▸ HEAD-TO-HEAD

DOGEN VS HAKUIN

Dogen
1200–1253
At the edge of what language can hold.
Hakuin
1686–1769
At the edge of what language can hold.

▸ WHERE THEY SHARPLY DISAGREED

The three dimensions on which Dogen and Hakuin are farthest apart on Mull's 0–10 scale.

  • Will to PowerΔ 3 / 10
    Dogen: 2/10
    Hakuin: 5/10

    somewhat (3/10): Hakuin emphasises shaping and self-overcoming; Dogen weighs acceptance or context more.

  • Sovereign SelfΔ 3 / 10
    Dogen: 3/10
    Hakuin: 6/10

    somewhat (3/10): Hakuin treats the individual as the seat of moral authority; Dogen embeds it elsewhere.

  • Vital AffirmationΔ 1 / 10
    Dogen: 6/10
    Hakuin: 7/10

    somewhat (1/10): Hakuin affirms life as it is more readily; Dogen qualifies that affirmation.

▸ WHERE THEY OVERLAPPED

Where the gap is smallest — both with meaningful presence on the dimension (not "neither cared").

  • Self as Illusiongap 0 / 10
    Dogen: 9/10
    Hakuin: 9/10

    Both lean strongly into self as illusion.

  • Universalist Impulsegap 0 / 10
    Dogen: 7/10
    Hakuin: 7/10

    Both lean strongly into universalist impulse.

  • Embodied Sensibilitygap 0 / 10
    Dogen: 4/10
    Hakuin: 4/10

    Both keep embodied sensibility muted.

▸ ALL 16 DIMENSIONS

The full vector comparison. Bars show their 0–10 scores side-by-side.

  • Ascetic TendencyΔ 1
  • Communal EmbeddednessΔ 1
  • Embodied SensibilityΔ 0
  • Mystical ReceptivityΔ 1
  • Practical OrientationΔ 0
  • Reverence for TraditionΔ 0
  • Self as IllusionΔ 0
  • Skeptical ReflexΔ 0
  • Sovereign SelfΔ 3
  • Theoretical DriveΔ 1
  • Trust in ExperienceΔ 0
  • Trust in ReasonΔ 1
  • Tragic VisionΔ 0
  • Universalist ImpulseΔ 0
  • Vital AffirmationΔ 1
  • Will to PowerΔ 3
DOGENHAKUIN
What to do next

Where do you sit between Dogen and Hakuin?

  1. 01 · QUIZ
    The Inheritor
    Take the quiz — see which of them you sit closer to on the map.
    CONTINUE ▶
  2. 02 · PROFILE
    Patanjali
    A third thinker who sits between them — useful for triangulating.
    CONTINUE ▶
  3. 03 · ARENA
    Argue Dogen
    Face Dogen in a 5-minute single-turn debate, judged on rigor.
    CONTINUE ▶