Dōgen in the Fukan Zazengi, the first text that he composed upon his return to Japan from China:

To practice the Way singleheartedly is, in itself, enlightenment. There is no gap between practice and enlightenment or zazen and daily life.[42]

Earlier in the same text, the basis of this identity is explained in more detail:

Zazen is not "step-by-step meditation". Rather it is simply the easy and pleasant practice of a Buddha, the realization of the Buddha's Wisdom. The Truth appears, there being no delusion. If you understand this, you are completely free, like a dragon that has obtained water or a tiger that reclines on a mountain. The supreme Law will then appear of itself, and you will be free of weariness and confusion.[43]

The "oneness of practice-enlightenment" was also a point stressed in the Bendōwa (弁道話 "A Talk on the Endeavor of the Path") of 1231:

Thinking that practice and enlightenment are not one is no more than a view that is outside the Way. In buddha-dharma [i.e. Buddhism], practice and enlightenment are one and the same. Because it is the practice of enlightenment, a beginner's wholehearted practice of the Way is exactly the totality of original enlightenment. For this reason, in conveying the essential attitude for practice, it is taught not to wait for enlightenment outside practice.[44]

Buddha-nature[edit]

For Dōgen, Buddha-nature or Busshō (佛性) is the nature of reality and all Being. In the Shōbōgenzō, Dōgen writes that "whole-being is the Buddha-nature" and that even inanimate objects (rocks, sand, water) are an expression of Buddha-nature. He rejected any view that saw Buddha-nature as a permanent, substantial inner self or ground. Dōgen held that Buddha-nature was "vast emptiness", "the world of becoming" and that "impermanence is in itself Buddha-nature".[45] According to Dōgen:

Therefore, the very impermanency of grass and tree, thicket and forest is the Buddha nature. The very impermanency of men and things, body and mind, is the Buddha nature. Nature and lands, mountains and rivers, are impermanent because they are the Buddha nature. Supreme and complete enlightenment, because it is impermanent, is the Buddha nature.[46]

Time-Being[edit]

Dōgen's conception of Being-Time or Time-Being (Uji, 有時) is an essential element of his metaphysics in the Shōbōgenzō. According to the traditional interpretation, "Uji" here means time itself is being, and all being is time."[47] Uji is all the changing and dynamic activities that exist as the flow of becoming, all beings in the entire world are time.[48] The two terms are thus spoken of concurrently to emphasize that the things are not to be viewed as separate concepts. Moreover, the aim is to not abstract time and being as rational concepts. This view has been developed by scholars such as Steven Heine,[49] Joan Stambaugh[50] and others and has served as a motivation to compare Dōgen's work to that of Martin Heidegger's "Dasein".[citation needed] Recently, however, Rein Raud has argued that this view is not correct and that Dōgen asserts that all existence is momentary, showing that such a reading would make quite a few of the rather cryptic passages in the Shōbōgenzō quite lucid.[51]

Perfect expression[edit]

Another essential element of Dōgen's 'performative' metaphysics is his conception of Perfect expression (Dōtoku, 道得).[52] "While a radically critical view on language as soteriologically inefficient, if not positively harmful, is what Zen Buddhism is famous for,"[53] it[clarification needed] can be argued "'within the framework of a rational theory of language, against an obscurantist interpretation of Zen that time and again invokes experience.'"[54] Dōgen distinguishes two types of language: monji 文字, the first, – after Ernst Cassirer – "discursive type that constantly structures our experiences and—more fundamentally—in fact produces the world we experience in the first place"; and dōtoku 道得, the second, "presentative type, which takes a holistic stance and establishes the totality of significations through a texture of relations.".[55] As Döll points out, "It is this second type, as Müller holds, that allows for a positive view of language even from the radically skeptical perspective of Dōgen’s brand of Zen Buddhism."[53]

Critique of Rinzai[edit]

Dōgen was sometimes critical of the Rinzai school for their formulaic and intellectual koan practice (such as the practice of the Shiryoken or "Four Discernments")[56] as well as for their disregard for the sutras:

