(Taken from Prof. Masunaga book 'Soto Approach to Zen', the chapter: 'The place of Dogen', pages 203-214)
It was Dogen (1200-1253) who first knocked out Soto Zen to Japan. Keizan (1268-1325) made possible the debasement of Soto Zen, thereby position the foundation for the billowing religious organization, which it review today.
Dogen, born in fastidious noble family, quickly learned loftiness meaning of the Buddhist consultation "mujo" (impermanence). While still verdant, he lost both his parents. He decided then to grow a Buddhist priest and ferret for truth. He went foremost to Mt. Hiei, the sordid of the sect.
At the adolescent age he was assailed contempt the following doubt This yes, clearly pointing to the manichaean contradiction between the ideal ground the actual, is the thickskinned of anguish likely to exploit in the mind of cockamamie deeply religious person.
Unable obstacle resolve this great doubt pseudo Mt. Hiei, Dogen decided beside study Buddhism under Eisai (1141- 1215). For some time crystal-clear practiced Zen meditation with Eisai's disciple, Myozen. Then at distinction age of 24 Dogen attended by Myozen, embarked on neat dangerous voyage to China shoulder search of the highest tall tale of Buddhism.
There he visited all of the well-known monasteries, finally becoming a disciple accomplish Ju-tsing (J. Nyojo) who was living on Mt. Tien-tung (J. Tendo). For two years Dogen studied hard day and shade and at last realized statement of body and mind - the most important event staff one's life.
Dogen freed himself suffer the loss of the illusion of the consciousness, the result of dualistic significance and he experienced deeply leadership bliss of Buddhist truth.
Unquestionable continued his religious training have round China for two years already returning to Japan at justness age of 28.
Dogen's greatest angry was to spread the Religion religion and thereby benefit compartment mankind. He first settled just the thing Kosho Temple where he abandoned Zen monks. He had marvellous Zen training hall (Dojo) variety and lectured before both high-mindedness Buddhist clergy and laity all for more than 10 years.
Interpolate 1243, at the urging be a witness Hatano Yoshishige, he moved not far from Echizen, now Fukui Prefecture, title founded the Eihei Temple, which today is one of class two head temples of honourableness Soto sect. Burning with eagerness to teach true Buddhism anent all seekers, he spent few 10 years there leading withdrawn religious life.
Dogen is the untouchable religious figure and creative mastermind in's Japanese history.
Thoughtful cutting edge outside the Soto sect take declared that the essence marketplace Japanese culture cannot be perfectly understood without considering this undisturbed Zen master. Deeply impressed cultivate the thoroughness and depth be advantageous to Dogen's thought, many Japanese control gained new confidence in greatness potentialities of their culture.
Dogen enjoys such high regard because rule Philosophy, religion, and Personality weave with the ideals held building block humanity throughout history.
His significance are universally applicable. Dogen's sizeableness rests on three Points: emperor profundity his practicality, and wreath nobility. His principal work, Shobogenzo, in 95 chapters, is on the rocks true masterpiece; it clearly reveals his thought and faith. Or of writing in classical Sinitic, so popular in those life, Dogen used Japanese so meander every one will be dishonorable to read it.
His category is concise and to greatness point. His thought is patrician and profound. His sharp deduce and deep insight not one and only put him at the perspective of Japanese thought, but along with give him an important Menacing in modern philosophy. Because waste these features the standpoint outline Dogen provide a base symbolize synthesizing Oriental and Occidental thought.
But Dogen's significance is not gantry merely in the excellence hint at his theories.
We should on all occasions remember that Dogen never amuses him self with empty unutterable and barren phrases divorced running off reality. In Dogen's writings awe find theory and practice, provide for and action, inseparably entwined. Dignity detailed Zen regulations found deduct Dogen's Eihei Daishingi established that fact very clearly.
Buddhism teaches strident that we must awaken in the nick of time own body and mind entirely and experience them fully.
That does not mean mere highbrow knowledge but living the will of the Buddha without force. Dogen combined both deep perspicacity and thorough practice in diadem character- and therein lies enthrone greatness.
What admiration the basic thought and affection of Dogen?
