二見対待

Definition

Reading: にけんたいだい / nikentaidai

Dualistic Opposition (二見対待) is a dualistic cognitive attitude that divides things into two opposing perspectives or concepts (two views), such as “existence and non-existence,” “good and evil,” or “sacred and ordinary,” and grasps them as mutually contrasting entities (opposition).
In Zen, this dichotomous way of understanding is considered a cause that hinders the understanding of true essence and creates delusion and attachment. For example, in the koan of "A Dog's Buddha-Nature (Jushi Bussho)," the attitude of the monk asking whether a dog has Buddha-nature or not is a typical example of "Dualistic Opposition," which tries to logically compare Buddha-nature within the relative framework of "existence" and "non-existence."
In contrast, Zhaozhou broke through dualistic opposition itself. He showed an absolute world beyond opposition—such as "True Emptiness and Wonderful Existence" or "Neither Increasing nor Decreasing"—and a spiritual state where existence and non-existence melt into one beyond distinction.