Dogen, Kigen Zenji, 1200-1253; Buddhism--study; Buddhist literature
摘要
One of the main issues in the recent movement known as Critical Buddhism (hihan bukkyo) is the question of which version of the Shobogenzo represents Dogen authentic philosophical message. Critical Buddhism has rejected the conventional emphasis on the priority of the 75-fascicle version，which contains the famous philosophical essays on “Buddha-nature” (Bussho) and “Being-Time” (Uji). Instead it emphasizes that the 12-fascicle Shobogenzo, which was written toward the end of Dogen life and contains mainly practical instructions for monks in training, is the real or authentic text because of its critique of original-enlightenment thought and consistent focus on karmic causality. This paper examines the Critical Buddhist view in the light of responses by traditional Dogen scholars. The debate is framed and evaluated in the larger context of Buddhist scholasticism and hermeneutics in which scholars try to reinterpret medieval sources from a classical or foundational standpoint and in terms of distinctively modern concerns.
