Q0206
“To study the Buddha Way is to study the self. To study…” — Dōgen (Shōbōgenzō, Genjōkōan)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Shōbōgenzō, Genjōkōan. Theme: practice.
English
To study the Buddha Way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Shōbōgenzō, Genjōkōan and files it under Zen Buddhism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Dōgen
Dōgen (1200–1253) was the Japanese founder of the Sōtō school of Zen after studying in Song China under Rujing. Returning to Japan, he established monastic communities culminating at Eiheiji.
How to read this passage
Many traditions insist that understanding without practice is incomplete—Stoic exercises, Confucian self-cultivation, Buddhist path, and pragmatist inquiry all treat doing as epistemic. This passage enters that discussion through practice, self.
Concepts in this quote
- Practice
- Practice is where thought becomes habit: philosophy as a way of living, training, and repeated action.
- Self
- Philosophy quotes about self explore identity, responsibility, and the examined life—from Socrates’ unexamined life to modern phenomenology and existential authenticity.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Dōgen. (n.d.). To study the Buddha Way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0206
MLA: Dōgen. “To study the Buddha Way is to study….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0206.
Chicago: Dōgen. “To study the Buddha Way is to study….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0206.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “To study the Buddha Way is to study…”?
The passage is attributed to Dōgen, Shōbōgenzō, Genjōkōan. The archive attributes this English wording to Shōbōgenzō, Genjōkōan and files it under Zen Buddhism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Dōgen mean by practice?
Many traditions insist that understanding without practice is incomplete—Stoic exercises, Confucian self-cultivation, Buddhist path, and pragmatist inquiry all treat doing as epistemic. This passage enters that discussion through practice, self.