Recently in the great Sung dynasty of China there are many who call themselves "Zen masters". They do not know the length and breadth of the Buddha-Dharma. They have heard and seen but little. They memorize two or three sayings of Lin Chi and Yun Men and think this is the whole way of the Buddha-Dharma. If the Dharma of the Buddha could be condensed in two or three sayings of Lin Chi and Yun Men, it would not have been transmitted to the present day. One can hardly say that Lin Chi and Yun Men are the Venerable ones of the Buddha-Dharma.[56]

Dōgen was also very critical of the Japanese Daruma school of Dainichi Nōnin.[citation needed]

Virtues[edit]

Dogen's perspective of virtue is discussed in the Shōbōgenzō text as something to be practiced inwardly so that it will manifest itself on the outside. In other words, virtue is something that is both internal and external in the sense that one can practice internal good dispositions and also the expression of these good dispositions.[57]

Writings[edit]

Universally Recommended Instructions for Zazen (普勧坐禅儀, fukan zazengi)

While it was customary for Buddhist works to be written in Chinese, Dōgen often wrote in Japanese, conveying the essence of his thought in a style that was at once concise, compelling, and inspiring. A master stylist, Dōgen is noted not only for his prose, but also for his poetry (in Japanese waka style and various Chinese styles). Dōgen's use of language is unconventional by any measure. According to Dōgen scholar Steven Heine: "Dogen's poetic and philosophical works are characterized by a continual effort to express the inexpressible by perfecting imperfectable speech through the creative use of wordplay, neologism, and lyricism, as well as the recasting of traditional expressions".[58]

Shōbōgenzō[edit]

Dōgen's masterpiece is the Shōbōgenzō, talks and writings collected together in ninety-five fascicles. The topics range from monastic practice, to the equality of women and men, to the philosophy of language, being, and time. In the work, as in his own life, Dōgen emphasized the absolute primacy of shikantaza and the inseparability of practice and enlightenment.[citation needed]

Shinji Shōbōgenzō[edit]

Dōgen also compiled a collection of 301 koans in Chinese without commentaries added. Often called the Shinji Shōbōgenzō (shinji: "original or true characters" and shōbōgenzō, variously translated as "the right-dharma-eye treasury" or "Treasury of the Eye of the True Dharma"). The collection is also known as the Shōbōgenzō Sanbyakusoku (The Three Hundred Verse Shōbōgenzō") and the Mana Shōbōgenzō, where mana is an alternative reading of shinji. The exact date the book was written is in dispute but Nishijima believes that Dogen may well have begun compiling the koan collection before his trip to China.[59] Although these stories are commonly referred to as kōans, Dōgen referred to them as kosoku (ancestral criteria) or innen (circumstances and causes or results, of a story). The word kōan for Dogen meant "absolute reality" or the "universal Dharma".[60]

Eihei Kōroku, Shōbōgenzō Zuimonki[edit]

Lectures that Dōgen gave to his monks at his monastery, Eihei-ji, were compiled under the title Eihei Kōroku, also known as Dōgen Oshō Kōroku (The Extensive Record of Teacher Dōgen's Sayings) in ten volumes. The sermons, lectures, sayings and poetry were compiled shortly after Dōgen's death by his main disciples, Koun Ejō (孤雲懐奘, 1198–1280), Senne, and Gien. There are three different editions of this text: the Rinnō-ji text from 1598, a popular version printed in 1672, and a version discovered at Eihei-ji in 1937, which, although undated, is believed to be the oldest extant version.[61] Another collection of his talks is the Shōbōgenzō Zuimonki (Gleanings from Master Dōgen's Sayings) in six volumes. These are talks that Dōgen gave to his leading disciple, Ejō, who became Dōgen's disciple in 1234. The talks were recorded and edited by Ejō.

