Zen enlightenment: Origins and Meaning

Description

Enlightenment, the cosmic experience of universal unity, is a notoriously elusive concept in Zen. Here, the renowned scholar Heinrich Dumoulin traces the development of Zen and the concept of enlightenment from its origins in India through its development in China to its fruition in Japan. Delineating the Buddhist origins, as well as the Taoist and yogic influences, he traces the historical path Zen has followed, with special emphasis given to the development of koan practice and the writings of the great Japanese Zen master Dogen (1200–1253). He then brings the experience to life by presenting, in his own words, the enlightenment experiences of a number of contemporary practitioners of Zen. Zen Enlightenment: Origins and Meaning Contents Introduction 1 The Western View of Zen 2 Indian Roots 3 The Birth of Zen in China 4 Bodhidharma 5 The Sixth Patriarch 6 The Zen Movement in China 7 The Koan in Chinese Zen 8 Zen Buddhism in Japan 9 Dogen, The Master of Zazen 10 Dogen’s Religious Metaphysics: The Doctrine of Buddha-Nature 11 The Zen Experience in Contemporary Accounts 12 Satori: Zen Enlightenment Afterword: The Ten Oxherding Pictures Chinese-Japanese Equivalents Notes Bibliography Index