Dōgen

Dōgen (1200 – 1253) founded the Sōtō sect of Zen Buddhism.

Dōgen studied in the Tendai tradition at Mt. Hiei as a low-level monk.

The Tendai tradition believes that all humans are enlightened by nature thus it is flawed to think one can achieve enlightenment through practice. This led Dōgen to ask if all human beings are endowed with Dharma nature by birth, why did Buddhas find it necessary to seek enlightenment and engage in spiritual practice? To this question, Dōgen could find no answer on Mt. Hiei.

Unable to find spiritual answers and frustrated by lack of advancement opportunities because of his social rank, Dōgen became disillusioned and went to study Zen at Kennin-ji under Myōzan, the successor of Myōan Eisai.

In 1223, Dōgen and Myōzan journeyed to China to study in the same monastery that Eisai had studied Zen. The Chinese Chan teachers emphasized kōans. Dōgen studied their kōans, but wondered why the sutras were ignored. Again disillusioned, he found another style of Chan that was taught by Rijing on Mt. Tiantong. He found enlightenment and his life’s calling in his master’s simple phrase, “Cast off body and mind.” He received Dharma transmission and inka (line of transmission) from Rijing. In 1227 or 1228, he left for Japan alone; his great mentor Myōzan had died. He returned to Kennin-ji.

Around the time of his return to Japan, the Tendai sect began suppressing Zen and Jodo Shinshu sects. Dōgen left Kyoto in 1230, settling in an abandoned temple in Uji. His community grew. In 1243, Hantano Yoshishige, a warrior patron, offered to move Dōgen’s community to Echizen Province, to the north of Kyoto, where he had property holdings. Dōgen accepted because of continuing problems he was having with Tendai and Rinzai Zen sects. His new temple was successful, and he named it Eihei-ji. Eihei-ji along with Soji-ji are the two main Sōtō temples to this day.

In 1247, Dōgen traveled to Kamakura to teach regent Hōjō Tokiyori. After bestowing Tokiyori with lay ordination, he returned to Eihei-ji. While his followers were upset with this, it shows that Dōgen had to placate his military patrons.

In 1252, Dōgen became very ill. He accepted Hantano Yoshishige’s invitation to go to Kyoto for a cure. Unfortunately, he died soon after arriving in Kyoto in 1253.

Teachings

Dōgen was a prolific writer. In teaching Zen, he stressed zazen, sitting meditation. In Dōgen’s zazen practice, one makes a strong effort not to think but to accept things as they are, achieving a state beyond thought.

“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.” From Dōgen’s Genjōkōan.

Miracles

Dōgen’s followers ascribed several miraculous events in Dōgen’s life. These events usually had the appearances of spirits or gods and also miraculous cures. These miraculous events were used to show the