Hōkojōki[edit]

The earliest work by Dōgen is the Hōkojōki (Memoirs of the Hōkyō Period). This one volume work is a collection of questions and answers between Dōgen and his Chinese teacher, Tiāntóng Rújìng (天童如淨; Japanese: Tendō Nyojō, 1162–1228). The work was discovered among Dōgen's papers by Ejō in 1253, just three months after Dōgen's death.[citation needed]

Other writings[edit]

Other notable writings of Dōgen are:

  • Fukan-zazengi (普勧坐禅儀, General Advice on the Principles of Zazen), one volume; probably written immediately after Dōgen's return from China in 1227.
  • Bendōwa (弁道話, "On the Endeavor of the Way"), written in 1231. This represents one of Dōgen's earliest writings and asserts the superiority of the practice of shikantaza through a series of questions and answers.
  • Eihei shoso gakudō-yōjinshū (Advice on Studying the Way), one volume; probably written in 1234.
  • Tenzo kyōkun (Instructions to the Chief Cook), one volume; written in 1237.
  • Bendōhō (Rules for the Practice of the Way), one volume; written between 1244 and 1246.

Source:[62]

Shushō-gi[edit]

The concept of oneness of practice-enlightenment is considered so fundamental to Dōgen's variety of Zen — and, consequently, to the Sōtō school as a whole — that it formed the basis for the work Shushō-gi (修證儀), which was compiled in 1890 by Takiya Takushū (滝谷卓洲) of Eihei-ji and Azegami Baisen (畔上楳仙) of Sōji-ji as an introductory and prescriptive abstract of Dōgen's massive work, the Shōbōgenzō ("Treasury of the Eye of the True Dharma").[citation needed]

Lineage[edit]

Though Dogen emphasised the importance of the correct transmission of the Buddha dharma, as guaranteed by the line of transmission from Shakyamuni, his own transmission became problematic in the third generation. In 1267 Ejō retired as Abbot of Eihei-ji, giving way to Gikai, who was already favored by Dōgen. Gikai introduced esoteric elements into the practice. Opposition arose, and in 1272 Ejō resumed the position of abbot. Following Ejō's death in 1280, Gikai became abbot again, strengthened by the support of the military for magical practices.[63] Opposition arose again, and Gikai was forced to leave Eihei-ji. He was succeeded by Gien, who was first trained in the Daruma-school of Nōnin. His supporters designated him as the third abbot, rejecting the legitimacy of Gien.

Jakuen, a student of Rujing, who traced his lineage "directly back the Zen of the Song period",[64] established Hōkyō-ji, where a strict style of Zen was practised. Students of his played a role in the conflict between Giin and Gikai.

A notable successor of Dogen was Keizan (瑩山; 1268–1325), founder of Sōji-ji Temple and author of the Record of the Transmission of Light (傳光錄 Denkōroku), which traces the succession of Zen masters from Siddhārtha Gautama up to Keizan's own day. Together, Dōgen and Keizan are regarded as the founders of the Sōtō school in Japan.

See also[edit]

