Bendōwa (辨道話), meaning Discourse on the Practice of the Way or Dialogue on the Way of Commitment, sometimes also translated as Negotiating the Way, On the Endeavor of the Way,[1] or A Talk about Pursuing the Truth, is an influential essay written by Dōgen, the founder of Zen Buddhism's Sōtō school in Japan.
[1] Although the text was written in 1231, making it the second piece he wrote following his return from China to Japan,[1][3] it was not widely known for hundreds of years until the Kanbun Era (1661–1673), when it was found in a temple in Kyoto.
In 1684, it was added in manuscript form by the monk Hangyo Kozen as the first fascicle of the 95-fascicle edition of Dōgen's already well-known master compilation, the Shōbōgenzō.
"[5] The essay primarily serves to introduce zazen 坐禅,[6] or seated meditation, to Japanese Buddhists, very few of whom would have been exposed to the practice.
"[4] In the remaining text, which adopts a question-and-answer format, Dōgen answers questions put forward by an archetypical novice Zen student.