Zazen and Self as Environment
The teachings of Eihei Dōgen Zenji (1200-1253) emphasize a non-instrumental orientation to zazen as "practice-realization", which might be described as a single movement of purposeful action and actualization of aims. Yet the question remains, if zazen is not in some sense a set of clearly...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
MDPI
2022
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| In: |
Religions
Year: 2022, Volume: 13, Issue: 2 |
| Further subjects: | B
Dōgen
B Zen Buddhism B sociomaterial practice B theories of self B gestalt ontology B ecophilosophy B Zazen |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | The teachings of Eihei Dōgen Zenji (1200-1253) emphasize a non-instrumental orientation to zazen as "practice-realization", which might be described as a single movement of purposeful action and actualization of aims. Yet the question remains, if zazen is not in some sense a set of clearly defined steps toward specific ends, exactly how are its benefits manifested, and why would Dōgen place such an elusive approach at the centre of practice? In the following, I will discuss how Dōgen’s conception of practice does not necessarily function as a prescriptive methodology leading to specified results, but might better be described as an orientation to everyday experience that facilitates a comprehensive integration of physical and perceptual interactions within shared environments. Any sense of the utility or benefit of zazen is inseparable from reference to these relations within specific contexts of practice. Exploring close parallels between Dōgen’s conception of universal self (jiko) and gestalt theory, particularly as it is referenced in ecophilosophy and sociomaterial practices literature, suggests ontological and ethical implications of "practice-realization" from contemporary secular perspectives. |
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| ISSN: | 2077-1444 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Religions
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.3390/rel13020141 |