The wholehearted way, eihei dogens bendowa commentary by kosho uchiyama roshi. In this groundbreaking collection of essays edited by steven heine, leading scholars of buddhism from both sides of the pacific explore the life and thought of zen master dogen 12001253, the founder of the japanese soto sect. Information, bibliography, quotations, notes, index. Score a books total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. If you have never read it before or even if you have, please pick a sentence or two, or a passage, that really jumps out at you. It is a manifesto of the zen life in which dogen proclaims the religious insight that stands at the core of everything he wrote subsequently. Dogens genjo koan is the first chapter in that book. Commentary on the diamond sutra, han shan, in chan and zen teachings, vol. Mar 26, 20 dogens genjo koan is the first chapter in that book, and for many followers it might be thought to contain the gist of dogens workit is one of the groundwork texts of zen buddhism, standing easily alongside the diamond sutra, the heart sutra, and a small handful of others.
There are three commentaries that essentially comprise this text. The song of the wind in the dry tree is a book of commentaries given by zen master philippe coupey from two thcentury japanese texts. Pdf realising genjokoan download full pdf book download. Genjo koan is a text he emphasized, so that makes it really special for us. Actualization of reality, part one this is the first in a series of three lectures given by rev.
This is the first book to offer the great masters incisive wisdom in short selections taken from the whole range of his voluminous works. Genjo koan is the most important chapter in zen master dogens principal major work, the shobogenzo. Genjo koan 19 jijuyu zanmai 23 repentance 26 bodhisattva vows 26 three refuges 26 dedications 28. A basic soto zen reading list ocean gate zen center santa. Shohaku okumura on the first chapter of dogen zenjis shobogenzo during stillpoints april 2000 sesshin in pittsburgh, pennsylvania. From section 4 to 7 of genjokoan, dogen zenji discusses delusion and enlightenment, and buddhas and living beings based on the relationship between the self and all myriad things. Pdf the essential dogen download full pdf book download. The commentary by nishiari bokusan alone is worth buying the book for.
Genjo koan, loosely interpreted, means the hidden, whole action of impartiality. A basic soto zen reading list ocean gate zen center. Bokusan nishiari one of the greatest religious practitioners and philosophers of the east, eihei dogen zenji 12001253 is today thought of as the founder of the soto school of zen. Dogens genjo koan is the first chapter in that book, and for many followers it might be thought to contain the gist of dogens workit is one of the groundwork texts of zen buddhism, standing easily alongside the diamond sutra, the heart sutra,and a small handful of others.
A fresh translation of and insightful new commentary on genjo koan, the most influential work by th century zen master. At times the shobogenzo was profoundly difficult, and he worked on it over his entire life, revising and expanding, producing a book that is today thought to be one. A commentary on zen master dogens genjokoan zen doodle drawing box set 5in1. And in this context koan does not refer to these teaching stories, but to the heart of the matter. Dogens genjo koan is the first chapter in that book, and for many followers it might be thought to contain the gist of dogens workit is one of the groundwork texts of zen buddhism, standing easily alongside the diamond sutra, the heart sutra, and a small handful of others. Mar 17, 2012 as mentioned above, there are three translations of the genjo koan with a separate commentary each. This term is also frequently found in dogens other writings. The reason there are so many authors in this book is because it is a compilation of three commentaries, each of which has two or three authors or editors attached. Today, id like to talk about what is the position of genjokoan within dogen zenjis writings and also on the meaning of the title genjokoan. Genjo koan, says nishiari bokusan, the late head of the soto school. According to taigen dan leighton the word genjo means to fully or completely manifest, or to express or share. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The centerpiece of the translation is genjokoan manifesting absolute reality. Our unique edition of dogens genjo koan actualization of reality.
A commentary on dogens genjokoan and dogens genjo koan. Three commentaries 9781582438276 by dogen, eihei and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books. A clear and concise commentary on one of dogens most difficult pieces. Like all masterful commentaries, this one finds in the few short lines of the text the entire span of the buddhist teachings. Zen cats, zen dogs, zen horses, zen underwater life,zen girls treasury of the true. The translation adheres closely to the original japanese, with a clear style and extensive annotations. Genjo roshis commentary on koan practice has been translated into several languages. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. One of the greatest religious practitioners and philosophers of t.
