__________________________________________________
Conference Announcement Theme: Dōgen's texts Subtitle: Manifesting philosophy and/as/of religion? Type: International Online Workshop Institution: Hildesheim University Location: Online Date: 21.–23.1.2021 __________________________________________________ From Ralf Müller <ramu_ber...@gmx.net> International Online Workshop with Prof. Steve Heine (Florida International University) Organizer: Dr. Ralf Müller (Hildesheim University) We meet online Jan 21-23 2021, 2pm-5pm Berlin Time via Zoom. Please register: ralf.muel...@uni-hildesheim.de Thursday 14:00-14:40 Steven Heine: “When Mountains Can No Longer Be Seen”: A Critical History of Interpretations of an Ambiguous Shōbōgenzō Sentence 14:45-15:25 Steven Heine: Reality and Mentality. On Perceiving the World of Sentient and Insentient Beings. 15:35-16:15 Steven Heine: A Mystical Path Stemming from Eiheiji. The Significance of Text and Author. 16:20-17:00 Andre van der Braak: Engaging Dōgen’s Zen. Friday 14:00-14:40 Aldo Tollini: Dōgen and the Buddhist Way 14:45-15:20 Marta Sanvido: Forging the Founder’s Secret. Dōgen’s Apocrypha in Premodern Zen Kirigami and Monsan. 15:25-15:40 Étienne A. F. Staehelin: The changing image of Dōgen Zenji and his disciples Sen’e and Kyōgō in post-war Sōtō Zen denominational discourse 15:45-16:20 George Wrisley: Dōgen as Philosopher, Dōgen’s Philosophical Zen. 16:25-17:00 Raji Steineck: From Uji to Being-time (and Back): Translating Dōgen into Philosophy Saturday 14:00-14:25 Zuzanne Kubovčáková: Uji: Analysis of Dōgen’s Language Style as the Formation Ground for his Philosophy 14:30-14:55 Eitan Bolokan: Interpretive Sensibilities in Do̅gen's “Genjo̅ko̅an”. Negotiating the Path Between Textual Authority and Creativeness 15:00-15:25 Ralf Müller: Kyoto School Expounding the Texts of Zen Master Dōgen as Religious Commentary or Philosophical Interpretation? 15:35-16:00 Russell Guilbault: Dōgen as Philosopher, Metaphysician, and Metaethicist. 16:05-16:30 Laurentiu Andrei: The Practice of Time and the Time of Practice. Dōgen and Marcus-Aurelius on Impermanence and Self 16:35-17:00 He Teng: A brief introduction to Biyanlu and Chan/Zen Dōgen’s texts: Manifesting philosophy and/as/of religion? The Zen Buddhist Dōgen remains the most widely read pre-modern Japanese author in modern day philosophy since Meiji period. However, at the same time, his philosophical reception is most fiercely criticized by his denomination, i.e. by scholars of the Sōtō Zen community. The dispute was caused by the pretensions of non-denominational intellectuals to pave the way for an authentic apprenticeship independent of the practice of “sitting-only” (j. shikan taza) which was taught by the Sōtō school as the core of Dōgen’s Zen. However, the predominance of a “practical” interpretation of Dōgen covers up the linguistic complexities of Dōgen’s writings. In fact, the Shōbōgenzō’s emergence as a philosophical text exhibits, more than any other example, the history of Japanese philosophy in the making in modern age while competing with the premodern denominational approach. For this reason, Dōgen studies in Meiji Japan can be understood as a passage way in which the image projected on Dōgen underwent severe changes and multiplied. What exactly happened to Dōgen during that time still awaits to be spelled out both historically and systematically. And so do the account and discussion of its pre-Meiji conditions and post-Meiji results. The workshop aims at the core issue that became critical during Meiji period in which the philosophical appropriation of Dōgen worked as a catalyst to tackle the question both inside and outside the monastery: How are we to handle Dōgen’s texts? This issue is not limited to the apparent oppositions of premodern denominational authority vs. modern academic discourse, religion vs. philosophy, or commentary vs. critique. The emergence of a modern Shūgaku based on self criticism of practitioners or the convergence of philosophic discourse on Dōgen with denominational commentary literature are examples that undermine the apparent oppositions and show that the issue is more complex. Regarding present day Dōgen studies, most intricacies go back to or are informed by a number of different factions among those who receive Dōgen before, in, or since Meiji Japan: the Zennist (j. zenjōka) emphasising practice, the Genzōnians (j. genzōka) shifting the attention to the reading of Dōgen’s texts, the laity movement opening up both the texts and the practice to people in modern society, and the Genzō researchers (j. genzō kenkyūka) searching for the authenticity and truth of Dōgen’s writings. The workshop aims to clarify, undermine and/or revise the common images of Dōgen in the monastery, in the denominational studies, or modern academic philosophy. The objective is to bring into play the various discourses on Dōgen and to discuss their relation across times and factions in modern and premodern times by showing how and upon which conditions the present day images of Dōgen emerged. The challenge remains to establish hermeneutic standards of reading and to propose new, original, and critical interpretations of his texts. Contact: Dr. Ralf Müller Hildesheim University ralf.muel...@uni-hildesheim.de __________________________________________________ InterPhil List Administration: https://interphil.polylog.org InterPhil List Archive: https://www.mail-archive.com/interphil@list.polylog.org/ __________________________________________________
