A monk travels to 13th-century China in search of true Buddhism, then brings the art of Zen meditation to Japan.
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*About*
The inspiring true story of legendary Zen Master Dogen is brought to vivid life on the screen, more than 750 years after he lived his extraordinary life. To cast away everything, surrendering yourself to the flow of nature and just sitting in meditation… This is the essence of Dogen’s Zen Buddhism. In the 13th century, Dogen, a young Japanese monk traveled to China, determined to find his true master. There he found a monk who taught him that sitting in Zen meditation is the true and only path to enlightenment. Returning, enlightened, to Japan, Dogen risked his life to pioneer Zen Buddhism, inspiring the millions of Zen Buddhists who practice around the world today. Making his film debut in an astonishingly authentic performance of Dogen is Nakamura Kantaro, the 19th generation Kabuki actor and son of Kabuki legend, Nakamura Kanzaburo. In Kantaro’s incarnation, Dogen’s calm presence exudes a commanding authority, born of his unshakable faith and dedication to his cause. Surrounded by veteran actors, Kantaro and his supporting cast bring the 13th century vividly back to life. Veteran director Takahashi Banmei has written and directed a riveting, gorgeous drama of faith and power.
*Synopsis*
As Dogen's mother lies dying, she asks her 8 year old son, "Why must people fight wars and suffer from illness, unable to escape the pain of death? I want you to find a way to escape all this suffering."
Sixteen years later, Dogen begins his quest for a true master in China, where he finds only monks corrupted by power. By chance he meets Ji-uen, a young monk who advises him to visit the temple at Tendo Mountain, where Dogen meets Ju-ching, his true master and soon achieves enlightenment. After returning to Japan, Dogen settles into a temple in Kyoto and begins writing about the way of Zen he learned form his Chinese master. His austere, disciplined ways alienate many corrupt monks but also attract idealistic disciples. Among them is Ji-uen who has traveled to Japan to work with Dogen after the death of Ju-ching. Together Dogen and Ji-uen work to spread the Zen way but are soon branded heretics by the powerful Buddhist hierarchy who demand that Dogen leave Kyoto with all his disciples. Dogen and his disciples are protected by Yoshishige, a powerful magistrate, who escorts them to Anyoin, a temple in the mountains. There, Dogen meets Orin, a woman whose life he had saved when she was a child begging for food. Now, a mother who must sell her body for food, she is transformed by Dogen’s teachings and launches her own quest for spiritual enlightenment after her infant son dies. As the number of Dogen’s followers flourish, the powerful monks who drove him out of Kyoto grow resentful and set fire to his community. Once again, Yoshishige comes to Dogen’s rescue and provides land deeper in the mountains where Dogen and his monks start all over again. One day, Yoshishige calls on Dogen in distress. His master, the Shogun, is nearly out of his mind, tormented by the ghosts of the many warriors he killed in his bid for power. When Dogen arrives in the capitol the Shogun immediately taunts him with barbed questions about his Zen practice. Dogen explains that his Zen practice is "Just sitting in meditation. We sit and sit. Seeing things as they truly are…That is enlightenment." The Shogun is provoked by Dogen’s puzzlingly simple statements and eventually draws his sword, threatening to kill him for his insolence. But the Shogun is no match for the Zen master's unshakable conviction and soon he is on his knees, meditating beside Dogen. In the dark of winter, Dogen, now in his mid-50s, prepares to die. Before he dies, he instructs each of his beloved disciples, preparing them to hand down his Zen practice through the centuries, from one master to the next.
Series Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLb-PcQmeRVGLOKbVmuoNp9pCkduIzq56q
*Languages*
Audio: Japanese
Subtitles: English
In the video player:
1. Click [CC] to enable Closed Captions
2. Select [Settings⚙️]
3. Select [Audio track] and/or [Subtitles/CC], and choose from the available languages.
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Original title: 禅 ZEN
Release: January 10, 2009
*Cast*
Kantaro Nakamura as _Dogen_
Yuki Uchida as _Orin_
Tatsuya Fujiwara as _Tokiyori Hojo_
*Staff*
Director: Banmei Takahashi
Original Story: Tetsuo Otani
Screenplay: Banmei Takahashi
Producer: Satoshi Kannno, Shigeji Matsuura
#buddhiststory #drama #jidaigeki
Дата на публикация: 9 август, 2026
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