Dogen Zenji: The Architect of Presence

Introduction: Body and Mind Are One

In the lineage of Zen masters, Dogen Zenji (1200–1253) holds a singular place. If Bodhidharma brought the essence of Chan to China, Dogen imbued Japan with a rigor and metaphysical depth that made Zen much more than a simple meditation method: a way of being in the world. Founder of the Soto school, Dogen is the man of pure Zazen, the man who taught that meditation is not a means to attain enlightenment, but enlightenment itself in action.