is the title most commonly used to refer to the collection of works written in Japan by the 13th century Buddhist monk and founder of the

Sōtō Sōtō Zen or is the largest of the three traditional sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism (the others being Rinzai and Ōbaku). It is the Japanese line of the Chinese Cáodòng school, which was founded during the Tang dynasty by Dòngshān L ...

Zen school, Eihei Dōgen. Several other works exist with the same title (see above), and it is sometimes called the ''Kana Shōbōgenzō'' in order to differentiate it from those. The term shōbōgenzō can also be used more generally as a synonym for

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...

as viewed from the perspective of

Mahayana ''Mahāyāna'' (; "Great Vehicle") is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, texts, philosophies, and practices. Mahāyāna Buddhism developed in India (c. 1st century BCE onwards) and is considered one of the three main existing bra ...

Buddhism.

Source of the title

Shōbōgenzō as a general term

the term ''True Dharma Eye Treasury'' () refers generally to the Buddha Dharma, and in

Zen Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), and ...

Buddhism, it specifically refers to the realization of Buddha's awakening that is not contained in the written words of the

sutras ''Sutra'' ( sa, सूत्र, translit=sūtra, translit-std=IAST, translation=string, thread)Monier Williams, ''Sanskrit English Dictionary'', Oxford University Press, Entry fo''sutra'' page 1241 in Indian literary traditions refers to an aph ...

. In general Buddhist usage, the term "treasury of the Dharma" refers to the written words of the Buddha's teaching collected in the Sutras as the middle of the Three Treasures of the Buddha, Dharma, and

Sangha Sangha is a Sanskrit word used in many Indian languages, including Pali meaning "association", "assembly", "company" or "community"; Sangha is often used as a surname across these languages. It was historically used in a political context t ...

. In Zen, however, the real treasure of the Dharma is not to be found in books but in one's own

Buddha Nature Buddha-nature refers to several related Mahayana Buddhist terms, including '' tathata'' ("suchness") but most notably ''tathāgatagarbha'' and ''buddhadhātu''. ''Tathāgatagarbha'' means "the womb" or "embryo" (''garbha'') of the "thus-gone ...

and the ability to see this Correct View (first of the

Noble Eightfold Path The Noble Eightfold Path (Pali: ; Sanskrit: ) is an early summary of the path of Buddhist practices leading to liberation from samsara, the painful cycle of rebirth, in the form of nirvana. The Eightfold Path consists of eight practices: ri ...

) of the treasure of Dharma is called the "Treasure of the Correct Dharma Eye". In the legends of the Zen tradition, the Shōbōgenzō has been handed down from teacher to student going all the way back to the Buddha when he transmitted the Shobogenzo to his disciple

Mahākāśyapa Mahākāśyapa ( pi, Mahākassapa) was one of the principal disciples of Gautama Buddha. He is regarded in Buddhism as an enlightened disciple, being foremost in ascetic practice. Mahākāśyapa assumed leadership of the monastic community fol ...

thus beginning the Zen lineage that

Bodhidharma Bodhidharma was a semi-legendary Buddhist monk who lived during the 5th or 6th century CE. He is traditionally credited as the transmitter of Chan Buddhism to China, and regarded as its first Chinese patriarch. According to a 17th century apo ...

brought to China. The legend of the transmission of the Shōbōgenzō to Mahākāśyapa is found in several Zen texts and is one of the most referred to legends in all the writings of Zen. Among the famous koan collections, it appears as Case 6 in the

Wumenguan ''The Gateless Barrier'' (Mandarin: 無門關 ''Wúménguān''; Japanese: 無門関 ''Mumonkan''), sometimes translated as ''The Gateless Gate'', is a collection of 48 Chan (Zen) koans compiled in the early 13th century by the Chinese Zen maste ...

(''The Gateless Checkpoint'') and Case 2 in the

Denkoroku is a kōan collection written in 1300 by Keizan Jokin Zenji, the Great Patriarch of Sōtō Zen Buddhism, based on approximately a year of his Dharma talks. The book includes 53 enlightenment stories covering 1600 or more years based on the tra ...

(''Transmission of Light''). In the legend as told in the Wumenguan, the Buddha holds up a flower and no one in the assembly responds except for

Arya Aryan or Arya (, Indo-Iranian *''arya'') is a term originally used as an ethnocultural self-designation by Indo-Iranians in ancient times, in contrast to the nearby outsiders known as 'non-Aryan' (*''an-arya''). In Ancient India, the term ' ...

