Comparing Dogen with the Chinese Zen masters, Dogen seems more interested in pushing his own interpretation of Buddhism to such an extent that he has no hesitation when it comes to altering the original passage of a Sutra.
For Dogen, the spiritual voyage of "reaching the other shore" becomes "the other shore has arrived” as if the shore of nirvana is here, presently. Another example is, "all sentient beings without exception have the Buddha-nature" (Mahaparinirvana Sutra) which Dogen changes to, "all sentient beings, that is, all existence is Buddha-nature.” In my opinion, Dogen never studied the Mahaparinirvana Sutra enough to know that all existence is not the Buddha-nature anymore than an illusion is Buddha-nature. Our illusory existence is samsara, not nirvana. Also, while beings have the Buddha-nature it is only Buddhas who actualize it.
When Dogen encounters the term "dharmatâ," which according to Hajime Nakamura the Chinese translated as "the real aspect of things," Dogen takes the liberty of translating the term, "the real aspect is all things" (Ways of Thinking of Eastern Peoples, p. 351). This turn of phrase goes quite beyond the teaching of the Buddha. Dogen is, in effect saying, there is nothing which transcends the mundane, samsaric world, it is the absolute.
If Dogen were to look at Hua-yen Patriarch Fa-tsang’s gold lion he would say that the lion is gold (i.e., phenomenal existence is pure Mind). But, in reality, there is no lion present. The lion is empty. It lacks inherent existence. There is only gold (i.e., there is only Mind). The lion is just shaped gold in the same way that a wave is shaped water. Fundamentally, there is only water. Under the power of delusion people are attached to name and shape (namarupa). Such people cannot see other than name and shape. In other words, they can’t see the Dharma which is pure Mind. Dogen had this fault.
Hakuin thought there was no difference between his own teaching and Dogen's teaching:
'Eihei [Dogen] has said, 'The experiencing of the manifold dharmas through using one's self is delusion; the experiencing of one's self through the coming of the manifold dharmas is satori.' This is just what I have been saying. This is the state of 'mind and body discarded, discarded mind and body.' It is like two mirrors mutually reflecting one another without even the shadow of an image between. Mind and the objects of mind are the same thing; things and oneself are not two. A white horse enters the reed flowers . . . snow is piled up in a silver bowl. This is what is known as the Jewelled-Mirror Samadhi.'
Posted by: Instance | November 27, 2012 at 11:48 PM