This paper takes the 39th chapter of the Denko-roku as its central subject matter, because this chapter explains that the stage of spiritual enlightenment is identical with the act that “man dreams a dream or a phantom.” I aim make clear the real images of spiritual enlightenment in Zen Buddhism, by examining the contents of the text above mentioned.
I compare the Sandongqi, Ratnakuta, and the some esoteric scriptures to the Denko-roku, because the Ratnakuta and esoteric scriptures often speak of “illusion-like samadhi and of dreams, the Sandongqi considers the Buddha-nature.
It becomes clear that the stage of citta-parisuddhi through “dreams” is considered to be absolute in the Zen thought of the Denko-roku. I hope to find more examples of “dreams” in other Zen texts besides the Denko-roku, and take them into my consideration in the future.