Kashyapa Kashyapa ( sa, कश्यप}, ) is a revered Vedas, Vedic Sage (philosophy), sage of Hinduism., Quote: "Kasyapa (Rudra),(Vedic Seer)..." He is one of the Saptarishis, the seven ancient sages of the ''Rigveda''. Kashyapa is the most ancien ...

who gives a broad smile and laughs a little. Seeing Mahākāśyapa's smile the Buddha said,

''I possess the Treasury of the Correct Dharma Eye, the wonderful heart-mind of Nirvana, the formless true form, the subtle Dharma gate, not established by written words, transmitted separately outside the teaching. I hand it over and entrust these encouraging words to Kashyapa.''

Dahui's Shōbōgenzō and Dōgen's Shinji Shōbōgenzō

Dahui Zonggao Dahui Zonggao (1089–10 August 1163) (; Wade–Giles: Ta-hui Tsung-kao; Japanese: Daie Sōkō; Vietnamese: Đại Huệ Tông Cảo) was a 12th-century Chinese Chan (Zen) master. Dahui was a student of Yuanwu Keqin (Wade–Giles: Yuan-wu K ...

, the famous 12th century popularizer of koans in

Song Dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...

China, wrote a collection of kōans with the Chinese title ''

Zhengfa Yanzang ''Zhengfa Yanzang'' (Hànyǔ Pīnyīn: Zhèngfǎ Yǎnzàng; Rōmaji: Shōbōgenzō), known in English as the ''Treasury of the Correct Dharma Eye'' or by the Japanese reading of its title, ''Shōbōgenzō'', is a collection of ''kōan''s compile ...

'' (正法眼藏). In Japanese this is read as ''Shōbōgenzō'', using the same

kanji are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese ...

for its title as Dōgen's later work. When Dōgen visited China in 1223, he first studied under

Wuji Lepai Wuji can refer to: *Wuji (people) (勿吉人), pronounced in ancient times as "Moji or "Merjie", an ancient ethnic group in Manchuria *Wuji (philosophy) (無極), concept in Chinese philosophy and Taoism, as opposed to Taiji (太極 "Great Ultimate ...

, a disciple of Dahui, which is where he probably first came into contact with Dahui's ''Zhengfa Yanzang''. In his book ''Dogen's Manuals of Zen Meditation'', the modern scholar

Carl Bielefeldt Carl may refer to: *Carl, Georgia, city in USA *Carl, West Virginia, an unincorporated community * Carl (name), includes info about the name, variations of the name, and a list of people with the name *Carl², a TV series * "Carl", an episode of te ...

acknowledges that Dōgen likely took the title from Dahui for his own kōan collection, known now as the

Shinji Shōbōgenzō The ''Shinji Shōbōgenzō'' (真字正法眼蔵) or ''True Dharma Eye 300 Cases'' (''Shōbōgenzō Sambyakusoku''), or ''Treasury of the True Dharma Eye'' (''Mana Shōbōgenzō''), compiled by Eihei Dōgen in 1223–1227, was first published in ...

. He later used the same title again for what is now his most well known work, the Kana Shōbōgenzō (now almost always referred to simply as "the Shōbōgenzō"):

Indeed the fact that Dōgen styled his effort "Shōbō genzō" suggests that he had as his model a similar compilation of the same title by the most famous of Sung masters, Ta-Hui Tsung-kao ahui Zonggao Unlike the latter, Dōgen was content here simply to record the stories without interjecting his own remarks. A few years later, however, he embarked on a major project to develop extended commentaries on many of these and other passages from the Ch'an literature. The fruit of this project was his masterpiece--the remarkable collection of essays known as the kana, or "vernacular", Shōbō genzō.

Compilation of the 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 most Zen writings originating in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

at that time, including Dōgen's own

and Eihei Koroku, which were written in

Classical Chinese Classical Chinese, also known as Literary Chinese (古文 ''gǔwén'' "ancient text", or 文言 ''wényán'' "text speak", meaning "literary language/speech"; modern vernacular: 文言文 ''wényánwén'' "text speak text", meaning "literar ...

