Thursday, 16 June 2022

Dogen invented Shikantaza: Scholars Admit It!

The [Dogenism] school holds that shikantaza originated in China and was transmitted to the founder of [Dogenism], Dōgen Kigen 道元希玄 (1200–1253), by his Chinese teacher Tiantong Rujing 天童如淨 (1163–1228). However, the term shikantaza does not appear in surviving Chinese documents, and most nonsectarian scholars now approach “simply sitting” as a Japanese innovation... (Sharf, Mindfulness and Mindlessness in Early Chan, 2014)

It appears that in nonsectarian scholarship the debate is over: Dogen invented Zazen prayer-meditation.

I would guess this is a shock to everybody but me.



Submitted June 17, 2022 at 08:01AM by ewk https://ift.tt/yLdq81B

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