Introduction to Master Dogen's Thought

Why Master Dogen

Today I would like to give an introductory explanation of Master Dogen's thought. I think Master Dogen was the most excellent Buddhist master in Japan; therefore I think that he is the most excellent Buddhist master in the world. His thought is rather difficult to understand, but his idea is very important to people in the world today.^[1]

Dogen's life

He was born in Kyoto in 1200. His father died when Master Dogen was only two years old, and his mother when he was seven. When he was twelve years old, he wanted to become a Buddhist priest, because Japanese society at that time was very confused; he wanted to get a strong standard for living as a human being.^[1][2]

He became a Buddhist priest, and the following year he had one doubt. According to Buddhist theory, it is said that we human beings originally have an excellent nature; our human body is pure. But he thought: if human beings have this pure nature, why should human beings study Buddhism? This is a very simple doubt, but a very important doubt. No priest in the temple could answer it, because they were studying Buddhism only as a theory, but his doubt was related to the practice of daily life, the reality of daily life.^[2][3]

In Kenninji Temple in Kyoto he met a master called Eisai. Eisai was the founder of the Rinzai sect in Japan. When Master Dogen asked the question, Master Rinzai said, I don't know whether Buddhas in the past, present and future exist or not. But I know cat and white ox are living there. And this concrete answer struck Master Dogen's mind. He stayed in Kenninji Temple for nine years, studied Buddhism in China for four years, and later established Eihei Temple.^[3]

Dogen's special logic

In his book Shobogenzo I found a very special logic. Master Dogen explained one subject in the first phase on the basis of idealism, theoretically, philosophically, spiritually. In the very next phase, he explained the same subject on the basis of materialism, and in the third phase on the basis of reality. This structure is the reason why we find very contradictory assertions in the book. In the ultimate phase he suggests reality itself, because according to his theory, philosophies are completely different from reality. Therefore, we can find in his book three kinds of philosophies and one reality. When we use this logic, we can explain all philosophical problems on the basis of reality. And I found that Buddhism is a religion which is based on reality.^[4]

From idealism to materialism

Then I thought about the history of Western philosophies. Plato thought that idea is reality; this viewpoint is usually called idealism. The combination of Christianity and Platonic idealism governed European societies in the medieval ages. So we can think that ancient times and the medieval ages in Europe belong to the ages of idealism. But at the beginning of the modern age, human beings found another world, that is, the world of matter. In the Renaissance, human beings found that we human beings have physical bodies. So we can think that the modern ages belong to the philosophy of matter, the ages of science. But this materialistic tendency had its culmination in the middle of the 19th century. After that time, human beings have been working to get a new philosophy or a new religion, because they could not be satisfied with materialistic philosophy alone. The new religion should have the power to synthesize idealism and materialism, in other words, religion and science.^[5][6]

Action as the synthesis

Thinking about this problem, I usually remember the special logic of Master Dogen: he explained a subject first on the basis of idealistic thought, then on the basis of materialistic thought, so we can have two completely contradictory images of one subject. This attitude is very important for thinking about the problem in reality. Nowadays it is very important for us to understand both religion and science, but at the same time religion and science are completely contradictory. We can never shut our eyes to this fact. Therefore, we should synthesize religion and science in the third phase.^[6][7]

To synthesize our mental side and physical side, Master Dogen used human action. Human action is the synthesis of human mind and human body. And he insisted that action is a fact at the moment of the present, and a fact at this place. By using human action as the basis of philosophy, we can have a new philosophy which can synthesize idealism and materialism. Nowadays the world is suffering from the contradiction between idealism and materialism. If it is possible for us to synthesize religion and science, we can get only one religion, which can make the world completely peaceful.^[7]

Even though he explained a Buddhist philosophy which is based on action, in the ultimate phase he recognized that the three kinds of philosophies are very useful, but at the same time all philosophies are different from reality. Philosophies can explain reality, but reality can never be the same thing as philosophies. So his logic is constructed of mind, body, action, and reality, in other words, idealism, materialism, Buddhism, and reality. I think that by using Master Dogen's logic, we can find the ultimate religion. This is the reason why I am studying Master Dogen's thought and preaching his thought.^[8]

Reality and zazen

Question: If Dogen's theory was to experience things for himself through meditation, why are there so many writings by him?

