Dōgen and the Exploration Model of Buddhist Practice: A Non-Teleological Approach

Abstract:Buddhist practice is commonly understood as a path from suffering to enlightenment. However, in the Chan and Zen traditions, this understanding was disrupted by the ideas of sudden enlightenment and original enlightenment. I contend that in the work of Huineng and especially Dōgen, a different understanding of Buddhist practice emerges, a non-teleological approach that I call the exploration model of Buddhist practice. In this essay, I defend this interpretation and argue that the exploration model is worthy of our attention as a distinctive understanding of Buddhist practice that has philosophical advantages over the path understanding. I begin by discussing developments in East Asia that led to challenges to the path model. I then present the interpretations of Huineng and Dōgen in turn. In the final section, I develop the exploration model and argue for its importance.