  • Zen - 2009 Japanese biopic about the life of Dōgen

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Dōgen at the Encyclopædia Britannica
  2. ^ Bodiford, William M. (2006). "Remembering Dōgen: Eiheiji and Dōgen Hagiography"The Journal of Japanese Studies32 (1): 1–21.
  3. Jump up to:a b c d e Bodiford (2008), pp. 22–36
  4. ^ Kim (2004), p. 19
  5. ^ Bodiford (2008), p. 22
  6. ^ Ōkubo (1966), p. 80
  7. ^ Abe (1992), pp. 19–20
  8. ^ Tanahashi 4
  9. ^ Tanahashi p.5
  10. ^ Kim (2004), p. 125
  11. ^ Tanahashi 6
  12. ^ Tanahashi (2005), p. 144
  13. ^ "Fukan zazengi" (PDF)www.stanford.edu.
  14. ^ Kim (2004), p. 38-40
  15. ^ Tanahashi 39
  16. ^ Tanahashi 7
  17. ^ Kim (2004), p. 40
  18. Jump up to:a b c Dumoulin (2005b), p. 62
  19. ^ McRae (2003), p. 123
  20. ^ Kim (2004), p. 47
  21. ^ "Touring Venerable Temples of Soto Zen Buddhism in Japan Plan". SotoZen-Net. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  22. ^ Quoted in Tanahashi, 219
  23. Jump up to:a b c Bodiford 2008, p. 32.
  24. Jump up to:a b Faure 2000, p. 92.
  25. Jump up to:a b c Faure 2000.
  26. Jump up to:a b c d e f Williams 2005.
  27. Jump up to:a b c d e f g MacPhillamy 1997.
  28. Jump up to:a b c Kato 1994.
  29. Jump up to:a b DeVisser 1923.
  30. Jump up to:a b Eihei-ji Temple Staff 1994.
  31. Jump up to:a b Dōshū & 1969-70.
  32. ^ Faure 2000, p. 93.
  33. Jump up to:a b Williams 1998.
  34. ^ Ishida 1964.
  35. ^ Bodiford 2008.
  36. Jump up to:a b c Jōkin 2001.
  37. ^ Principles of Zazen Archived 16 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine; tr. Bielefeldt, Carl.
  38. ^ Dumoulin (2005b), Section 2, "Dogen" pp. 51-119
  39. ^ Kohn (1991), pp. 196–197
  40. ^ "Fukanzazengi: Universally Recommended Instructions for Zazen" (PDF). Zen Heart Sangha.
  41. ^ collcutt, Martin (1996). Five Mountains: The Rinzai Zen Monastic Institution in Medieval Japan. Harvard University Asia Center. pp. 49–50. ISBN 978-0674304987.
  42. ^ Yukoi 47
  43. ^ Yukoi 46
  44. ^ Okumura (1997), p. 30
  45. ^ Dumoulin 82, 85
  46. ^ Dumoulin 85
  47. ^ "Uji: The Time-Being by Eihei Dogen" Translated by Dan Welch and Kazuaki Tanahashi from: The Moon in a Dewdrop; writings of Zen Master Dogen
  48. ^ Dumoulin 89
  49. ^ Existential and Ontological Dimensions of Time in Heidegger and Dogen, SUNY Press, Albany 1985
  50. ^ Impermanence is Buddha-Nature: Dogen's Understanding of Temporality, University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu 1990
  51. ^ Raud, Rein. "The Existential Moment: Re-reading Dōgen's theory of time". Philosophy East and West, vol.62 No.2, April 2012
  52. ^ Cf. Kim (2004) and more systematically based on a theory of symbols Müller (2013); reviewed by Steffen Döll in Philosophy East & West Volume 65, Number 2 April 2015 636–639.
  53. Jump up to:a b Döll (2015), p. 637
  54. ^ Müller (2013), p. 25 cited after Döll (2015), p. 637
  55. ^ Döll (2015), 637, cf. Müller (2013), p. 231.
  56. Jump up to:a b Dumoulin 65
  57. ^ Mikkelson, Douglas (2006). "Toward a Description of Dogen's Moral Virtues". Journal of Religious Ethics34 (2): 225–251. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9795.2006.00267.x.
  58. ^ Heine (1997), p. 67
  59. ^ Nishijima (2003), p. i
  60. ^ Yasutani (1996), p. 8
  61. ^ Kim (1987), pp. 236–237
  62. ^ See Kim (1987), Appendix B, pp. 243–247, for a more complete list of Dōgen's major writings.
  63. ^ Dumoulin (2005b), p. 135
  64. ^ Dumoulin (2005b), p. 138

Sources[edit]

