Zen and the Enlightened Mind Essay -- Philosophy Religion Essays

pane of glass and the Enlightened MindI consent forgotten everything. I dont remember a single word(Masunaga 36). This is the hear of one who seeks the agency. In A Primer of SotoJS1 Zen Dogen explains the Way of the Buddha and stresses the grandness of sitting in meditation or zazen as a instrument of reaching the manifestation of wholeness. The manifestation of wholeness is a state in which one abandons both mind and body and empties oneself of ignorance, delusions, and dualistic modes of thinking. One who is bounteous from dualistic modes of being enters a world in which both undefendable and object exist. This is a non-objective mode of being where all self-concern has been emptied, where manner of speaking and concepts are used not to divide but to unite, the self enters into a mode of being of the other and identifies itself completely with the other(Taitetsu 130). Thus, the result is nudeness and liberation beyond the dichotomous world. It is important to note that D ogen believes that this state of being cannot be obtained however with any thought of this gain, rather one should instruction Buddhism only for the sake of Buddhism. Dogen places importance on the urgency to study the Way by pointing out the impermanence of life. Dogen believes that because of the transiency of life one should revoke involvement in superfluous things and just study the Way(Masunaga 83). This enforces the accent mark of detaching the self of worldly affairs. For Dogen on that point is also a detachment from lyric and written scriptures for it cannot serve as a means of explaining philosophical truth. Dogen instructs that no mater how elegant prose might be, they are merely toying with oral communication and cannot gain truth(Masunaga 33). Language only obstructs the understanding of Zen Buddhi... ... there is no Enlightenment to obtain. One just simply is. The world of ignorance, greed, and self-centeredness is non-existent for the Enlightened mind is complet ely open and liberated.Works CitedEarhart, Byron H. Japanese righteousness Unity and Diversity. 3rd ed. Belmont Wadsworth, 1982. Kasulis, T.P. Nagarjuna The logic of Emptiness from Zen Action/ Zen Person. Honolulu U of Hawaii P, 1981. Matsunaga, Reiho, trs. A Primer of Soto Zen A Translation of Dogens Shobogenzo Zuimonki. Hawaii East-West Center P, 1971. Reps, Paul ed., Excerpts from Zen Flesh, Zen Bones. Harmondsworth Penguin, 1957. Taitetsu, Unno. When crushed Tiles Become Gold from John Ross Cater, Of Human Bondage and Divine Grace. LaSalle contribute Court, 1992. Tsunoda, Theodore de Bary, and Donald Keene. Sources of Japanese Tradition. 1 vol. New York Columbia U P, 1958.