Dogen and His Monks: The Practice of Zazen
Historical Context
Dogen Zenji (1200-1253) was a Japanese Buddhist priest and founder of the Soto school of Zen in Japan. After studying in China under Master Rujing, he returned to Japan with a revolutionary teaching: zazen (sitting meditation) is not a technique to attain enlightenment but is itself the manifestation of enlightenment. This teaching, known as “practice-realization oneness” (shushō-ittō), formed the cornerstone of Soto Zen.
In his mountain monastery of Eiheiji, Dogen taught monks through formal dharma talks (dharma hall discourses) and intimate instruction. His written works, especially the Shōbōgenzō (Treasury of the True Dharma Eye), are considered among the most profound Buddhist texts ever composed.
The Dialogues
On the Nature of Zazen
Monk: “Master, we sit in zazen day after day, but when will we attain enlightenment? How long must we practice before we realize our buddha-nature?”
Dogen: “Your question itself reveals your delusion. You think zazen is a means and enlightenment is an end—as if they are separated by time and effort. This is like a fish asking ‘When will I finally find water?’
Zazen is not practice FOR enlightenment. Zazen IS the manifestation of original enlightenment. When you sit with correct posture, correct breathing, and correct mind—letting thoughts come and go without grasping—you are already expressing your complete, perfect buddha-nature.
There is no buddha-nature to be attained or discovered. You are buddha-nature. You have always been buddha-nature. You will always be buddha-nature. Sitting zazen is simply allowing this truth to be fully embodied in this moment.”
Monk: “But Master, if we are already enlightened, why practice at all? Why sit in painful meditation if there is nothing to gain?”
Dogen: “This is the most common misunderstanding. Listen carefully: I am not saying you are enlightened and therefore don’t need to practice. I am saying that practice IS enlightenment.
Imagine a mirror. Does a mirror need to practice reflecting? No—reflecting is the mirror’s nature. Yet the mirror must be present to reflect. In the same way, you don’t practice zazen to BECOME enlightened; you practice zazen to EMBODY enlightenment.
Furthermore, even though water is inherently wet, does this mean you shouldn’t drink when you’re thirsty? Even though you have feet, does this mean you shouldn’t walk? Your buddha-nature is complete, yet it must be actualized, lived, expressed—and zazen is this actualization.
This is what I call shikan-taza: just sitting. Not sitting to get something. Not sitting to become someone. Just sitting with full presence, full awareness, full being. This is the highest practice because it is practice without gaining-mind.”
On Practice and Realization
Monk: “Master, you teach that practice and realization are one. But traditionally, we are told that practice leads to realization—that they are two stages on the path. How can they be one?”
Dogen: “This is the deepest teaching of buddhadharma, which most misunderstand. Practice and realization are not two things that happen in sequence. They are two aspects of one reality, like the two sides of a hand.
When you practice with the idea ‘I am practicing NOW so that I will realize enlightenment LATER,’ you have already fallen into delusion. You have created a gap between this moment and some future moment. You have split reality in two.
But what is realization? It is seeing things as they truly are, right now. And what is practice? It is living in accord with how things truly are, right now. How can these be separate?
Consider: when you walk, is walking the practice and arriving the realization? No! Each step IS arrival. In the same way, each moment of zazen is complete realization. There is nowhere else to go, nothing else to attain.
This is not to say that understanding doesn’t deepen, that wisdom doesn’t mature. Of course it does. But this deepening happens within practice-realization, not as a movement from practice toward some separate realization.”
Monk: “Then why do you encourage us to practice continuously, even rigorously? If we are already complete, why the emphasis on discipline?”
Dogen: “Because practice-realization is not a belief to accept but a reality to embody. You can intellectually understand that you are buddha-nature, but until you actualize this through practice, it remains mere concept.
Continuous practice is not about becoming buddha—you cannot become what you already are. It is about clarifying, deepening, stabilizing your realization. It is about allowing this truth to penetrate every aspect of your being until there is no gap between knowing and being.
Moreover, practice is an expression of gratitude. The buddhas and ancestors practiced not because they needed to, but because practice itself is the natural expression of awakened life. When you truly realize who you are, you spontaneously want to sit, to bow, to practice—not from necessity but from joy.”
On Shikantaza (Just Sitting)
Monk: “Master, other schools teach various meditation techniques—counting the breath, following the breath, working on koans. But you teach shikantaza, just sitting. How is this different, and why is it superior?”
Dogen: “I do not claim superiority—different students need different medicines. But understand what shikantaza truly is: it is the purest expression of zazen, stripped of all instrumentality.
When you count the breath, you have counting-mind. When you follow the breath, you have following-mind. When you work on a koan, you have investigating-mind. All of these are forms of gaining-mind—using meditation to get somewhere else, to achieve something.
Shikantaza is zazen without any object, any goal, any technique. You simply sit in upright posture with alert awareness. Thoughts arise—you don’t follow them or suppress them. You simply return to sitting. Sensations arise—you don’t indulge or reject them. You simply return to sitting.
