Dogen on Meditation And Thinking: A Reflection on His View of Zen Paperback – November 9, 2006

If you have any interest in Dogen's Zen, you should read this analysis. It is both unique and convincing. Chapter 3 is especially insightful.

This book is indispensable to understanding the writings of Dogan, especially the Shobogenzo. It also stands on its own as an intro to Zen.

Good as it is, it is still intellectualism of one ZEN tradition. I do not believe that Koans are the means to Enlightenment. For that, one might try another author. But it is still very well written though too wordy for my taste

Hee-Jin Kim's first book, "Eihei Dogen: Mystical Realist," is still THE BOOK on Eihei Dogen and his teachings, but with his publication of "Dogen on Meditation and Thinking: A Reflection on His View of Zen," it is no longer the ONLY book. This may be the most important work on the Zen teachings of the founder of Soto Zen in Japan in more than a decade.This latest book by Kim is a masterly work. He not only clarifies, and amplifies many of the major points of "Mystical Realist," he adds a wealth of new and often astonishing insight.Thirty years after his landmark book on Dogen, Kim shares the wisdom of a lifetime of study and meditation on Dogen's Zen. He provides the reader with a lucid, detailed, and understandable guide to some of the most powerful Zen teachings of Dogen, including explications on:The nondual unity of delusion and enlightenmentDogen's view (and mastery) of words, letters, language and expressionDogen's view on "the human condition"The dynamics of realizationThe important differences between "duality" and "dualism"Dogen's masterful use of Zen koansDogen's view of "the essential practice"Dogen on "original" vs. "acquired" enlightenmentAnd much more...Hee-Jin Kim uses Dogen's extraordinary studies of Zen koans, recent scholarship, and his own lifetime experience of studying Dogen's writings, to bring us into the very heart and mind of this amazing Zen master. Every sentence is packed with insight, from his powerful explication on the nondual nature of practice and enlightenment, to his comments on the current state of Dogen studies.In this work, Kim is even more straightforward than he was in "Mystical Realist." When he points out some of the things that "have been grossly overlooked by pratitioners and scholars alike," he does not pull any punches. With gentle, but firm and exacting language, Kim points out some of the glaring defects of much of the "Zen practice" being carried out in the name of Eihei Dogen at present. With no less precision, Kim dismantles some of the flawed presumptions at work in the scholarly communities, especially some of those offered by the proponents of "Critical Buddhism" within the Soto Zen academia.While the book remains focused on Zen master Eihei Dogen's teachings concerning meditation, thinking, not-thinking and nonthinking, the reader will be rewarded with information not found elsewhere in English.If I could give it 10 stars, I would. It is an essential book for any serious student of Zen. In fact, you should get at least two copies because, like "Mystical Realist," it is a book you will find yourself returning to so often you are bound to wear it out.Thank you Dr. Kim for sharing your profound knowledge and wisdom on this great Zen master! (Also, please re-print your other great book, Flowers of Emptiness. It is a goldmine of insights!)

A profoundly deep, clear, incisive orientation to Dogen's method. A life-changing book.

Wow!!!! Dogen's thought (now clearly) appears as a revelation that can be lived.

This book is a superior explication of Dogen Zenji's teachings. Dogen, known as one of the most difficult to understand Zen masters has also become known as one of the most profound thinkers to put word to paper. If you have more than a fleeting interest in Zen or Dogen, this is a fine companion to accompany you on the way. Professor Kim helps us gain insight into the, sometimes confusing world of Dogen and Zen. If you enjoy this book, Hee-Jin Kim's first book Dogen Kigen; Mystical RealistDogen Kigen: Mystical Realist (Monographs of the Association for Asian Studies) should also find a home in your library.

I'm about halfway through this book. It is useful and extremely interesting. The problem is that you have to ignore the writing to get to the meaning. The writing is that of a pompous dandy. I find myself taken out of the book over and over again to reflect upon why a writer would chose to construct a sentence in such a manner. I think if a book is constantly causing you to ask yourself whether the author is an obnoxious windbag or if you are just stupid, the writing has failed. That is definitely the case here. I give the book three stars - 5 for content and -2 for having to suffer through its pomposity.

"Thirty years after the publication of his classic work Dogen Kigen--Mystical Realist, Hee-Jin Kim reframes and recasts his understanding of Dogen's Zen methodology in this new book. Through meticulous textual analyses of and critical reflections on key passages primarily from Dogen's Shobogenzo, Kim explicates hitherto underappreciated aspects of Dogen's religion, such as the ambiguity of delusion and also of enlightenment, intricacies of negotiating the Way, the dynamic functions of emptiness, the realizational view of language, nonthinking as the essence of meditation, and a multifaceted conception of reason. Kim also responds to many recent developments in Zen studies that have arisen in both Asia and the West, especially Critical Buddhism. He brings Dogen the meditator and Dogen the thinker into relief. Kim's study clearly demonstrates that language, thinking, and reason constitute the essence of Dogen's proposed Zen praxis, and that such a Zen opens up new possibilities for dialogue between Zen and contemporary thought. This fresh assessment of Dogen's Zen represents a radical shift in our understanding of its place in the history of Buddhism." From the back cover"Kim has been very successful in providing novel, innovative means of interpreting Dogen's approach to such seminal issues as meditative thinking, nonduality, illusion, language, logical thinking, and realization. A new generation of readers will be eager to learn from the `grand master' of the field and will benefit from his insightful analysis of key passages from Dogen's collected works. This book will take its place among other prominent philosophical studies of Dogen by Masao Abe, Joan Stambaugh, and Gereon Kopf." Steven Heine, author of Dogen and the Koan Tradition: A Tale of Two Shobogenzo Texts."Hee-Jin Kim's first book, "Eihei Dogen: Mystical Realist", is still THE BOOK on Eihei Dogen and his teachings, but with his publication of "Dogen on Meditation and Thinking: A Reflection on His View of Zen," it is no longer the ONLY book. This may be the most important work on the Zen teachings of the founder of Soto Zen in Japan in more than a decade. This latest book by Kim is a masterly work. He not only clarifies, and amplifies many of the major points of "Mystical Realist," he adds a wealth of new and often astonishing insight." Ted Biringer, author of The Flatbed Sutra of Louie Wing: The Second Ancestor of Zen in the West.