As a practitioner, intellectual understanding alone is not enough. Read realizing genjokoan online by shohaku okumura and. The commentaries in this text help to open genjokoan for readers, but are themselves difficult texts which require repeated readings and contemplation. Zen koan collections 40 books meet your next favorite book. This line may be the most direct expression in the whole shobogenzo. Okumura sensei says the japanese character genjo means reality actually and presently taking place and koan refers to the intersection of the two aspects of reality. A line in shobogenzo, genjokoan, says and though it is like this, it is plainly that flowers, while loved, fall and weeds while hated, flourish. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading dogens genjo koan. Not holding on i recently acquired a new book on dogens genjo koan three commentaries including the essential 19th century commentary by nishiari bokusan. Dogens genjo koan actualization of reality is the first chapter in that book, and for many followers it might be thought to contain the gist of dogens workit is one of the groundwork texts of zen buddhism, standing easily alongside the diamond sutra, the heart sutra, and a small handful of others. Three commentaries, and it contains a commentary on genjo koan by shunryu suzuki, the. This is the best text to start to study dogens teachings. Anyway, thats not whats going on with dogens genjo koan.
Our unique edition of dogens genjo koan actualization of reality contains three separate translations and several commentaries by a wide variety of zen masters. It contains past and present, the three worlds, the ten directions, delusions, enlightenment, all buddhas, sentient beings, birth, and death. Abridged and edited by barbara byrum and cynthia schrager. Genjo koan is really important is one wants to understand the meaning of zazen practice and daily activities as bodhisattva practice. We are not alone in this endeavor, however, for the book contains three separate translations and accompanying commentaries on its subject, the genjo koan, which is the opening chapter of dogens mammoth treatise shobogenzo. Mar 22, 2012 as mentioned above, there are three translations of the genjo koan with a separate commentary each. In part i, hes chosen twelve poems from the sansho doei, a collection of poetry composed by master dogen zenji between 1245 and 1253. Dogens genjo koan actualization of reality is the first chapter in that book, and for many followers it might be thought to contain the gist of dogens workit is one of the groundwork texts of zen buddhism, standing easily alongside the diamond sutra, the heart sutra, and a. Read unlimited books and audiobooks on the web, ipad, iphone and.
A list of koan collections from both the soto and rinzai traditions of zen buddhism, as well as books about koans. Truth unfolding, or genjo koan, is a definitive, elegant exposition. Genjo koan is the original selfnature of the universal dharma realm as it is. Dogens genjo koan by eihei dogen zenji overdrive rakuten. Read realizing genjokoan by shohaku okumura,taigen dan leighton for. Before we dive into okumura roshi commentary, i would like to know your feelings. The pithy and powerful readings, arranged according to theme, provide a perfect introduction to dogenand inspire spiritual practice in. As mentioned by nishiari bokusan 1821 1910, one of the commentators, said that dogens entire teaching begins and ends with this essaythe other. From section 4 to 7 of genjo koan, dogen zenji discusses delusion and enlightenment, and buddhas and living beings based on the relationship between the self and all myriad things. Forgetting the self in dogens genjo koan david brazier.
He used an interpretive style i havent seen before, kind of attempting to clarify things while keeping them abstract and. Considered to be the founding teacher of the soto school of zen, he was the author of many books and. It contains past and present, the three worlds the ten directions, delusion, enlightenment, all buddhas, sentient beings, birth, and death. Dogen zenjis shobogenzo genjokoan dogen, nishiari bokusan. Dogens genjo koan is the first chapter in that book, and for many followers it might be thought to contain the gist of dogens work. There are many different things to ponder and it has been a great book to read. Shobogenzo, genjokoan flowers fall, weeds flourish. Forgetting the self in dogens genjo koan paperback. The second commentary is by suzuki roshi 19041971, and the third commentary is by kosho uchiyama 19121998. Dogens seminal teaching, translated by robert aitken and kazuaki tanahashi. Even the teachers of old made mistakes and developed distorted views.
