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Abstract
WILLIAM M. BODIFORD
Remembering
Dōgen:
Eiheiji and Dōgen
Hagiography
Dōgen
(1200-1253) occupies a prominent place in the history of Japanese
religions as the founder of the Sōtō school of Zen Buddhism. This essay
examines the religious rituals and historical vicissitudes that helped
elevate Dōgen to his present position of prominence. It uses the example
of Dōgen to illustrate how new historical identities are constructed in
response to social imperatives and institutional struggles. It argues
that we cannot fully understand Japanese religions in general and Sōtō Zen
in particular unless we become more sensitive to the ways that these
historical, social, and institutional factors shape our received images of
the past.
Volume
32, Number 1 (Winter 2006)
© 2006 Society for
Japanese Studies
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