Some point out that at the beginning of the women are being Raihai tokuzui, compared to foxes and stone pillars. Steven Heine writes: to affirming the role of women,] the also suggests, Raihai tokuzui “[In addition perhaps ironically, that demons, pillars and foxes are worthy representatives of the Dharma.” To this reader, though, the apparent irony in comparing women to foxes and pillars lessens, and even disappears, if one knows to what Dogen refers when he brings up foxes and pillars, and if one reminds oneself about oft-used level-shifting, Dogen’s paradoxical, ever challenging “koan-like” writing strategy. Most important, Dogen’s message surely was that every single thing, however unremarkable or apparently mundane, can be teacher. one’s the Marrow by A close reading 3. “Getting Doing Obeisance”: The essay is found in two versions. The short version is attested Raihaitokuzui by many manuscript versions, while the long version, which contains the short version plus additional material, is attested by only one. The long version is found in the “Secret in 28 chapters housed at the Eiheiji temple. Since the creation of [Himitsu] Shobogenzo” the 95-chapter edition of the in the early nineteenth century, the Shobogenzo “Honzan” long version has been included in many subsequent editions and in English translations. William Bodiford argues that the contemporary almost universal inclusion of the additional material gives us a false idea that the additional material was important and well-known in the pre-modern period, and creates a chapter that disturbs the flow of the
Some point out that at the beginning of the Raihai tokuzui, women are being compared to foxes and stone pillars. Steven Heine writes: “[In addition to affirming the role of women,] the Raihai tokuzui also suggests, perhaps ironically, that demons, pillars and foxes are worthy representatives of the Dharma.” To this reader, though, the apparent irony in comparing women to foxes and pillars lessens, and even disappears, if one knows to what Dogen refers when he brings up foxes and pillars, and if one reminds oneself about Dogen’s oft-used level-shifting, paradoxical, ever challenging “koan-like” writing strategy. Most important, Dogen’s message surely was that every single thing, however unremarkable or apparently mundane, can be one’s teacher. 3. “Getting the Marrow by Doing Obeisance”: A close reading The essay Raihaitokuzui is found in two versions. The short version is attested by many manuscript versions, while the long version, which contains the short version plus additional material, is attested by only one. The long version is found in the “Secret [Himitsu] Shobogenzo” in 28 chapters housed at the Eiheiji temple. Since the creation of the 95-chapter “Honzan” edition of the Shobogenzo in the early nineteenth century, the long version has been included in many subsequent editions and in English translations. William Bodiford argues that the contemporary almost universal inclusion of the additional material gives us a false idea that the additional material was important and well-known in the pre-modern period, and creates a chapter that disturbs the flow of the