William m bodiford claims that bokusan was the first to lecture on how to understand dogens sh ob ogenz oi op cit. Shohaku okumura says that gen means to appear, to show up, or to be in the. Dogens genjo koan ebook by eihei dogen zenji rakuten kobo. Cooks translation of genjokoanis as accurate as possible, faithful to.
Alongside that of bokusan, quoted earlier, we also have others by the well known zen teacher shunryu suzuki 1904 1971, and kosho uchiyama 1912 1998. Lets go to nishiari bokusans understanding of genjo koan. The first is a commentary by nishiari bokusan 18211910. Interested readers who pick up a copy of the book will discover that much of bokusans commentary on the nature of genjo koan is closely related to this question. Although genjo koan has been translated into english many times, and is familiar to buddhists both east and west, it is still not well understood. This is the first in a series of three lectures given by rev. Dialog on the way of commitment, or bendowa, is an introductory essay directed towards the newcomer to zen buddhism.
Apr 05, 20 dogens genjo koan is the first chapter in that book, and for many followers it might be thought to contain the gist of dogens workit is one of the groundwork texts of zen buddhism, standing easily alongside the diamond sutra, the heart sutra, and a small handful of others. Genjo koan translated by robert baker aitken and kazuaki tanahashi for the san francisco zen center actualizing the fundamental point genjo koan same translation as above but in html format lecture 7. Its a really important point and a key to dogens meaning in genjo koan. A new book of three commentaries on dogens genjo koan.
When you come to know it intimately, you will see why it encompasses everything. Genjokoan was written for a lay practitioner named koshu yo in 1233 title. Kodo takeuchi center for soto zen studies chief research fellow genjo koan is the title of the first fascicle of the 75fascicle version of shobogenzo, which is thought to have been compiled by dogen zenji himself. This one is originally written in japanese and has a japanese sensibility, but is well translated and delves deeply into the nuances of dogens masterpiece. Those interested in connections between the gurdjieff teaching and dogens conception of. Therefore, genjokoan means to answer the question from true reality through the practice of our everyday activity. I would like to talk about the line about carrying the self forward. Nishiarii bokusan 1821 1910, shunryu suzuki 1904 1971 and kosho uchiyama 1912 1998. Nishiari bokusan, shohaku okamura, shunryu suzuki, kosho uchiyama. The key to dogens shobogenzo annotated edition by okumura, shohaku isbn. Genjos dharma talks and essays have been published in several dharma journals beginning with the theosphical societys quest magazine in 1991 and more recently in the lions roar and nwda news. Eihei dogen zenji was born in japan on january 19, 1200.
It is being reprinted here from stillpoints newsletter. Dear genjoers, this week or two, we will see how it goes, lets read the full genjo koan translation from page 1, and all of the short chapter 1 on dogens life up until writing it. Jan 01, 2012 interested readers who pick up a copy of the book will discover that much of bokusans commentary on the nature of genjo koan is closely related to this question. I was very intrigued by the first commentary in this book, by nishiari bokusan. Genjo koan complete manifestation of established truth. Genjo koan is one of the most wellknown chapters of dogen zenjis shobogenzo. The lifetime teaching of dogen can be found in one phrase.
Genjo koan complete manifestation of established truth rev. The essays were chosen to span the range from introductory to advanced, from practical to philosophical. Very simply, for those interested in dogen and his genjokoan, there is no other meaningful commentary available in english. Unlike things and their reflections in the mirror, and unlike the moon and its reflection in the water, when one side is illuminated, the other side is dark. Your insightful commentary, your ability to articulate the many subtleties one encounters in genjokoan, the grounding of your comments in so great a breadth of knowledge, and the distinctiveness of what you bring to the text its really quite an exceptional book.
In the end of section 7, dogen zenji says, when we conceive our body and mind in a confused way and grasp all things with discriminating mind, we mistakenly think. Realizing genjokoan is a stunning commentary on the famous first chapter of dogens shobogenzo. Three commentaries kindle edition by zenji, eihei dogen, bokusan, nishiari, okamura, shohaku, suzuki, shunryu. This fascicle, genjo koan, is the most difficult of the entire shobo genzo treasury of the true dharma eye.
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