Comparing Dogen And The Sixth Patriarch

However, it is far from being the only links that one can make between Zen and Pure Land Buddhism. Indeed, most features of the path and the characteristics of enlightenment in Zen have a similar counterpart in Pure Land Buddhism. First of all, and perhaps most flagrantly, conventional teachings are also eschewed in favor of less conventional means in Pure Land Buddhism. Just like Zen, in order to attain spiritual realizations (in Pure Land’s case, shinjin), mind training is necessary. The practice prescribed is extremely similar to Zen. Instead of a “live word”, Pure Land practitioners constantly repeat a phrase (this practice is called nembutsu) for months, years or even decades. Eventually, the repetition becomes automatic, going as far as doing “nembutsu while yawning” (Li, Apr 4., 2016). Just like Zen’s kensho, it is at this point that the Pure Land practitioner can reach shinjin. In Pure Land Buddhism, the realizations also transcend simple logic and reason: “it is not merely belief as intellectual assent, but strong, inner conviction” (Bloom 1999, 230). Because realizations transcend conventional thinking, conventional knowledge is also seen as detrimental in Pure Land Buddhism: “Recognition of our ignorance is connected with our becoming truthful. Since we can become united with each other in truthfulness, ‘genuine trust’ or spiritual oneness is actually truthfulness” (Maida 1989, 32). Also like Zen, spiritual realizations are sudden and not gradual: “Shinran’s teaching is absolute Other Power and transcending or immediate (ocho)” (Bloom 1999, 231). Finally, the traditional monastic practices and rules are also disregarded in favor of a lay life. This is due to another inversion from Shinran. Traditionally, Pure Land Buddhism was regarded as the easy and inferior way for people who couldn’t engage in more serious and demanding practice. However, Shinran, because

experience. The enlightenment is the moment of understanding Om and gaining unity with it. This cannot be

Dogen 's teachings and writings firmly point towards practice as the way to reach enlightenment. More specifically, he states that sitting in zazen is the only true way to realize our buddha-nature. One must practice consistently for their whole lives, making it a part of their daily routine. It 's said, “The concentrated endeavor of the way I am speaking of allows all things to come forth in enlightenment and practice, all-inclusiveness with detachment.” Reaching enlightenment is not

The goal of Zen Buddhism is to look towards the future, searching to attain satori (awakening). Through jiriki nembutsu (self-power chanting) the person is hakarai (calculating) their spiritual and material profit. Thus, Zen is an individual practice. Ultimately, Zen places a strong importance on embodying emptiness and not becoming attached to words said by the masters. For instance, in the koan, master Yanmen’s story shows that Zen is both verbal and actional, teaching his students that instead of getting attached to words, one must embody them. This was seen when one of his disciples asked if the dog has a Buddha nature, and the master replied: “no because he has the nature of karmic delusions” (Li 18 March 2016). In this example, the master was mocking the disciple’s lack of discipline because he got attached to the words. The master’s iconoclastic approach teaches its practitioners that one must embody the koan and zazen meditation. As in Zen, it is through embodiment that one reaches the Mahayana level of emptiness in order to reach their final goal- satori.

The Buddha himself has already found Enlightenment, Siddharth wants to be guided by the Buddha. Siddartha now has to leave his own home and father, in the search to find Enlightenment. One thing is, Siddartha doesn’t believe that you can be taught to find Enlightenment, but only truly find it for yourself. " Siddhartha learns that a true seeker could not accept any teachings, not if he

Zen Buddhism: Buddhism in Japan has appeared into a rich tradition with lots of particular schools and

Zen, also known as Ch’an Buddhism in China, is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that was established in China about 1500 years ago. Zen is a form of religious practice of mainly concentrating the mind to a single point in which then results in self-realization and/or enlightenment. Zen philosophy is interpreted that all humans are capable of reaching enlightenment, which is generally blocked by ignorance. The idea emphasizes enlightened masters over forms of scriptures, and is the least “academic” of all the Buddhist schools.