According to his theory, reality can never be grasped by thinking. Therefore, to realize reality, it is necessary for us to practice zazen. By practicing zazen, we can experience reality, and then we can understand Buddhist philosophy, materialistic philosophy and idealistic philosophy in the real area.^[8]

Question: So zazen is to understand something.

Zazen is not a practice to understand something. Zazen is experience. Zazen is a kind of state. Zazen is a kind of action. By practicing zazen, we can get something intuitively. We can never explain it with words. But something which we can experience in zazen is the basis of our life.^[8]

Question: Why can reality never be the same as philosophy?

Philosophy is constructed of words and sentences, but reality is different from words, sentences, human thought. Philosophical explanation is an explanation of reality, but it is not reality itself, and scientific knowledge is knowledge about reality, but it is different from reality itself.^[9]

Question: Could you say something to suggest reality itself?

No, it is completely impossible to express reality itself. Therefore, we practice zazen.^[9]

Matter and sense perception

Question: How is reality different from matter?

According to our common sense, we usually think that reality is matter. But matter is a kind of concept which human beings made: it means what we can perceive through our sense organs. Therefore, matter is not reality itself.^[9]

Question: Could you explain why we shouldn't always trust our sense perception?

Sometimes our sense perception is reliable, but sometimes it is not; for example, when we are drunk. So if we think that our sense perception is always right, that idea is wrong. I usually use colored glass: if we wear red glasses, the whole world looks red. With sense perception, we always have that problem. If we believe that our sense perception is always right, we can rely upon what we see, which is called matter. But our sense perception is not so right. Matter is what we see, but reality is different from what we see. We can look at a desk, and the desk is brown with a black spot. That is matter. But that form does not explain that this desk is useful for writing a letter. Reality includes many contents.^[10]

Question: How do we know when our perceptions are right?

We cannot recognize the wrongness of sense perception by ourselves. A drunken man usually says, I haven't been drunk.^[11]

Question: Then we have to be in a state of some doubt.

The problem is related to the state of our physical body, and sense perception changes according to our physical state. So in Buddhist theory, we should think about the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system. When the sympathetic nervous system is stronger, we are usually spiritual, tense, and we perceive all things in tension. When the parasympathetic nervous system is stronger, we are relaxed, lazy. When we feel ice, sometimes it is impossible for us to touch ice. For example, in a very cold northern country, touching ice is not good. But in a hot southern country, touching ice is rather comfortable. So sense perception relies upon our condition and the condition of our circumstances.^[12]

Enlightenment

Question: When you're enlightened, like Dogen Zenji, can you tell when your sense perceptions are wrong?

Gautama Buddha: a man who recognized reality. Etymologically speaking, it means an awakened man, a person who has awakened to the whole of reality. So in his definition, enlightenment is not such a dramatic, drastic change in his daily life. When he recognized that, he is living in reality. Reality is splendid, and we should follow reality. This recognition is his enlightenment.^[11]

Explaining action

Question: How should we connect our mind and body through human action?

Action is a fact at the moment of the present, and action is at this place. Action cannot be explained directly with words. In the area of philosophy, we cannot find any philosophy other than idealism and materialism, so to explain action, we utilize both. Action should be explained from our subjective mental situation, and at the same time from the objective side, that is, our physical body and circumstances.^[13]

Zazen and daily life

Question: Listening to Sensei's lectures today, you don't get a feeling of how important zazen is in Buddhism. Sensei's own real idea is that zazen is the whole of Buddhism, but he hasn't said it today.

Yes, this is an introductory explanation, so his speech is right. But at the same time, an introductory explanation is also very important.^[14]

Question: Do you believe that in other ways than zazen you can achieve the same sense of reality?

We can say that zazen is a kind of action. In our day-to-day life, there are many kinds of action, for example, playing sports and taking a walk, and those actions can also be the basis of Buddhism. Therefore, we can say that zazen is not the only practice of Buddhism. In short, all behaviors in our day-to-day life can be Buddhist practice.^[15]