Firstly, the joy of the zone and the bliss of the Atman are different things, but surprisingly, many people mix them up, and sometimes, when someone reaches the joy of the zone, they mistakenly believe it is the bliss of the Atman (the true self, or Brahman).

In reality, the joy of the zone is temporary, fluctuating, and belongs to the emotional realm. It is a process where the astral body, which governs emotions, is purified, and the resulting emotional joy is a wonderful sensation, akin to immense joy and a temporary state of bliss. Therefore, it is not so strange if someone mistakes it for something else.

If one does not know the feeling beyond the joy of the zone, it is understandable if they make such a mistake. Even religious leaders, or gurus, sometimes mix these concepts, especially those who have not yet reached that state or only occasionally experience it.

In the stage before the joy of the zone, even if it is a religious leader (guru), they often remain at the level of "understanding is important." They teach the same thing to their disciples until they themselves reach the joy of the zone. At the stage where one has not yet reached the joy of the zone, the truth remains "something to be understood intellectually," so they emphasize the importance of understanding it through logic.

In addition, there is a concept similar to the Tendai school's Honkaku-ron, which probably originated from several traditions of Indian Vedanta. The idea of "everyone is enlightened, inherently possessing it," which is the basis of Honkaku-ron, may have originated in India, and people who have studied Vedanta in India may talk about "understanding through understanding."

Some schools explain that there are "direct ways to reach the truth" and "ways to reach it through understanding," but in reality, the former is the ultimate destination, and the latter is the entrance. While it is possible for someone to first reach the former and then understand it later, this is rare. In most cases, people enter through the latter, understanding through logic, and eventually reach the direct truth.

Even in Japan during the 13th century when Dogen lived, the Tendai school's Honkaku-ron existed, and Dogen questioned this concept and embarked on a path of practice. Even now, some people are still importing concepts like Honkaku-ron from India and talking about "understanding leads to enlightenment," as if it were something new. When reading Dogen's writings, it is clear that he had reached the Atman (true self) and had attained a relatively high state of being. On the other hand, those who say "understanding leads to enlightenment" in Japan, while being accurate and eloquent in their arguments, do not seem to have reached the Atman.

In reality, understanding is important in the beginning, but it is important to build a foundation based on that understanding and then work hard in practice or in one's job to first enter the joy of the zone, then enter the state of stillness, and finally awaken the higher self, which is a higher level of consciousness. When that happens, the truth is not just about understanding, nor is it just about the joy of the zone; it is when the Atman (true self) awakens that one finally reaches the true bliss.

Surprisingly, many people do not understand this. They still believe in stories that have existed since the 13th century, such as "understanding leads to enlightenment," or even those who have studied such truths in India may confuse the joy of the zone with the Atman. When they see a guru who is in the zone and filled with joy, the surrounding followers praise the guru, but that joy is due to the fluctuations of emotions, which is an intermediate stage. To supplement this, they talk about the Atman in terms of logic, but even though those who have studied in India have logical and content that are quite close to the truth and are well-studied, in reality, it is much better to actually reach the Atman than to study it in detail and understand the logic correctly. Even if one understands through mere understanding or logic, it ultimately involves understanding through the thinking mind (conscious mind), whereas the understanding and knowledge at the level of the Atman, which is naturally "understood," are quite different.