This is not easy! Many think shikantaza is doing nothing, but it requires the most concentrated effort—the effort of non-striving, the concentration of non-concentration. You must be fully present, fully alert, yet without any grasping or rejecting.
When you can truly just sit—not sitting to become enlightened, not sitting to calm the mind, not sitting to have an experience—then you are intimate with your original nature. This is zazen in its purest form.”
Monk: “But Master, when I just sit, my mind wanders constantly! I am drowsy or agitated, lost in thought. What should I do?”
Dogen: “First, correct your posture. Sit with backbone straight, chin slightly tucked, hands in cosmic mudra, breathing naturally. Right posture is already right mind.
Second, do not fight with thoughts or drowsiness. Fighting creates more disturbance. When you notice you are lost in thought, simply return to the upright sitting posture. Again and again. This is the practice: not perfection, but continuous return.
Third, understand that even wandering mind, even drowsy sitting, is an expression of buddha-nature. The goal is not to have a perfect, peaceful mind—this is still gaining-mind! The goal is simply to sit, whatever arises.
Dogen sat zazen for many years after his realization. If zazen were only a means to enlightenment, why would he continue? Because zazen IS enlightenment expressing itself. Whether your mind is calm or chaotic, clear or confused—just sit! This sitting itself is complete.”
On Buddha Nature
Monk: “Master, you recently wrote that all beings have buddha-nature. But the sutras say all beings WILL HAVE buddha-nature—meaning it will be revealed in the future through practice. Which is correct?”
Dogen: “This is one of the most important points in all of buddhadharma. The statement ‘all beings have buddha-nature’ is still not complete. Listen:
Buddha-nature is not something beings have or don’t have, like a possession. Buddha-nature is not potential waiting to be actualized. Buddha-nature IS beings. Buddha-nature IS the mountains, rivers, grass, and trees. Buddha-nature IS time, space, and all phenomena.
When we say ‘all beings HAVE buddha-nature,’ we create duality—beings here, buddha-nature there. This is delusion. When we say ‘all beings WILL HAVE buddha-nature,’ we create separation in time—not yet realized, someday realized. This too is delusion.
The truth is: buddha-nature IS all beings. There is nothing that is not buddha-nature. This very moment, in this very body, sitting in this very posture—this is buddha-nature completely expressed. Not potentially, not partially, but fully and completely.
The mountains’ solemn stillness is buddha-nature. The river’s continuous flowing is buddha-nature. Your sitting here, with all your doubts and questions, is buddha-nature. Nothing is left out; nothing is lacking.”
Monk: “But Master, what about evil people? What about those who harm others? Are they also buddha-nature?”
Dogen: “Even those who commit evil are buddha-nature, though they are thoroughly deluded about their true nature. Their evil actions are not expressions of buddha-nature but distortions of it—like a mirror that is clouded cannot reflect clearly, yet it is still a mirror.
The tragedy of evil is not that someone lacks buddha-nature but that they are so confused about their true nature that they act against it. This is why compassion, not judgment, is the appropriate response.
However, understand this: saying ‘everything is buddha-nature’ is not moral relativism. Evil is still evil; it causes suffering and must be opposed. Buddha-nature recognizing itself works naturally for the benefit of all beings. When confusion obscures this recognition, harmful action results.
The practice is to realize your buddha-nature so completely that harmful action becomes impossible—not through moral restraint but through natural expression of your true nature.”
On Impermanence and Being-Time
Monk: “Master, you teach that we should practice as if our hair is on fire, with utmost urgency. Is this because life is impermanent and death could come at any moment?”
Dogen: “Yes—but understand impermanence deeply. Most people think impermanence means ‘things exist but they change and eventually disappear.’ This is superficial understanding.
Impermanence means that each moment is completely new. This moment has never existed before and will never exist again. You have never been this exact you before; you will never be this exact you again. This is the profound teaching of impermanence.
More deeply still: impermanence IS being. Being is not something that exists and then changes. Being IS changing. Time is not something in which existence happens. Time IS existence.
This is what I call uji—being-time. Each being IS time. Time IS being. You are not IN time; you ARE time. The mountains are time, the rivers are time, your sitting is time. Each moment of zazen is all time—past, present, and future fully present.
When you understand this, urgency is not about fear of death. Urgency is about recognizing the absolute preciousness and uniqueness of this moment. This sitting, right now, will never happen again. This breath will never be breathed again. How can you waste even one moment in delusion?”
Monk: “This teaching makes me anxious, Master. If each moment is so precious, how can I possibly appreciate each one fully? I feel I am constantly missing it!”
Dogen: “You miss it when you think about missing it! You are already in this moment—you cannot be anywhere else. The anxiety comes from standing apart from this moment and judging it.
Just sit. When you sit, sitting is all time. When you walk, walking is all time. When you eat, eating is all time. Each activity, done with full presence, is complete realization of being-time.
The way to honor the preciousness of this moment is not to think about how precious it is but to fully BE this moment. Zazen is the practice of complete presence—not thinking about being present, but being present.
