Dharma-nature by birth. If this is the case, why did the Buddhas of all ages — undoubtedly in possession of enlightenment — find it necessary to seek enlightenment and engage in spiritual practice?" - Meaning and context.">
QuotesCosmos
As quoted in Eihei Dogen, Mystical Realist (2004) by Hee-jin Kim
“

As I study both the exoteric and the esoteric schools of Buddhism, they maintain that human beings are endowed with Dharma-nature by birth. If this is the case, why did the Buddhas of all ages — undoubtedly in possession of enlightenment — find it necessary to seek enlightenment and engage in spiritual practice?

— Dōgen

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "As I study both the exoteric and the esoteric schools of Buddhism, they maintain that human beings are endowed with Dharma-nature by birth. If this is the case, why did the Buddhas of all ages — undoubtedly in possession of enlightenment — find it necessary to seek enlightenment and engage in spiritual practice?" in the context of "As quoted in Eihei Dogen, Mystical Realist (2004) by Hee-jin Kim" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Source: Wikiquote: "Dōgen" (Quotes) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app

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#Dōgen#enlightenment#dharmanature#undoubtedly#possession#necessary#spiritual#exoteric#esoteric#buddhism#maintain#practice
Dōgen

About Dōgen

Dōgen (道元; also Dōgen Kigen 道元希玄, Eihei Dōgen 永平道元, titled as Dōgen Zenji Zen Master Dōgen 道元禅師) (19 January 1200 – 22 September 1253) was a Japanese Zen Buddhist priest, writer, poet, philosopher born in Kyōto, and the founder of the Sōtō school of Zen in Japan.