Shobogenzo Shoaku-Makusa 8: Balancing History.
Master Dogen continues his discussion of 'doing good' emphasising that 'good', in the Buddhist sense, is something much more direct and fundamental than ideas or theories of doing good... Doing right is good doing, but it is not something that can be fathomed intellectually. Good doing in the present is a vigorous eye, but it is beyond intellectual consideration. Master Dogen uses the term 'a vigorous eye' to represent the view we gain in practice, in 'dropping off body and mind', or our life experienced without it being chopped up by our thinking 'good' and 'bad', 'this' and 'that', 'me' and 'other' etc. All our actions are fundamentally like this, they aren't abstract thoughts or feelings. [Vigorous eyes] are not realized for the purpose of considering the Dharma intellectually. Consideration by vigorous eyes is never the same as consideration by other things. Learning in zazen is therefore different...