Do not worry about missing moments. Even ‘missing’ is complete being-time. Even confusion is buddha-nature manifesting. Trust this. Sit this. Be this.”
On Continuous Practice
Monk: “Master, you have emphasized continuous practice (gyoji) as essential. But if we are already buddha-nature, why continue practicing after initial realization?”
Dogen: “Because practice is not a path FROM delusion TO enlightenment. Practice is the FORM that enlightenment takes. The realized person practices not to become enlightened but because practice IS realized life.
Look at the buddhas and ancestors. Did they stop practicing after realization? No! They practiced even more deeply, more continuously. Why? Because they understood that practice-realization is endless, bottomless.
There is no end point where you can say ‘I am finished with practice.’ This is because buddha-nature is infinite and dynamic, not static and limited. Each moment offers fresh realization. Each sitting deepens and clarifies.
Moreover, continuous practice is how realization stabilizes and permeates your entire being. Initial realization might be like lightning—brilliant but brief. Continuous practice is like the sun—steady, warming, illuminating everything.
This is why I established the monastery here in these mountains—to create a place where practice can be continuous, uninterrupted by worldly concerns. Here, every activity is practice: sitting, walking, eating, working, sleeping. This total immersion allows realization to ripen completely.”
Key Teachings
1. Practice-Realization Oneness
Practice and enlightenment are not separate—they are one reality. Sitting zazen is not a means to attain enlightenment in the future; it is enlightenment manifesting in the present moment.
2. Shikantaza (Just Sitting)
The highest form of zazen is sitting without goal, object, or technique—pure presence in upright posture. This is not easy passivity but concentrated non-striving.
3. Buddha-Nature IS Being
Buddha-nature is not a possession or potential but the very being of all existence. Everything—mountains, rivers, grass, trees, and all beings—IS buddha-nature.
4. Being-Time (Uji)
Time and being are not separate. Each being IS time; each moment IS being. Past, present, and future are fully present in each moment of practice.
5. Continuous Practice
Practice is not preliminary to realization but its expression. Even after realization, practice continues—not to achieve anything but as the natural form of awakened life.
6. Direct Expression
Enlightenment is not something hidden to be discovered but present to be expressed. Right posture, right breathing, right mind in zazen is direct expression of original enlightenment.
Practical Applications
Daily Zazen Practice
- Sit in stable posture with straight spine
- Let thoughts arise and pass without grasping or suppressing
- Simply return to upright sitting when you notice wandering
- Practice without gaining-mind—not to get calm or enlightened
- Let each sitting be complete in itself
Understanding Practice
- Release the idea that practice is a means to future attainment
- Recognize each moment of practice as complete expression of buddha-nature
- Don’t evaluate practice as “good” or “bad”—just sit
- Continue practicing not to achieve but to embody realization
Living Being-Time
- Recognize the absolute uniqueness and preciousness of each moment
- Give yourself fully to whatever you are doing
- Don’t waste moments in regret for the past or anxiety about the future
- Understand that each activity, done with full presence, is complete practice
Questions for Contemplation
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Am I practicing meditation to get somewhere, or can I recognize that sitting itself is already complete?
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What would it mean to sit in zazen without any gaining-mind whatsoever—no goal, no expectation, no evaluation?
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How is buddha-nature expressing itself through my life right now, in this exact moment, including all difficulties and imperfections?
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What is my experience of time? Do I experience time as something I’m in, or can I sense that I AM time?
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If practice and realization are one, how does this change my relationship to spiritual life?
The Significance of This Dialogue
Dogen’s teaching represents one of the most radical formulations of Zen Buddhism. While other schools taught that zazen was a technique to attain enlightenment (which could happen suddenly through breakthrough or gradually through accumulation of insight), Dogen taught that zazen itself is enlightenment.
This teaching cuts through what Buddhists call “gaining-mind”—the subtle (or not-so-subtle) desire to use spiritual practice to get something, even enlightenment. Gaining-mind is actually an obstacle to realization because it reinforces the sense of a separate self who lacks something and needs to acquire it.
For modern practitioners, Dogen’s teaching is both liberating and challenging. It’s liberating because it means we don’t have to wait for some future attainment—enlightenment is available right now in this moment of practice. It’s challenging because it offers no escape from the necessity of practice—we can’t say “I’m already enlightened, so I don’t need to practice.”
The emphasis on continuous practice is particularly relevant in contemporary spirituality, which often seeks peak experiences and breakthrough moments. Dogen reminds us that spiritual life is not about collecting experiences but about deepening and stabilizing realization through sustained practice.
His teaching on being-time has profound implications for how we relate to the present moment. In a culture obsessed with past and future, constantly distracted and fragmented, Dogen points to the fullness available when we realize that this moment is all time—complete, whole, and precious beyond measure.
Finally, Dogen’s insistence that buddha-nature IS all beings, not just something all beings have, dissolves the dualism between the sacred and the ordinary. There is no realm of enlightenment separate from daily life. The cooking, cleaning, working, and relating are themselves the expression of buddha-nature when done with full presence. This democratizes enlightenment while maintaining the necessity of practice to realize it.