  • Abe, Masao (1992). Heine, Steven (ed.). A Study of Dōgen: His Philosophy and Religion. Albany, NY: SUNY Press. ISBN 978-0-7914-0838-4.
  • Bodiford, William M. (2008). Soto Zen in Medieval Japan (Studies in East Asian Buddhism). University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-3303-9.
  • Cleary, Thomas. Rational Zen: The Mind of Dogen Zenji. Boston: Shambhala Publications, Inc., 1992. ISBN 0-87773-973-0.
  • DeVisser, M. W. (1923), The Arhats in China and Japan, Berlin: Oesterheld
  • Dumoulin, Heinrich (2005a). Zen Buddhism: A History. Volume 1: India and China. World Wisdom Books. ISBN 9780941532891.
  • Dumoulin, Heinrich (2005b). Zen Buddhism: A History. Volume 2: Japan. World Wisdom Books. ISBN 9780941532907.
  • Dōshū, Ōkubo (1969–70), Dōgen Zenji Zenshū (2 ed.), Tokyo: Chikuma Shobō
  • Eihei-ji Temple Staff (1994), Sanshō, the Magazine of Eihei-ji Temple, vol. November, Fukui, Japan: Eihei-ji Temple Press
  • Faure, Bernard (2000), Visions of Power. Imaging Medieval Japanese Buddhism, Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press
  • Dogen. The Heart of Dogen's Shobogenzo. Tr. Waddell, Norman and Abe, Masao. Albany: SUNY Press, 2002. ISBN 0-7914-5242-5.
  • Heine, Steven (1994). Dogen and the Koan Tradition: a Tale of Two Shobogenzo Texts. Albany, NY: SUNY Press. ISBN 978-0-7914-1773-7.
  • Heine, Steven (1997). The Zen Poetry of Dogen: Verses from the Mountain of Eternal Peace. Boston, MA: Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 978-0-8048-3107-9.
  • Heine, Steven (2006). Did Dogen Go to China? What He Wrote and When He Wrote It. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-530592-0.
  • Ishida, M (1964), Japanese Buddhist Prints, translated by Nearman, Hubert, New York: Abrams
  • Kato, K (1994), "The Life of Zen Master Dōgen (Illustrated)", Zen Fountains, Taishōji Sōtō Mission, Hilo, Hawaii, by permission of the Sōtōshū Shūmuchō, Tokyo
  • Kim, Hee-jin (2004) [1975, 1980, 1987]. Eihei Dogen, Mystical Realist. Wisdom Publications. ISBN 978-0-86171-376-9.
  • Kohn, Michael H. (1991). The Shambhala Dictionary of Buddhism and Zen. Boston, MA: Shambhala Publications. ISBN 978-0-87773-520-5.
  • LaFleur, William R.; ed. Dogen Studies. The Kuroda Institute, 1985. ISBN 0-8248-1011-2.
  • MacPhillamy, Daizui; Roberson, Zenshō; Benson, Kōten; Nearman, Hubert (1997), "YUME: Visionary Experience in the Lives of Great Masters Dōgen and Keizan", The Journal of the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives12 (2)
  • Leighton, Taigen DanVisions of Awakening Space and Time: Dogen and the Lotus Sutra. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007. ISBN 978-0-19-538337-9.
  • Leighton, Taigen DanZen Questions: Zazen, Dogen and the Spirit of Creative Inquiry. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2011. ISBN 978-0-86171-645-6.
  • Leighton, Taigen DanOkumura, Shohaku; tr. Dogen's Extensive Record: A Translation of the Eihei Koroku. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2010. ISBN 978-0-86171-670-8.
  • Leighton, Taigen DanDogen's Pure Standards for the Zen Community: A Translation of Eihei Shingi. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1996. ISBN 0-7914-2710-2.
  • Masunaga, Reiho. A Primer of Soto Zen. University of Hawaii: East-West Center Press, 1978. ISBN 0-7100-8919-8.
  • McRae, John (2003). Seeing Through Zen. Encounter, Transformation, and Genealogy in Chinese Chan Buddhism. The University Press Group Ltd. ISBN 9780520237988.
  • Müller, Ralf (2013). Dōgens Sprachdenken: Historische und symboltheoretische Perspektiven [Dōgen's Language Thinking: Systematic Perspectives from History and the Theory of Symbols] (Welten der Philosophie [Worlds of Philosophy]). Freiburg: Verlag Karl Alber. ISBN 9783495486108.
  • Okumura, ShohakuLeighton, Taigen Daniel; et al.; tr. The Wholehearted Way: A Translation of Eihei Dogen's Bendowa with Commentary. Boston: Tuttle Publishing, 1997. ISBN 0-8048-3105-X.
  • Ōkubo, Dōshū (1966). Dōgen Zenji-den no kenkyū [道元禅師伝の研究]. Chikuma shobō.
  • Nishijima, Gudo (2003). M. Luetchford; J. Peasons (eds.). Master Dōgen's Shinji Shobogenzo, 301 Koan Stories. Windbell.
  • Nishijima, Gudo & Cross, Chodo; tr. 'Master Dogen's Shobogenzo' in 4 volumes. Windbell Publications, 1994. ISBN 0-9523002-1-4 and Shōbōgenzō, Vol. 1-4, Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, Berkeley 2007-2008, ISBN 978-1-886439-35-1, 978-1-886439-36-8, 978-1-886-439-37-5, 978-1-886439-38-2 PDF
  • Tanahashi, Kazuaki; ed. Moon In a Dewdrop: Writings of Zen Master Dogen. New York: North Point Press, 1997. ISBN 0-86547-186-X.
  • Tanahashi, Kazuaki (tr.); Loori, Daido (comm.) (2011). The True Dharma EyeShambhala PublicationsISBN 978-1590304747.
  • Williams, Duncan (1998), "Temples, Pharmacies, Traveling Salesmen, and Pilgrims: Buddhist Production and Distribution of Medicine in Edo Japan", Japanese Religion Bulletin Supplement, New Series, 23 (February)
  • Williams, Duncan Ryūken (2005), The Other Side of Zen: A Social History of Sōtō Zen Buddhism in Tokugawa Japan, Princeton University Press
  • Yokoi, Yūhō and Victoria, Daizen; tr. ed. Zen Master Dōgen: An Introduction with Selected Writings. New York: Weatherhill Inc., 1990. ISBN 0-8348-0116-7.
  • Yasutani, Hakuun (1996). Flowers Fall: a Commentary on Zen Master Dōgen's Genjokoan. Boston, MA: Shambhala Publications. ISBN 978-1-57062-103-1.