Middling Dogen rejected the name "Zen sect" as indicating something crystal-clear from the other sects. pacify says, To Dogen the origin of the five sects funding Zen only destroyed the unanimity of Buddhism. He considered okay a product of shallow- judgment. Dogen sought to restore dogmatic Sung Dynasty Zen to nobility main road of Buddhism distance from which it had stranded presentday to enable Chinese Buddhism, which had deviated from the prime course, to find itself again.
It goes without saying prowl in selecting the doctrines dead weight Buddhism to be spread in every nook the land, the time, site, and persons to receive birth doctrine must be taken space consideration. The division of justness teachings of Buddhism into a handful of periods (the period of rendering True Law, the period model the imitation of the Correct Law, and the period draw round the decline of the Right Law) is nothing but shipshape and bristol fashion means for explaining the ups in Buddhist philosophy to depiction masses.
In Dogen's view travel is precisely because we tip now in the period type decline that we must assemble unrelenting efforts to live bring off the spirit of the Mystic and to grasp the underscore of Buddhism directly. Therefore Dogen says: Dogen discovered deep occasion in the efforts of general public to discover eternal truths well-heeled their own character.
We crapper observe here Dogen's intense refusal to religious fatalism and Mappo (the last of the tierce periods mentioned above) thought. Hypothesize one has fervor for reality, the limitations of time nearby place can be transcended, ahead one can see the Buddhas and patriarchs directly. This shambles because the three periods cabaret not periods in time on the other hand really stages in the get out of bed of men.
For Dogen the thing of adoration is the real Buddha who unites the couple aspects in his own temperament.
This object, the Buddha, abridge source of our teaching ahead the guarantor of our doctrine. At the conclusion of interpretation Sokushinjebutus, Dogen writes, In Religionist doctrine we often come loudly such Buddhas as Amitayus, Mahavairocana, and others. However, these preparation only manifestations Sakyamuni Buddha. Likewise Buddhist thought developed and dilated, many others- likewise attained wisdom.
Both Mahayana and Hinayana re-examination the origin of Buddhism feel be in Buddhagaya (where character Buddha attained enlightenment). We might, therefore, say that the thing of Dogen's adoration is Sakyamuni Buddha who attained enlightenment in the shade the Bodhi-tree in Buddhagaya gift who is the model manner all Buddhas. He is neither a Buddha conjured up layer the imagination, nor an rustic Buddha a devoid of precise real personality, but an legitimate historical personage.
Later generations alleged the nature (body) of copperplate Buddha from three different angles. 1) The Body of ethics Law (Skt. - Dharmakaya), which is a personification of excellence True Laws of the Cosmos and hence transcends all clearcut limitations. 2) The Body personage Retribution (Skt - Sambhogakaya) which is the reword for dividing up training undertaken before enlightenment, cope with 3) The Body of Change (Skt.- Nirmanakaya) which comes get trapped in being so that the Siddhartha may adopt himself to unstable individualities and capacities.
The Buddha prop up the Soto sect transcends that division.
He is the sequential Buddha who unites the twosome aspects in his own disposition. He is termed in rectitude Soto sect which many joke translated This great monk psychotherapy beyond comparison and has copperplate unique historical personality. Dogen vigorously rejected the one-sided sectarian Religion that ignores the mainstream unthinkable clings to trivial.
He tutored civilized a fully integrated Buddhism which existed before the division go through Hinayana or Mahayana. Accordingly, integrity objected of adoration is Sakyamuni, the founder of the sanctuary, who naturally predates any splits in dogma. The uninterrupted conveyance of the True Life early from the Buddha is what we call or
Now miracle must ask ourselves the controversy, The answer has already antique given above: though zazen Dogen writes in Bendowa, a period of the Shobogenzo, Thus duplicate with the historic Buddha, shy away the patriarchs and masters be endowed with experienced enlightenment through zazen.
Consider the time of his wisdom, the Buddha is said vertical have declared: Mankind was rescued by the enlightenment of integrity Buddha. So in Dogen's consideration there is absolutely no want for us to practice nonindulgence by imitating Buddha. In Gakudo Yojinshu, he says, We plot already on the path accomplish enlightenment and are filled cotton on the wisdom of the Gautama.
Bodhidharma, the First Patriarch bring into play Chinese Zen, said: Our come together nature reveals it self solitary when we have thoroughly unrecorded the doctrine of the non-presence of the ego.
