The Core
嘆仏偈 (Tanbutsu-ge) is a verse recited during Tanbutsu, a Zen Buddhist ritual dedicated to praising the form and virtues of the Buddha. While commonly regarded as "a verse for extolling the merits of the Buddha," this dictionary defines it as "not an act of idolizing a specific founder, but a transformative practice where, by praising one who has realized the natural laws and universal truths (a Buddha), the practitioner shifts their object of refuge from 'a person' to 'Truth itself,' thereby performing a ritual to unify their existence with the world."
Q&A
- Q: Why does the deification or sanctification of the Buddha become an obstacle to the practice of the Buddha Way?
- A: Because deifying the Buddha fixes the "Truth" as an object outside of oneself, creating a definitive gap between the practitioner and the reality they seek. To look up to the Buddha as a distant, exalted being hinders the realization of one's own "Buddha-nature"—the potential to embody the same Truth. Consequently, it replaces the practice of walking the path of Truth on one’s own feet with a passive waiting for salvation from an external power.