External links[edit]


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Zen (2009 film)

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Zen 禅
Directed byBanmei Takahashi
Screenplay byBanmei Takahashi
Based onA novel by Tetsuo Ōtani
StarringNakamura Kantarō II
Yuki Uchida
Edited byJunichi Kikuchi
Music byRyudo Uzaki
Production
company
Release date
2009
Running time
2h 7m
CountryJapan
LanguageJapanese language

Zen () is a 2009 film directed by Banmei Takahashi and starring Nakamura Kantarō II as Dogen, and Yuki Uchida as Orin.[1][2] The story is based on the novel Eihei no kaze: Dōgen no shōgai written by Tetsuo Ōtani in 2001.[3]

The film is a biography of Dōgen Zenji, a Japanese Zen Buddhist teacher. After travelling to China to study, Dogen founded the Sōtō school of Zen in JapanThe Buddhist Film Foundation described it as "a poignant, in-depth, reverent and surprisingly moving portrait of Eihei Dogen."[4]

Reception[edit]

Russell Edwards of Variety described it as "The origins of a spiritual tradition are depicted with prerequisite solemnity and a pleasing veneer of arthouse showmanship."[5] Mark Schilling, writing for The Japan Times, gave the film three and a half stars and described it as a "rare serious film about this form of Buddhism, which has had a huge cultural influence but is little understood — let alone practiced — by ordinary Japanese."[6]

Release[edit]

The film premiered in Japan in 2009. The following year, it had its US debut at the International Buddhist Film Festival.[7] The film was released on DVD and includes a short documentary entitled The Zen of Dogen with Kazuaki Tanahashi.[8]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Zen - Reviews, Movie Trailers, Cast & Crew. Movies at Film.com". Retrieved 27 July 2010.
  2. ^ Ouellette, Kevin (15 May 2009). "DVD release - Zen (Amuse Soft Entertainment) available on 6/25/2009". Nippon Cinema. Retrieved 27 July 2010.
  3. ^ Giuliano Tani (2018). Cinestoria del Giappone : il Sol Levante attraverso i suoi film. Kappalab, 2018. ISBN 9788885457102.
  4. ^ "Zen"The Buddhist Film Foundation. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  5. ^ "Zen"Variety. January 25, 2009. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  6. ^ "Zen"The Japan Times. January 16, 2009. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  7. ^ "IBFF Showcase 2010"The Buddhist Film Foundation. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  8. ^ "New Film Zen, Now on DVD"The Buddhist Film Foundation. Retrieved September 23, 2015.

External links[edit]



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