Master Dogen's Shobogenzo

Master Dogen’s Shobogenzo #1

by Gudo Nishijima (Translator), Chodo Cross

This translation, supported by the Japan Foundation, makes a strong claim to be the definitive translation of the 95 chapter edition of Shobogenzo, the essential Japanese Buddhist text, written in the 13th century by Zen Master Dogen. The translation adheres closely to the original Japanese, with a clear style and extensive annotations.

Book 1 presents translations of twenty-one chapters of Shobogenzo including Genjo-koan (The Realized Universe), Soku-shin-ze-butsu Mind Here & Now is Buddha), Uji (Existence-Time), and Sansuigyo (The Sutra of Mountains & Water). Its several reference sections include a Chinese/English appendix of references to the Lotus Sutra, and an extensive Sanskrit glossary.

"At last I visited Zen Master Nyojo of Dai-byaku-ho mountain, and there I was able to complete the great task of a lifetime of practice. After that, at the beginning of the great Sung era of Shojo, I came home determined to spread the Dharma and to save living beings, it was as if a heavy burden had been placed on my shoulders....I will leave this record to people who learn in practice and are easy in the truth, so that they can know the right Dharma of the Buddha's lineage. This may be a true mission."

Genres: Buddhism, Zen, Philosophy, Religion, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Japanese Literature

376 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

西嶋愚道和夫

Reviews

[Kelly McCubbin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trying to "rate" the fundamental text of Mahayana Buddhism is pretentious beyond belief. So let's assume that if you're here, you knew what you were looking for fairly clearly and we'll not assume that this is anything other than the Treasury of the True Dharma Eye that you thought you were after.
Make no mistake, this work is intended to challenge everything you think about, well, everything. It takes on the nature of reality, the nature of self, the nature the story it just told you and the nature of the book itself. Master Dogen retells stories that perhaps you've already heard and that seem clear and explains why the hero is the villain and how the fool is filled with wisdom and how the thought that just crossed your mind is wrong, wrong, wrong! In fact it doesn't exist! In fact, you never had that thought! Stop all this thinking nonsense you're doing!
He also tells you, in great detail, how to wipe your ass with a stick.
So, it's got that going for it, too.

There are a small handful of English translations of the full Shobogenzo (of which this is volume one of four). Nishijima/Cross' version is the most linguistically exacting. This is both a plus and a minus as it becomes easy to get mired in the weeds of the copious footnotes that are necessary to trying to tease out some of the semantic acrobatics that Dogen so delights in. Having one of Kazuaki Tanahashi's more flowing translations such as "Moon in a Dewdrop" to use to reread the section you just finished really opens the text up and gives the reader the best of both worlds.
And Brad Warner's "Don't Be a Jerk" is a remarkable and insightful (and very funny) modern paraphrasing of sections of Shobogenzo that serves quite wonderfully as a primer on what the other translations are doing.

This is not a book to be raced through or read only once. Read. Sit. Talk to a teacher. Sit some more. Rinse. Repeat. Forever.

[Brandon Shire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I studied this book (and the other 3) for a decade and it is one that still travels with me. I still study it, and each time I open it a new aspect is seen.

[Linus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Far from an easy read and probably something you come back to again and again, over decades, uncovering new layers of meaning and insight. Recommended to any serious practitioners of Zen, especially Soto Zen.

[Peter Crofts]

No stars. No review. You'll need to look at if you want to look at primary sources of Soto Zen, as opposed to those who want to explain to you that which tries to move beyond the cognitive framing of explanation and expectation.

[Arvind Radhakrishnan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Eihei Dogen's 'Shobogenzo' helped me understand so much about kensho, the nature of reality,the idea of self (or no-self),our connection with the natural world, satori,the importance of zazen, and some key facets of buddhist ethics.

'Each moment is the universe'

'Realization is like the moon reflected in water. The moon doesnt get wet,and the water isn't broken. The entire moon and sky can be reflected in a dew drop on a blade of grass. Realization doesnt break an individual, just like the moon doesnt break the water. An individual doesnt hinder realization, just like a dew drop doesn't get in the way of the sky. The depth of realization is like the height of the moon.'

- Master Dogen (1200-53 C.E)



This phenomenal work was penned nearly 800 years ago and yet its insights feel so relevant in the contemporary world.Truly a Zen masterpiece.
'

[Jason Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not for the beginner, very detailed with a lot of contextual references. The end notes do a good job of demystifying the references, it would be nice if they were foot notes, then again this is not the kind of book you just breeze through. There is something new to discover with each reading, and one is never truly finished reading this book.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential.

[.لِيو]

ما اظن انه من الكتب اللي يمكن تقييمها لأن اشوفه كشيء تعليمي لي،
لفترة طويلة جدا كان عندي فضول حول البوذية و تعاليمها و كيف الراهب البوذي قادر على ترك كل ملذّات الحياة هذه و الانعزال، بحثت كثيرًا عن البوذية و أساليبها و اكتشفت وجود طوائف عديدة و معلومات أخرى، قررت ابدا بكتاب سماعي و عن دوقين كونه يبحث على التعاليم الأصيلة للبوذا و الزين و بداية التلميذ دارما و كيف تدارسوا جيل بعد جيل هذه التعاليم الأصيلة.
أحب استكشف منظور الناس و أساليبهم فالحياة و مهما كانت جدلية بعض الأوقات و غير مريحة، فالحياة مراقبة و فهم و تعلم فالنهاية و إحترام في الأساس.

[Chandler Dandridge]

I did not technically finish... my book club quit. This Dogen guy had his head in the clouds... right now I need to have my head on the earth, I think.

[Nagapriya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely, hardback volume, nicely laid out with copious notes. There are several translations of the Shobogenzo now available in English. While there is much to be admired at times the translation is a bit obscure and doesn't always flow well. It is useful to read these translations alongside this of another translator such that of Nearman.

[Travis Hosgood · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is delightful nonsense! Dogen is a real master with some truly ineffable linguistic patterns. So clear it's hard to see

[Chant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential for anyone into the study of Japanese Buddhist thought. Thought provoking and plenty to have some comparative philosophical discourse, in particular Dōgen's philosophy of mind placed through the lens of the Dharma. Reading this book makes me think why I didn't study it more when I was in University, maybe in the future if I decide to go back to University for graduate school.

I should also note that this is book one of four (I think), so technically I am only done one fourth of the Shobogenzo.