“The reason of words and letters” is a translation of monji no dori,1 a central concept in the thought of Eihei Dōgen, the great Zen master who founded the Soto school of Zen in Japan. The power of language, to facilitate realization, is made explicit in the following sentence that ends with a chiasmic twist:… Continue reading Dōgen: Expressing the Inexpressible
Category: Zen
The Greatest Inventor of All Time
West西Don’t just sit there—do something! East東Don’t just do something—sit there! Buddhism can lay claim to what may well be the longest ongoing experiment in the history of humanity. I refer to the practice developed by Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism. And what was that practice? Zazen, or seated meditation.坐禪 After trying, without success, everything… Continue reading The Greatest Inventor of All Time
Zen Category Introduction
Gassho合掌 The Japanese word gassho means “to bring the palms together.” It is a form of greeting in Zen, or an expression of gratitude, with the hands joined, palm to palm, fingers pointing upward, as in prayer, and sometimes made with a bow. The Titles in this Zen Category will directly point you to essays and… Continue reading Zen Category Introduction