Zen Philosophy of Mindfulness: Nen 念 according to Dōgen’s Shōbōgenzō
Religions August 24, 2022 DOI: 10.3390/rel13090775 via Semantic Scholar
Summary
Dōgen's concept of nen (念) in Zen philosophy is the self beyond the sense of body-mind or time, attainable after long cultivation. Examining his Treasury of the True Dharma Eye through the threefold wisdom framework reveals that study and reflection are essential on the Buddhist path alongside practice. Nen connects to critical concepts such as just sitting, dropping off body-mind, and the oneness of practice and awakening.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Philosophy |
| Citations | 4 |
| Key finding | Dōgen considers study and reflection essential on the Buddhist path, and nen is the self beyond the sense of body-mind or time, attainable after long cultivation. |
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to holistically comprehend the concept of nen 念in the Zen philosophy of Dōgen (道元 1200–1253), which is one of the origins of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, in relation to his principal concepts. This article specifically investigates its usages in his masterpiece, Treasury of the True Dharma Eye (Shōbōgenzō 正法眼蔵), according to each step of the threefold wisdom (san-e 三慧); for mindfulness is a common thread among them and he presents the concept of “monshishū-shō 聞思修證”, of which shō 證 stands for “awakening”. It is revealed that Dōgen considers “study” (mon 聞) and “reflection” (shi 思) to be essential on the Buddhist path, as well as “practice” (shū 修), and that nen 念 in Dōgen’s philosophy is the self beyond the sense of body-mind or time, which can be attained after long cultivation. Also, the connections among nen 念 and his critical concepts such as “just sitting” (shikan taza 祇管打坐), “dropping off body-mind” (shinjin datsuraku 身心脱落), and “oneness of practice and awakening” (shūshō ittō 修證一等) are elucidated.