Eihei Dogen (1200–1253)

The Shōbōgenzō (Treasury of the True Dharma Eye) is the master work of the Japanese Sōtō Zen Master Eihei Dōgen (1200 - 1253). It consists of a series of lectures or talks given to his monks as recorded by his head monk, Ejo, who became his Dharma successor although Dōgen was involved in the editing and Shobogenzo coverrecording of some of the Shōbōgenzō. This is the first major Buddhist philosophical work composed in the Japanese language. This volume is a selection from the complete work.… (more)

The Shōbōgenzō (Treasury of the True Dharma Eye) is the master work of the Japanese Sōtō Zen Master Eihei Dōgen (1200 - 1253). It consists of a series of lectures or talks given to his monks as recorded by his head monk, Ejo, who became his Dharma successor although Dōgen was involved in the editing and Shobogenzo coverrecording of some of the Shōbōgenzō. This is the first major Buddhist philosophical work composed in the Japanese language. This volume is a selection from the complete work.… (more)

Review From LibraryThing:

Viewing Peach Blossoms and Realizing the Way

In spring wind
peach blossoms
begin to come apart.
Doubts do not grow
branches and leaves.

-pg 214

The amount of wisdom in this collection of writings by 13th Century Zen Master Dogen is devastating. I had to read the book very slowly, sometimes only a single page per day. The book is broken into five main parts after a brief but interesting introduction and biography of the man:

Part 1, Practical Instructions; Part 2, Philosophical Works; Part 3, Poetic Imagery; Part 4, Transmission of the teaching; and Part 5, Poems

The material here is rich. Particularly in the Philosophical Works section, I didn't feel any amount of intellectual foundation work could prepare me for Dogen Zenji's writings. Rather, steady and focused Zen practice seemed the only helpful context. That said, it seems a lifetime of practice could be spent contemplating his work. This stuff goes deep. No wonder we are still reading his work over 800 years later and still finding it shockingly relevant.

The translations in this book are outstanding. They make what are already pretty universal topics (present tense living?) even more relevant. One would never figure the age of these texts from the clear and concise language used in the translations.

All in all, I am very hesitant to recommend this book to anyone who hasn't had much exposure to Zen writing and thought. This would certainly be a challenging read for anyone with scant experience practicing Zen meditation. That said, the work here is so often beyond gorgeous that I would love to share it with anyone interested. Shunryu Suzuki may be a better place to start but students shouldn't wait too long to dive into Dogen. There is a lifetime of contemplation here; one should get started right away.… (more)