The best way to understand Dogen's intenrions for his monastery is to study his monastic regulations. Dogen wrote several kinds of monastic rules and regulations.
@He wrote many books of regulations and etiquette. There are 6 main regulation books: Tenzo-kyokun (Tΐ³P); Tai-daikogogejari-ho (ΞεΘάΔθ@), Fushukuhan-po (Ρ@), Bendo-ho (ΩΉ@), Shuryo-shingi (OΎ΄K), and Chiji-shingi (m΄K). Dogen also wrote by-regulations at Eihei-ji.
@During the Edo period, these six major regulation collections were gathered in one book called the Eihei-shingi (i½΄K). In fact, however, Dogen did not intend to put them together. They were obviously independent writings.
@When we examine the contents of these sets of regulations, we can easily see that they do not cover every aspect of monastic daily life. Each covers a particular aspect of monastery life.
@That is to say, there are no general monastic regulations in Dogen's writings.
How, then, did Dogen and his disciples spend their religious lives? What kind of regulations did they depend on?@Dogen relied on the Chanyuen-chingkuei/Zennen-shingi (T΄K). This is the oldest extant set of Zen monastic regulations, written during the Northern Sung dynasty in China. Therefore, I can say that both of Dogen's monasteries, Kosho-ji and Eihei-ji, basically operated according to the same regulations as Chinese monasteries.
@However, the two systems are not completely same, since Dogen's monastery was surely located in Japan, which had a religious culture different from that of China.
@I supposed that Dogen wrote the Chiji-shingi to adjust the Chinese monastic system to Japanese Buddhism. In fact, if we examine the contents of this work, we can divide it into two parts. The first part is constructed from quotations from ancient biographies, to indicate the importance of the chiji (administrative monks) in the monastery. Dogen asserts that the monk who is appointed chiji does not occupy a political position, but is only a wholehearted practitioner.
@In the Southern Sung dynasty, when Dogen went to China, all the chiji were appointed by the religious administrative office, a political institution. Hence, they were a kind of administrator, rather than the leading monks of any practice. Dogen seems to want to refuse this aspect, emphasizing his own ideal style of chiji, quoting the story of a monk who lived in the Tang dynasty. This approach suggests that Dogen aimed to shape the early Zen monastic style into his own ideal one.
@The second part of his work is the second half in the Chiji-shingi, in which Dogen made comments on the Chanyuen-chingkuei. The second half of the Chiji-shingi is basically a commentary on the Chanyuen-chingkuei. I am sure that this is quite important for clarifying the characteristics of Dogen's plans for his monastery.
@Also, we should consider this that this set of regulations was published on July 15th, 1246. On this day, Dogen changed name of his temple from Daibutsu-ji to Eihei-ji. That is, this set of regulations shows us his final plans for creating his own monastery in Japan.
Now, I will explain what kind of image for his monastery Dogen had, using concrete examples with Dogen's own commentaries.
Here, I would like to cite several passages in Chiji-shingi, and indicate the characteristics of Dogen's commentaries on each passage.sAll the English translations are cited from Dogen's Pure Standards for the Zen Community (translated by Taigen Daniel Leighton and Shohaku Okumura, New York Press, 1996)t
First, I will compare the Chanyuen-chingkuei/Zennen-shingi to Dogen's commentary on the description of the position of kannin (Δ@, monastery director).
<Go to the reference page (Hondout no.2)> (1) Kan-in (Drector)
The first line of the Chanyuen-chingkuei says, "The single job of director governs all the general affairs of the temple,"
It also says,Minor affairs of the temple \for example, everyday matters\ can be handled on one's own. For substantial matters or unprecedented situations affecting the temple's dignity, then the temple administrators and department heads together should deliberate and then get the abbot's approval.
Please note the highlighted phrases in this passage.
@Note at the kannin is allowed to handle minor matters himself. We can see this same phrase in the 3rd chapter on the section on the tenzo (monastery cook). It reades:
[the tenzo] must energetically manage it personally,......Such food as miso, vinegar, pickles, and dried vegetables must be prepared solely with the tenzo's direction.
These phrases sound quite ordinary, since the Chanyuen-chingkuei treats both psitions as a kind of managerial class. However, Dogen's commentaries in Kan-in chapter show us a different aspect:
When dealing with affairs, definitely consult with the temple administrators before carrying them out. Without taking things as large or small, consult with people before taking care of business, that is exactly acting for the sake of the public.
In the tenzo chapter, Dogen refers again to this same idea.
The tenzo should not proceed according to their own tastes, but must first entrust it to consultation with the administrators. Their agreement must be sought again and again, not done hastily. The temple administrators also must not make decisions based on their own personal inclinations. Just consult tohether using public mind [dedicated to everyone] and the mind of the Way.
That is to say, Dogen required the chiji to consult other chiji on every monastic matter, large or small. It seems that, Dogen intended to create a so-called 'chiji consulting system' at Eihei-ji.
Besides, as I mentioned above, these administrative monks rotated every year.
We can see in these remarks that Dogen wanted to prevent these positions from becoming a special privilege. He feared that some monks might come to possess such privilege.This is one characteristic of Dogen's commentary.@On the other hand, we can see another aspect in the highlighted part of the section on the kannin. It is that Dogen did not refer to the role of the abbot. It seems that Dogen did not regard the temple abbot as important.
In the Chanyuen-chingkuei, the abbot has the power to make final decision on important matters.
The chapter on the shissui(ΌΞ, the work leader) has same notion. Please look at the section on the shissui.@The Chuanyuen-chinkuei/Zennen-shingi says:
If there are major repairs or significant projects, they should be conducted after consultation and getting the approval of the abbot, them conferring with the other temple administrators about the [work leader's] plan.
Dogen does not make any comments on this sentence. He just explains how to manage lay helpers.
@Please think about it. Who was the abbot of Eiheiji, at the time when these regulations were written? No doubt, if it was Dogen. That is to say, he did not regard his own role as important. Dogen intended to create a horizontal relationship among the monks, abbot, administrator, and trainees in the monastery. This is the second characteristic of Dogen's commentary.
@The third characteristic is directly related to the status of Eiheiji as an independent monastery.
Both the chapter on the ino (supervisor of monks) and that on the shissui clearly illustrate this, in their limitation of official duties. Please look at no.2, the ino chapter.@In Chuanyuen-chinkuei, the ino has many kinds of work, such as instructing newcomers, appointing the minor administrative monks, and the liaison work with the government.
@In opposite, in Dogen's commentary, the ino's job was only to instruct newcomers.
@No.4, the chapter on the shissui refers a similar shift.
In the Chanyuen-chinkuei/Zennnen-shingi, the shissui leads not only all the monastic work, but also matters of the monastic farm and manor (sho-en), where locates outside of the temple. However, Dogen does not refer to any external work, such as manor maintenance.
He instincts the shissui only to manage lay helpers in the temple, and the maintenance of the temple yard and buildings.@That is to say, all external work is eliminated in Dogen's commentary. As I mentioned above, this tendency shows that Eiheiji was detached from any political powers.
These aspects seem to show us that Dogen intended to create a kind of 'Democratic monastery'.@Unfortunately I cannot confirm this, but I want to say that this is Dogen's own idealized monastic system, based on early zen/chan monasteries in Tang dynasty.
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