38 Best Dōgen Quotes To Help You Find Your Zen

Eihei Dōgen is the late founder of the school of Zen named 'Sōtō' in Japan.

He founded Eihei-Ji, the monastery that is considered the head temple of the Sōtō school today. He has also written Eihei Koroku as a collection of his talks, poems, and experiences.

Dōgen is known as a famous Japanese monk, Zen master, writer, teacher, and philosopher. He is a popular 13th-century Zen in Japan, who followed the path of finding the true dharma, ways of Buddha, and the Zenji way of life. Dōgen says that "Every man possesses the Buddha-nature; do not demean yourselves", focusing on the point of working on oneself and the practice of accepting oneself the way they are. For more such Dōgen Zenji quotes, do check the list below.

For something similarly inspirational don't miss out on Daisaku Ikeda quotes and spiritual growth quotes.
 

Dōgen, known as the famous Zen in Japan, was a believer and follower of Buddha and true Dharma. These Dōgen quotes are perfect for searching for meaning in life.

1. "Those who see worldly life as an obstacle to Dharma see no Dharma in everyday actions. They have not yet discovered that there are no everyday actions outside of Dharma."

- Dōgen.

2. "A flower falls, even though we love it; and a weed grows, even though we do not love it."

- Dōgen.

3. "Life is short and no one knows what the next moment will bring. Open your mind while you have the opportunity."

- Dōgen.

4. "If he cannot stop the mind that seeks after fame and profit, he will spend his life without finding peace."

- Dōgen.

5. "If you want to travel the Way of Buddhas and Zen masters, then expect nothing, seek nothing, and grasp nothing."

- Dōgen.

6. "If you cannot find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it?"

- Dōgen.

7. "Do not miss the opportunity of offering even a single drop into the ocean of merit or a grain atop the mountain of the roots of beneficial activity."

- Dōgen.

It is important to understand and accept one's mind and body to attain enlightenment. Dōgen helps focus on this in his school of meditation just the way these quotes below do. Dōgen quotes are truly great to study oneself.

8. "In the authentic transmission of our religion, it is said that this Buddha-Dharma, which has been authentically and directly transmitted one-to-one, is supreme among the supreme"

- Dōgen.

9. "To start from the self and try to understand all things is a delusion. To let the self be awakened by all things is enlightenment."

- Dōgen.

10. "If a human being, even for a single moment, manifests the Buddha’s posture in the three forms of conduct, while that person sits up straight in samādhi, the entire world of Dharma assumes the Buddha’s posture and the whole of space becomes the state of realization."

- Dōgen.

11. "To study Buddhism is to study ourselves. To study ourselves is to forget ourselves."

- Dōgen.

12. "Your search among books, word upon word, may lead you to the depths of knowledge, but it is not the way to receive the reflection of your true self."

- Dōgen.

13. "When you find your place where you are, practice occurs, actualising the fundamental point."

- Dōgen.

14. "To be in harmony with the wholeness of things is not to have anxiety over imperfections."

- Dōgen.

15. "Everything in the universe in ten directions—soil, earth, grass, and trees; fences, walls, tiles, and pebbles—performs the Buddha’s work."

- Dōgen.

Dōgen quotes prove to be quite an inspiration for the Zenji followers. Take a look at these most influential quotes by Dōgen from his school, life, and otherwise experience. These Dōgen quotes do center around Buddhism but Dōgen quotes can also inspire you to become a better spiritual person.

16. "That you carry yourself forward and experience the myriad things is a delusion. That the myriad things come forward and experience themselves is awakening."

- Dōgen.

17. "People who truly follow the Buddha Way would do well to conceal the fact that they are Buddhists."

- Dōgen.

18. "A fool sees himself as another, but a wise man sees others as himself."

- Dōgen.

19. "Grass, trees, fences, and walls become able to preach for all souls, both common people and saints; and conversely, all souls, both common people and saints, preach for grass, trees, fences, and walls"

- Dōgen.

20. "Cause is not before and the effect is not after."

- Dōgen.

21. "Do not doubt that mountains walk simply because they may not appear to walk like humans."

- Dōgen.

22. "Zazen is the ultimate practice. This is indeed the True Self. The Buddha-dharma is not to be sought outside of this."

- Dōgen.

23. "It is wrong to cling to what you should not believe in, or to fail to ask about a truth you should seek."

- Dōgen.

Harmony in body, mind, and soul is the purest way of attaining peace. These quotes by Dōgen might help enlighten the balance better.

24. "When both body and mind are at peace, all things appear as they are: perfect, complete, lacking nothing."

- Dōgen.

25. "In your meditation, you yourself are the mirror reflecting the solution of your problems."

- Dōgen.

26. "To escape from the world means that one's mind is not concerned with the opinions of the world."

- Dōgen.

27. "Do not follow the ideas of others, but learn to listen to the voice within yourself. Your body and mind will become clear and you will realize the unity of all things."

- Dōgen.

28. "Working with plants, trees, fences, and walls, if they practice sincerely they will attain enlightenment."

- Dōgen.

29. "All-inclusive study is just single-minded sitting, dropping away body and mind."

- Dōgen.

Every influential person has a set of famous quotes. This list of quotes by Dōgen is equally popular amongst the Buddhist literary and Zen believing crowd.

30. "The whole moon and the entire sky are reflected in one dewdrop on the grass."

- Dōgen.

31. "You should regret that time, in unseen ways, is depriving you of your life of training in the Way."

- Dōgen.

32. "Truth is perfect and complete in itself. It is not something newly discovered; it has always existed."

- Dōgen.

33. "When other sects speak well of Zen, the first thing that they praise is its poverty."

- Dōgen.

34. "The Buddha meditated for six years, Bodhidharma for nine. The practice of meditation is not a method for the attainment of realization – it is enlightenment itself."

- Dōgen.

35. "Those who seek the easy way do not seek the true way."

- Dōgen.

36. "We do not tell our dreams before a fool, and it is difficult to put oars into the hands of a mountaineer."

- Dōgen.

37. "The world of self-consciousness, and the world of consciousness of external objects, lack nothing—they are already furnished with the concrete form of real experience."

- Dōgen.

38. "A zen master's life is one continuous mistake."

- Dōgen.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Dōgen quotes then why not take a look at zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance quotes, or Miyamoto Musashi quotes?