Dogen Sangha Blog

  by Gudo NISHIJIMA

Japanese / German

Monday, January 2, 2006

Pursuing the Truth (5) The kind of Enlightenment

Related to Enlightenment, there has been an age old big fighting between TONGO and ZENGO. TONGO means that when we have been continuing zazen for a rather long time, one day Enlightenment suddenly appears. TON means fast, and GO means Enlightenment. But in the case of ZENGO, ZEN means gradually, and GO means Enlightenment. Thus ZENGO is gradual, not sudden, Enlightenment. However, in the case of Master Dogen, we can notice that he affirmed both TONGO and ZENGO. Because in Shobogenzo he insists on an idea that is called SHUSHOU-ITSUTO. And SHU means the practice of Zazen, and SHOU means Enlightenment. And ITSU means one, which suggests to be perfect. TO means equal, therefore ITSUTO means perfectly the same. This idea of oneness between just comes from his Buddhist thoughts, that is, the philosophy of action. Master Dogen insists that, generally speaking, in act, there is no separation between the act and experience. This suggests that in the philosophy of act, there is no separation between practice and experience, and this idea is a very important to understand the whole of Buddhist philosophy. Therefore Master Dogen insisted that there is no separation between act and experience, and there should not be any separation between the two. In short, to practice is Enlightenment, and Enlightenment is just to practice Zazen itself. However, thinking like this, it seems that the idea of ZENGO can not be thought and affirmed in Master Dogen's idea of Zazen. But he described that, for example, Master Joshu Jushin, and Master Rei-un Shigon, experienced another kind of Enlightenment in their life. Although they were great Master`s, They each needed to pass more than 30 years of practice before meeting with the Enlightenment. Therefore we can notice clearly that Master Dogen had two kinds of different thoughts related to Enlightenment.

7 Comments:

Blogger oxeye said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

11:39 PM, January 03, 2006  
Blogger Mike Cross said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

3:41 AM, January 04, 2006  
Blogger Johannes said...

Dharma without rebirth? I think to reduce the dharma and buddhas wisdom simply to the technique of living in the present moment and to live in the real world doesnt help me very much on myt way. I propose an article by Bikkhu Bodhi: Dhamma without rebirth?

Metta for all, Johannes

7:28 PM, January 07, 2006  
Blogger GUDO NISHIJIMA said...

For cowgoesmu San

Frankly speaking, I think that what Mr Cross says is just his mental function in his brain, and so it does not exist on the earth, but it is just function in his brain.


For JohnZenDoe San

Unfortunately Mike Cross San has erazed his comment, and so it is impossible for me to say anything about it at all.


For Johannes San

I think that Dharma only exists just at the present moment, and so it does never have rebirth. Therefore the most important fact for us is just to live at the present moment sincerely.

10:54 AM, May 10, 2006  
Blogger GUDO NISHIJIMA said...

For cowgoesmu San

Frankly speaking, I think that what Mr Cross says is just his mental function in his brain, and so it does not exist on the earth, but it is just function in his brain.


For JohnZenDoe San

Unfortunately Mike Cross San has erazed his comment, and so it is impossible for me to say anything about it at all.


For Johannes San

I think that Dharma only exists just at the present moment, and so it does never have rebirth. Therefore the most important fact for us is just to live at the present moment sincerely.

10:54 AM, May 10, 2006  
Blogger GUDO NISHIJIMA said...

For cowgoesmu San

Thank you very much for you reading my blog, but I think that what Mr Cross says is a mental function of his brain, and so it does not really exist on the earth.


For JohnZenDoe San

Unfortunately Mike Cross San has erazed his comment, and so it is impossible for me to write anything.


For Johannes San

I think that Dharma exists just at the present moment, and so Dharma does not have any rebirth at all.

11:17 AM, May 10, 2006  
Blogger GUDO NISHIJIMA said...

For cowgoesmu San

Thank you very much for you reading my blog, but I think that what Mr Cross says is a mental function of his brain, and so it does not really exist on the earth.


For JohnZenDoe San

Unfortunately Mike Cross San has erazed his comment, and so it is impossible for me to write anything.


For Johannes San

I think that Dharma exists just at the present moment, and so Dharma does not have any rebirth at all.

11:17 AM, May 10, 2006  

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