Bendowa
Encyclopedia
, meaning Discourse on the Practice of the Way or Dialog on the Way of Commitment, sometimes also translated as Negotiating the Way, is essay by Dōgen
which appears as the first fascicle in some arrangements of Shōbōgenzō
. It is a "treatise on zazen
practice as the 'right entrance' to the Dharma
." Divided into two sections, the first touts the superiority of zazen
to other forms of Buddhist practice, explains what jijuyu zanmai (or, jijuyu samadhi
) is, and tells of his travels throughout China
. Jijuyu zanmai can be translated to mean literally "samadhi of self-fulfillment." Kosho Uchiyama
comments, "...we can understand this samadhi of self-fulfillment and enjoyment as the samadhi or concentration on the self when it simply receives and accepts its function, or its spiritual position in the world."
The remaining text utilizes a "question and answer format" where Dōgen answers questions set forward by an archetypal beginning Zen
student.
Dōgen's Bendōwa was the second piece he wrote following his return from China
to Japan
, written in 1231. The work did not surface until the Edo period
, never having before appeared in earlier editions of the Shōbōgenzō. In 1684 it appeared in manuscript
form, then later in 1788 it had its first major publication in one volume. It has often been said that it "contains within it the essence of all ninety-five fascicles of Shōbōgenzō.
Dogen
Dōgen Zenji was a Japanese Zen Buddhist teacher born in Kyōto, and the founder of the Sōtō school of Zen in Japan after travelling to China and training under the Chinese Caodong lineage there...
which appears as the first fascicle in some arrangements of Shōbōgenzō
Shobogenzo
The term Shōbōgenzō has three main usages in Buddhism: It can refer to the essence of the Buddha's realization and teaching, that is, to the Buddha Dharma itself, as viewed from the perspective of Mahayana Buddhism, it is the title of a koan collection with commentaries by Dahui Zonggao, and it...
. It is a "treatise on zazen
Zazen
In Zen Buddhism, zazen is a meditative discipline practitioners perform to calm the body and the mind, and be able to concentrate enough to experience insight into the nature of existence and thereby gain enlightenment .- Significance :Zazen is considered the heart of Zen Buddhist practice...
practice as the 'right entrance' to the Dharma
Dharma
Dharma means Law or Natural Law and is a concept of central importance in Indian philosophy and religion. In the context of Hinduism, it refers to one's personal obligations, calling and duties, and a Hindu's dharma is affected by the person's age, caste, class, occupation, and gender...
." Divided into two sections, the first touts the superiority of zazen
Zazen
In Zen Buddhism, zazen is a meditative discipline practitioners perform to calm the body and the mind, and be able to concentrate enough to experience insight into the nature of existence and thereby gain enlightenment .- Significance :Zazen is considered the heart of Zen Buddhist practice...
to other forms of Buddhist practice, explains what jijuyu zanmai (or, jijuyu samadhi
Samadhi (Buddhism)
In Buddhism, samādhi is mental concentration or composing the mind.-In the early Suttas:In the Pāli canon of the Theravada tradition and the related Āgamas of other early Buddhist schools, samādhi is found in the following contexts:* In the noble eightfold path, "right concentration" In Buddhism,...
) is, and tells of his travels throughout China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Jijuyu zanmai can be translated to mean literally "samadhi of self-fulfillment." Kosho Uchiyama
Kosho Uchiyama
was a Sōtō priest, origami master, and the former abbot of Antaiji near Kyoto, Japan.The author of more than twenty books on Zen Buddhism and origami—of which Opening the Hand of Thought: Foundations of Zen Buddhist Practice is best-known—Uchiyama graduated from Waseda University with a masters...
comments, "...we can understand this samadhi of self-fulfillment and enjoyment as the samadhi or concentration on the self when it simply receives and accepts its function, or its spiritual position in the world."
The remaining text utilizes a "question and answer format" where Dōgen answers questions set forward by an archetypal beginning Zen
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
student.
Dōgen's Bendōwa was the second piece he wrote following his return from China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, written in 1231. The work did not surface until the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
, never having before appeared in earlier editions of the Shōbōgenzō. In 1684 it appeared in manuscript
Manuscript
A manuscript or handwrite is written information that has been manually created by someone or some people, such as a hand-written letter, as opposed to being printed or reproduced some other way...
form, then later in 1788 it had its first major publication in one volume. It has often been said that it "contains within it the essence of all ninety-five fascicles of Shōbōgenzō.
External links
- Annotated English translation by Bob Myers.