< Issue No. 19 (2024)Article
Leaving Home (shukke 出家) as Metanoia in the Writings of Eihei Dōgen 永平道元
Pulido-Moyano, Rafael, Universidad de Almería
Abstract
This article shows the results of an interpretative inquiry into discourses on home leaving (shukke) written by 13th century CE Sōto zen master Eihei Dōgen. The inquiry is especially focused on his magnum opus Shōbōgenzō 正法眼蔵, though many other works have also been reviewed. The main thesis of this research states that, conceptually speaking, shukke constitutes a metanoia, a complete mental and spiritual transformation that, ultimately, can be realized and expressed either in monastic or secular ways of life.