, the ''Kana Shōbōgenzō'' was written in Japanese. The essays in Shōbōgenzō were delivered as

sermon A sermon is a religious discourse or oration by a preacher, usually a member of clergy. Sermons address a scriptural, theological, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law, or behavior within both past and present contexts. El ...

s 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 recorded by his disciples. Dōgen rearranged the order of the fascicles that make up the Shōbōgenzō several times during his own lifetime, and also edited the content of individual fascicles. After his death, various editors added and removed fascicles to make different versions of the Shōbōgenzō. In pre-modern times there were four major versions that consisted of 60, 75, 12, and 28 fascicles, with the 60 fascicle version being the earliest and the 28 fascicle version the latest. The first two were arranged by Dōgen himself, with the 75 fascicle version containing several fascicles that had been edited from the earlier 60 fascicle version. Several copies of both the 60 and 75 fascicle versions exist, including one containing Dōgen's handwriting and that of his student,

Koun Ejō (1198-1280) was the second patriarch of the Japanese Sōtō school of Zen Buddhism who lived during the Kamakura period. He was initially a disciple of the short-lived Darumashū sect of Japanese Zen founded by Nōnin, but later studied and recei ...

. On the other hand, the 12 fascicle version, also known as the Yōkōji manuscript after the temple where it was found in 1936, is known from only two examples, one copied in 1420 and the other recopied from that in 1446. This version contains 5 fascicles not found in the older versions, including the only surviving manuscript of ''Ippyakuhachi Hōmyō Mon. It also contains a note at the end of ''Hachi Dainin Gaku'' written by Koun Ejō indicating that it was to be the last fascicle of a 100 fascicle version; this was never completed due to Dōgen's illness near the end of his life. It is unclear which chapters this 100 fascicle version would have included and in what order. Finally, the 28 fascicle version, also known as the

Eihei-ji 250px is one of two main temples of the Sōtō school of Zen Buddhism, the largest single religious denomination in Japan (by number of temples in a single legal entity). Eihei-ji is located about east of Fukui in Fukui Prefecture, Japan. In En ...

manuscript or the "Secret Shōbōgenzō" (), dates from the mid-1300s and actually only contains 26 fascicle because ''Shin Fukatoku'' appears twice and ''Butsudō'' is included twice in two different versions. The fascicles of the Eihei-ji manuscript were taken from the 75 and 12 fascicle versions and still retain the numbering system used from their source collections. ''Yoibutsu Yobutsu'' is an exception and is numbered as fascicle 38, which does not correspond to any extant version. Other pre-modern versions of the Shōbōgenzō exist, all of which were rearrangements of the four main versions discussed above, often with additional material from Dōgen that he did not intend to include. Bonsei, who died in the early 15th century, created an 84 fascicle version consisting of the 75 fascicle version plus 9 books from the 60 fascicle version. Four copies of Bonsei's collection survive, with the oldest dating from 1644. An 89 fascicle version called the Daijōji manuscript was put together in 1689 by Manzan Dōhaku based on Bonsei's version of 84 plus 5 additional fascicles, including ''

Bendōwa , meaning ''Discourse on the Practice of the Way'' or ''Dialogue on the Way of Commitment'', sometimes also translated as ''Negotiating the Way'', ''On the Endeavor of the Way'', or ''A Talk about Pursuing the Truth'', is an influential essay writt ...

'', ''Jūundō Shiki'', and ''Jikuin Mon'', which were not previously considered part of the Shōbōgenzō. He also ordered the books based on the date they were written and not on the order Dōgen intended, suggest he likely believed the ordering was a later decision not made by Dōgen himself. Hangyo Kōzen, aiming to make the most comprehensive version of the Shōbōgenzō, compiled a 96 fascicle version called the

Komazawa University , abbreviated as 駒大 ''Komadai'', is one of the oldest universities in Japan. Its history starts in 1592, when a seminary was established to be a center of learning for the young monks of the Sōtō sect, one of the two main Zen Buddhist trad ...

Library manuscript containing every known book from previous versions except ''Ippyakuhachi Hōmyō Mon''. It also included more additional writings, including the

apocryphal Apocrypha are works, usually written, of unknown authorship or of doubtful origin. The word ''apocryphal'' (ἀπόκρυφος) was first applied to writings which were kept secret because they were the vehicles of esoteric knowledge considered ...

