Dogen and the Feminine Presence: Taking a Fresh Look into His Sermons and Other Writings
Dogen's gender-egalitarian stance on women to attain awakening in their zazen practice is well known. At the same time, a nagging suspicion lingers on among some scholars that he grew increasingly misogynistic in his old age. In this present study, which focuses on Dogen's sermons compiled...
| 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
[2018]
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| In: |
Religions
Year: 2018, Volume: 9, Issue: 8, Pages: 1-22 |
| Further subjects: | B
Nyojo (Rujing)
B Empress Danrin (Tachibana no Kachiko) B Nun Ryonen B Myochi B Nun Egi B Dogen B Nun Eshin B Raihai Tokuzui (in Shobogenzo) B Queen Māyā |
| Online Access: |
Presumably Free Access Volltext (Verlag) Volltext (doi) |
| Summary: | Dogen's gender-egalitarian stance on women to attain awakening in their zazen practice is well known. At the same time, a nagging suspicion lingers on among some scholars that he grew increasingly misogynistic in his old age. In this present study, which focuses on Dogen's sermons compiled in the Record of Eihei (Eihei koroku), the Shobogenzo, and other writings related to women, we find that even after Dogen moved to Eiheiji, his stance on women remained consistent. Not only did he readily respond to his female disciples' requests to give special sermons in memory of their parents, but also positively saw women's presence in the development of the Buddhist tradition. Through this study it also becomes clear that Dogen came to embrace a more flexible view on filial piety in his later years, as he deepened his reflection on this matterthe sense of gratitude one feels for one's parents is concomitant with nurturing one's compassion. The aspect of compassion that sustained Dogen's life of teaching begins to loom large. It was his Chinese master Nyojo (Rujing) who emphasized compassion as the pillar of the zazen practice. Two sermons Dogen delivered on the anniversary of his father's death, moreover, have given the scholars new information concerning his parentage. The focus on the aspect of "feminine presence in Dogen inadvertently (or naturally?) leads to the heart of Dogen's own identity. |
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| ISSN: | 2077-1444 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Religions
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.3390/rel9080232 |