Dōgen’s teaching turns again and again to zazen, especially shikantaza, “just sitting,” as the heart of the Way. Seated meditation without striving for special experiences, without clinging to objects or goals, is presented as both the path and the very manifestation of awakening. In this vision, practice is not a ladder climbed toward some distant enlightenment; each moment of wholehearted sitting is already the full expression of Buddhahood. This unity of practice and realization (shusho-ittō) undercuts any tendency to postpone awakening to another time or place, and calls for complete presence in the act of practice itself.

Flowing from this is Dōgen’s affirmation of universal Buddha‑nature and original enlightenment. All beings are said to be inherently endowed with this nature; practice does not manufacture enlightenment but reveals and actualizes what is already there. Ethical conduct, discipline, and observance of precepts are thus not mere external rules but natural expressions of this Buddha‑nature when it is lived without distortion. In this light, faith in the Buddha Way and continuous, day‑by‑day practice become expressions of confidence in the reality already present, rather than anxious efforts to acquire something lacking.

Dōgen also reflects deeply on impermanence and what he calls “being‑time” (uji), where time and existence are inseparable. Each moment is a complete event of being, unique and unrepeatable, and the very flux of impermanence is understood as the functioning of Buddha‑nature rather than a flaw in reality. To fully actualize the present is to recognize that all of existence is contained in this living moment. This perspective loosens attachment to fixed identities and supports the insight into non‑self, inviting a way of life that responds fluidly to changing conditions.

For Dōgen, the Dharma is not confined to the meditation hall. Everyday activities—cooking, cleaning, working, eating, sleeping—are all arenas where awakening can be enacted when approached with undivided attention and care. Monastic discipline and communal life serve as concrete frameworks for this continuous practice, shaping a setting in which each gesture, however ordinary, can embody the Way. In this context, elaborate ritual or practice pursued for prestige or reward is treated with suspicion, while sincerity, direct experience, and authentic teacher–student transmission are honored as the living pulse of the tradition.