In the first half of the class, we mainly focused on the enlightenment from a dualist’s view. From a dualist’s point of view, the world can be divided into two: the state of being and becoming. The state of being is full of eternal, spiritual, ideal forms, and perfectly good knowledge. In contrast, the state of becoming is full of transitory, sensual, material objects, and imperfect opinions. Advancing from the world of becoming to the world of being is called enlightenment, which can only be accomplished through reasoning.

The comparison of Hisamatsu’s “The record of Linji” and Suzuki’s “Zen Mind, Beginner Mind” illuminates a variety of similarities and differences concerning the path of enlightenment. We will exam some of these points, to further illustrate the process in which each individual may pursue this path to enlightenment. Each chosen passage will also help identify themes of awakening, which may be relevant in today’s society.

The journey “home” that Buddhists refer to as the privilege of enlightenment, the ultimate truth, is called the paramattha. The Paramattha is not the same journey as other faiths profess, because other faiths, like the science known as psychology, emphasize outside influence, in one way or another, in the ancient long search for understanding. Understanding life, afterlife, existence, thought, personality, behavior, and the unknown. These latter truth-seekers have overlapping roads of distinction on their charted course that is not an essential part of the

Enlightenment, according to Emmanuel Kant is the rise of the human beings from the inability to use their own understanding without relying on other people’s guidance. It is the emergence of a person from his/her immaturity or minority in terms of making decisions for him/herself. If this immaturity is self imposed if cause lies not because the person lacks understanding, but because he/she lacks courage and resolve to use his/her own understanding without the help from another person. A person is said to be enlightened is he/she has the courage to use his/her own understanding to make a decision without the help of another person. Enlightenment is having the courage to use one’s understanding in making a decision that is at hand (Kant & Rauch,

You state that “Pure Land [Buddhism] makes itself more accessible to all”, but Zen is a very accessible school, as it believes that everyone is a Buddha – they just need to be willing to find the truths of life. Perhaps the Zen path is much more complex and vigorous, but the skills it builds are essential to the creation of a meaningful life. Patience and discipline are very strong qualities for a person to have, although it may be difficult at time – Zen offers a great reward for those who are willing to wait.

Not trapped by the past that occasionally includes unpleasant memories, and not worried about the future that can occur ambiguous anxiety, you train yourself. You turn your attention toward the moment where you are certainly here now. That state of mind represents so called “Mindfulness.”   Mindfulness, which has recently been studied in the field of psychiatry and neuroscience, can be traced back to Yoga meditation originating in India. Meditations of Yoga, after the birth of Buddhism, were passed out along with Buddhism doctrine to the world, mainly Asia as methods to reach a spiritual awakening. Zen is one of them. In the East Asia, Zen, with other religions and ideologies, poured ethics and spirituality into fighting

Instead of seeing a "soul" or a "mind" as the seat of personal identity, in Buddhism, the self is to be found in processes. Meditation, then, has the therapeutic effect of disengaging the practitioner from self-consciousness, freeing the mind. The view of the world without the construct of a permanent essence enables one to "experience reality as it really is" (3). It is important to note that Buddhism does not distinguish mental processes from other senses. Just as seeing takes a visual object, the mind takes a mental object (1). Just as the eye is free to take in different visual objects, the mind is free, as well. While meditation aims to develop "single-pointedness of mind," it is ultimately to free it from external objects. The focus is on the process of breathing, in Zen, and, eventually, one can reach a state where one is not considering anything (2). Zen considers the "blank-mind" stage to be a higher form of consciousness because it is free from attachments.

If there is a statement relating to Geese flying, the quote is then not about actual geese, those are the dead words, but the teacher and his intentions. Zen verbalism must seen as an undistinguishable thing that reveals itself when the speaker looks inside at himself. D.T. Suzuki say that “Satori must be the growth of one’s inner life and not a verbal implantation brought from the outside”(p.10). Zen is a daily experience, not something brought from outside. The second part of attaining enlightenment is the following Zen actions just in general. In a way Zen verbalism is similar to Zen actions but Zen verbalism refers to just the teachings that relate to Zen. This second way of finding enlightenment is following the path of the Buddha in your everyday life style.