Shōbōgenzō

is the title of two works on Buddhism composed by Dōgen in the mid-13th century. The Shinji Shōbōgenzō, also known as the "Mana Shōbōgenzō" or "Shōbōgenzō Sanbyakusoku" is a collection of 301 koans (open cases) and is written in Chinese. The Kana Shōbōgenzō consists of a overlapping assortment of essays and commentaries written in Japanese; different versions of the Kana Shōbōgenzō contain different sets of texts. (See: Heine, "Dogen and the Koan Tradition")

The term "Shōbōgenzō" by itself more commonly refers to the Kana Shōbōgenzō.

Kana Shōbōgenzō

The different component texts—referred to as fascicles—of the Kana Shōbōgenzō were written between 1231 and 1253—the year of Dōgen's death (Dōgen, 2002, p. xi). Unlike earlier Zen writings originating in Japan, including Dōgen's own Shinji Shōbōgenzō and Eihei Koroku, which were written in Chinese, the "Kana Shōbōgenzō" was written in Japanese.

Modern editions of Shōbōgenzō contain ninety-five fascicles, though earlier collections in the Soto Zen tradition varied in number (seventy-five, sixty, twenty-eight). Dogen began a process of revision late in his life that resulted in 12 of these, but its thought he intended to cover all of them. There is debate over whether they represented a shift in his views. The essays in Shōbōgenzō were delivered as sermons in a less formal style than the Chinese language sermons of the Eihei Koroku. Some of the fascicles were recorded by Dōgen, while others were likely recorded by his disciples.

The "Dōgen Zenji Zenshu" contains all 95 Japanese fascicles, untranslated. The Nishijima/Cross translation, "Master Dogen's Shobogenzo", and "Shobogenzo, The Eye and Treasury of the True Law", by Kosen Nishiyama and John Stevens, are the only English translations of the complete "Kana Shobogenzo". The Stanford-based [http://www.stanford.edu/group/scbs/sztp3/translations/shobogenzo/index.html Soto Zen Text Project] , an ambitious project to translate Dogen and other Soto texts, has completed several fascicles, and many other translations of individual fascicles are available. Shasta Abbey has also translated the complete [http://www.shastaabbey.org/shobogenzo1.htm Shobogenzo] and other Soto Zen works. See references and external links.

ee also

*Bendōwa
*Daigo

References

* Dogen, Trans. Thomas Cleary; "Shobogenzo: Zen Essays By Dogen"; U. of Hawaii Press, Honolulu; ISBN 0-8248-1014-7 (1st edition, hardback, 1986).
* Dogen, Trans. Norman Waddell and Masao Abe; "The Heart of Dogen's Shobogenzo"; SUNY Press, Albany; ISBN 0-7914-5242-5 (1st edition, hardback, 2002).
* Dogen, Trans. Thomas Cleary; "Rational Zen: The Mind of Dogen Zenji"; Shambhala, Boston; ISBN 0-87773-689-8 (1st edition, hardback, 1992).
* Dogen, Trans. Gudo Wafu Nishijima & Chodo Cross; "Master Dogen's Shobogenzo"; Windbell Publications, London; ISBN 0-9523002-1-4 (four volumes, paperback, 1994).
* Dogen, Ed. Kazuaki Tanahashi; "Moon in a Dewdrop: Writings of Zen Master Dogen"; North Point Press, San Francisco; ISBN 0-86547-185-1 (hardback, 1985).
* Yuho Yokoi; "Zen Master Dogen"; Weatherhill Inc., New York; ISBN 0-8348-0116-7 (6th edition, paperback, 1990)
* Steven Heine; "Dogen and the Koan Tradition: A Tale of Two Shobogenzo Texts"; SUNY Press, Albany; ISBN 0-7914-1773-5 (1st edition, hardback, 1994)
* Carl Bielefeldt; "Dogen's Manuals of Zen Meditation"; University of California Press, Berkeley, Los Angeles, London; ISBN 0-520-06835-1 (paperback, 1988?)
* Dogen, Trans. Shohaku Okumura and Taigen Daniel Leighton, with commentary by Kosho Uchiyama Roshi: "The Wholehearted Way"; Tuttle Publishing; ISBN 0-8048-3105-X (first edition, paperback, 1997).
* Roshi P. T. N. Houn Jiyu-Kennett; "Zen is Eternal Life"; Shasta Abbey Press; ISBN 0-930066-06-5 (third edition, paperback, 1987).
* "Shobogenzo, or The Treasure House of the Eye of the True Teachings" by Great Master Dogen, VOLUME 1 - Translator, Rev. Hubert Nearman, F.O.B.C.; Editor & Consultant, Rev. Daizui MacPhillamy, M.O.B.C.; Shasta Abbey Press; ISBN 0930066170 (1996)
* Dogen, Trans. Eido Shimano Roshi & Charles Vacher; "Shobogenzo Uji"; ISBN 2-909422-24-0 (1997); and "Shobogenzo Yui Butsu Yo Butsu and Shoji"; ISBN 2-909422-37-2 (1999).
* Dogen, Trans. Kosen Nishiyama and John Stevens; "Shobogenzo: The Eye and Treasury of the True Law, Volume One"; Nakayama Shobo, Tokyo, Japan; ISBN 0-87040-363-X (hardback, 1975). "Volume Two"; same ISBN (hardback, 1977). "Volume Three"; same ISBN (hardback, year unknown). Out of print.
* Bob Myers; "First Dogen Book"; CreateSpace; ISBN 1-4404-1921-3 (paperback, 2008).

External links

* [http://www.stanford.edu/group/scbs/sztp3/translations/shobogenzo/sbgz_contents.html Chapters of the Shobogenzo translated by the Soto Zen Text Project]
* [http://www.thezensite.com/zenwritings/understandingShobogenzo.pdf Understanding the Shobogenzo by Gudo Nishijima]
*" [http://www.bob.myers.name/dogen Genjo Koan, Uji, Bendowa, and Soshi Seirai I] ", annotated English translations of Shobogenzo fascicles