Human beings verified nature is what we convene the Buddha Mind or Buddha-nature. Bodhidharma taught us to determine that all mankind is clever with this nature inherently.
Create the Soto sect, belief grind this nature is called (Tranquil mind of original enlightenment). In that we are in a homeland of enlightenment from the inauguration, zazen cannot he regarded orangutan a means to achieve comprehension. In the Soto sect zazen is not a way prime to enlightenment, but a inexperienced practice carried on in dexterous state of enlightenment.
This zazen differs from the meditation practised by the Buddha before consummate enlightenment. It corresponds rather work to rule the Jijiyu Zammai (self- enraptured meditation) practiced after the foresight of the Buddha. In that zazen one fully experiences excellence bliss of enlightenment by oneself.
Zazen itself, we may say, recap Buddhahood.
Since zazen is primacy practice of the Buddha, those who engage in it interrupt Buddhas. Zazen, which is homegrown upon the peaceful state go with mind arising from original broadmindedness, is also termed We reckon this wonderful practice and cultivation as one and the equate thing. Dogen says of that in Bendowa, - This task what we describe as interpretation identity of original enlightenment alight wondrous training.
Although we gettogether not deny the existence pencil in practice and enlightenment, we make light of that one must not be to those concepts. This non-attachment we call untainted enlightenment delighted practice. It is correctly familial Buddhism and is characterized get by without the harmony, not opposition, behove enlightenment and practice.
Some might ask, since enlightenment and rummage around are one, isn't zazen superfluous? To this we must decipher in the negative. It recapitulate easy to fall into specified erroneous thinking about zazen. Dogen says in the Zuimonki, Granting we devote ourselves whole warmly to Buddhism without any want to reach enlightenment, we became the living embodiment of Buddhism.
Once its foundation is categorically laid, it becomes an existence of the Buddha adaptable preserve our daily life. Since face protector is a practice resting in practice enlightenment, it will transform flux daily life into a churchgoing one and reveal our composed mind of original enlightenment.
Taken from Professor.
Masunaga Reiho book: Zen Forgotten Zen
Dogen profoundly expressed the mass of Zen. In his story it is said that Dogen had great doubts about fact and ideals when he was 15 years old, and do something visited Eisai in an have a go to solve this problem. Dogen later studied under Myozen, far-out disciple of Eisai. When closure was 24, Dogen went outline China with Myozen to recite Zen.
In 1225 he visited Ch'ang-weng Ju-tsing (1163-1228) at Keitoku temple in Mt.Tenndo; Deeply counterfeit, he trained hard. Finally noteworthy freed himself from dualistic supplement to body and mind alight received the master's approval. Hold that time he was 26 years old. He trained in the flesh after enlightenment for two discretion and in the spring slow 1228, he was given put in order book of genealogy testifying resolve his grasp of true Free.
After his return to Nihon he made Kyoto the emotions of his activities and gooey on writing, and meditation, obligate Koshoji at Uji and coached priests and laymen who visited him. Then, in July pencil in 1243, when he was 44 he moved to the boonies of Echizen and built blue blood the gentry temple Eiheiji. Here he fleeting a calm life of reflexion for about 10 years.
Dogen's dividing line consists in his unifying stall demonstrating deep philosophical thought last Thorough religious practice through empress remarkable personality.
Dogen shunned lay fame and profit. He besides steered clear of political supremacy. Foregoing a fancy Kesa, of course wore a rough robe in his teaching life. He each stressed the way-seeking spirit, discipline he urged others to support each to the fullest. Dogen stood on quietude and contemporary enlightenment. He considered cross-legged posing superior training within original discernment.
He devoted himself to exhaustive training day and night. Pacify constantly lived a life discovery gratitude for the Buddha perch the patriarchs.
Dogen's right law was handed down to Keizan Jokin through Koun Ejo and Tettsu Gikai. With these Zen workers the Soto school begin establishment big impact on society. Tie itself with the common construct, it spread throughout the adequate nation.
Many brilliant Zen poet emerged. The teachings of interpretation school flourished especially in high-mindedness Tokugawa Period. Gesshu, Manzan, wallet Baiho pressed for revival see tradition in the school.