Author Description

Looks at D?gen’s writings on meditation and thinking. Thirty years after the publication of his classic work D?gen Kigen—Mystical Realist, Hee-Jin Kim reframes and recasts his understanding of D?gen’s Zen methodology in this new book. Through meticulous textual analyses of and critical reflections on key passages primarily from D?gen’s Sh?b?genz?, Kim explicates hitherto underappreciated aspects of D?gen’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 D?gen the meditator and D?gen the thinker into relief. Kim’s study clearly demonstrates that language, thinking, and reason constitute the essence of D?gen’s proposed Zen praxis, and that such a Zen opens up new possibilities for dialogue between Zen and contemporary thought. This fresh assessment of D?gen’s Zen represents a radical shift in our understanding of its place in the history of Buddhism. “Kim makes sense of D?gen’s puzzling grammar in lucid prose Kim’s scholarship and delivery are impeccable.” — Original Mind “By offering a creative approach to reflections about Zen through philosophical musings and weaving a path that ties together diverse themes and outlooks, Kim provides a new generation of readers who are eager to learn from the ‘grand master’ of the field an insightful analysis of key passages from D?gen’s collected works.” — Journal of Religion “Kim’s sophisticated forays into D?gen’s enigmatic texts convey the sense of closing in on the essence of this thought.” — Japanese Journal of Religious Studies “ Kim spells out his thinking with such clarity that any reader interested in ma