Dōgen Essays

Wheel of life The Wheel of Life also referred to as the Bhavachakra is the symbolic representation of saṃsāra (or cyclic existence). this classical image from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition depicts the psychological states, or realms of existence, associated with the unenlightened state. This painting is also translated as wheel of cyclic existence or wheel of becoming. The painting shows the summary of life and how one gets reborn and the struggle for suffering. It closely relates with the theory

When most people think of Zen they picture gardens consisting of monks in orange robes silently meditating. The prevalence of this image is due largely in part to Dogen, a patriarch of Zen Buddhism and the creator of Soto Zen Buddhism. Soto Zen Buddhism varies from other forms of Buddhism in its intense focus on meditation. It is typically best described as sitting in deep thought about nothing in particular or stated conversely sitting in deep thought about the entirety of everything. Practioners

This particular film is based on the homonymous, Akutagawa- Award winning novel, by Hitomi Kanehara. Lui is the archetype of the trendy girl. She dresses only with branded clothes; she always wears make-up and has an elaborate manicure. However, in terms of mindset, she differs from the similar looking girls, primarily due to her peculiar taste in men. One night, when she has gone on her own to a club, she meets Ama, who correspondingly is the archetype of the punk boy: Dyed red hair, piercings in

from the master to the disciple, starting from the historic Buddha himself was emphasized under Zen form. Following are the important constituents of Zen, introduced by Dogen, who was among the first and most well known Japanese monks, who introduced Zen to their homelands Samadhi demanded strenuous effort from the Zen followers. Dogen states: “For all the Buddha dharma preserving Zen ancestors and Buddhas, sitting upright was the practice of self-actualization and the true path of

Writing Down the Bones is Natalie Goldberg’s first book out of the ten she has written. The book is internationally known and has sold over a million copies. This is not hard to believe, at all . Goldberg touches on important tactics that help one develop into becoming a strong writer, using examples through out her life and her path to writing her first book. Goldberg compares writing to the spiritual practice of Zen. She refers to the environmental, mental and physical aspects of writing. Goldberg

The Buddhist religion consists of a set of rules that are to be followed by all Buddhist adherents. These rules guide Buddhists onto the path of enlightenment and they tell adherents how to follow the teachings seen through sacred texts and how to act in the Buddhist community. There are various branches of Buddhism that teach similar beliefs to each other, however many Buddhists look to the same significant people in the Buddhist religion, such as the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama spreads teachings

Matsuo Chūemon Munefusa, or Matsuo Basho most commonly known, was a 17th century poet and to this day is known as the “greatest master of the haiku”of the Tokugawa, or the Edo Era (1603-1867). During this era, Japan closed their borders to decrease the influence of the Western world. This action allowed Japanese culture to flourish. Born in 1644 in the Ueno province of Japan (today known as Honshu), Matsuo Basho grew up with his father, mother, and six siblings. His father, Matsuo Yozaemon was a

Buddhism conveys the teaching of reaching enlightenment through spiritual practices thereby ultimately changing the adherent 's life. This is accentuated through its buddhist teaching and worship creating a strong impact upon individuals and their adherent lives and also the Buddhist community. Moreover, The XIVth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso is prominently a major significant person who accentuating a widespread influence on the teachings of Dharma and the Buddha thus impacting the adherent’s and non

Esha Munshi April 26, 2016 For the field observation, I went to the Chicago Zen Center located at 2029 Ridge Ave, Evanston, IL 60201. A group of people originally founded the center in 1974 as an attempt to practice Zen the way it was taught by Philip Kapleau in the Harada-Yasutani tradition. Philip Kapleau is the author of The Three Pillars of Zen, a very popular guide to those that are interested in dwelling in the Zen practices. When it was founded, the Zen Center was in partnership with the Rochester