''Chinzo'' and several variant versions of other chapters. Kōzen's version became the basis for the first printed version of the Shōbōgenzō, the Honzan edition. Finally, a 78 book version was made by Tenkei Denson while he was preparing his commentary, ''Benchū'', on the text. He thought that the 60 fascicle version was compiled by Giun and was the oldest, most correct version, and as result his version is identical for the first 59 fascicles except for two replacements from other versions and one combination of two fascicles into one. The remainder is added from the 12 and 75 fascicle versions with 10 fascicles from those being specifically excluded. Modern editions of Shōbōgenzō contain 95 fascicles based on the late 17th century 96 fascicle version of Hangyo Kozen, the 35th abbot of Dōgen's monastery

. This began as a 90 fascicle version, the first to be printed on woodblocks rather than hand copied, beginning in 1815 and known as the ''Honzan'' edition. The six fascicles that were removed included the inauthentic ''Chinzo'' as well as five chapters regarded as secrets of the Sōtō School. The original woodblocks are now stored at

. In 1906 the revised Honzan version of 95 fascicles including the five "secret" chapters was published. The only chapter originally intended to be part of the Shōbōgenzō missing from the revised Honzan version at this stage was ''Ippyakuhachi Hōmyō Mon'' because it was not discovered until 1936. In 1929, the ''Sōtōshū Zensho'' edition was released adding back ''Chinzo''. It was removed again in a revised edition in 1970, and then added again in the 1974 ''Zoku Sōtōshū Zensho'' along with ''Ippyakuhachi Hōmyō Mon''. Many other versions were made in the 20th century, some of which indiscriminately combined sections from different manuscripts. Today, arguably the most faithful printed version in Japanese is the 1988 edition compiled by Kōdō Kawamura consisting of the original 75 fascicle version from the single 1547 Ryūmonji manuscript, the 12 fascicle 1446 Yōkōji manuscript, nine uncollected works not originally intended for the Shōbōgenzō, and initial drafts of seven chapters.

History of textual analysis

The earliest commentaries on the ''Shōbōgenzō'' were written by two of Dōgen's disciples,

Yōkō Senne (fl. 13th century), more often known simply as Senne (詮慧), was a Japanese Sōtō Zen monk who lived during the Kamakura period and was an important disciple of his sect's founder, Eihei Dōgen. Initially a monk in the Tendai school, he later ...

and Kyōgō. Kyōgō compiled two commentaries on the 75-fascicle version of Dōgen's ''Shōbōgenzō'', the first of which is called ''Shōbōgenzō shō'' (正法眼蔵抄) and the second ''Shōbōgenzō gokikigaki'' (正法眼蔵御聴書). Collectively, they are called ''Gokikigakishō'' (御聴書抄), which is usually abbreviated as ''Goshō'' (御抄). Senne is believed to be the author of the Shōbōgenzō ''Gokikigaki'' due to the use of the honorific modifier go (御), which would not normally be used to refer to one's own writing. The ''Gokikigaki'' contains a date of 1263, suggesting Senne may have completed it around that time. Kyōgō began his Shōbōgenzō shō in 1303 and completed it in 1308. There is no evidence that these commentaries were widely read at the time they were produced. In fact, the first time the ''Goshō'' is known to be mentioned in historical documents is in 1586, when it was saved from a fire at Senpuku-ji, a temple in

Oita Prefecture Oita often refers to: *Ōita Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan *Ōita (city), the capital of the prefecture Oita or Ōita may also refer to: Places *Ōita District, Ōita, a former district in Ōita Prefecture, Japan *Ōita Stadium, a multi-use stadium ...

Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surroun ...

. The Buddhist studies scholar Genryū Kagamishima has written that Senne and Kyōgō's commentaries form the doctrinal core of the modern Sōtō Zen school. Within a few generations of Dōgen's death, the historical record becomes mostly silent on textual engagement with Dōgen's work, including the ''Shōbōgenzō''. Although most important Sōtō Zen temples had copies of one or more fascicles of the ''Shōbōgenzō'', access was restricted to senior monks at that particular temple, making textual comparisons or compilations virtually impossible. Due to the many different recessions of the text—the 60-, 75-, 12-, 25-fascicle versions discussed above—scribal errors, and variant versions of individual fascicles, the Shōbōgenzō was thought to possibly be inauthentic at the beginning of a

Tokugawa Era The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional ''daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characterize ...

. In 1700, Manzan Dōhaku appealed to the authority of the ''Shōbōgenzō'' when petitioning the government's Agency of Temples and Shrines to abolish the temple-dharma lineage system (''garanbō'') which had arisen several generations after Dōgen's death and tied a monk's lineage not to his teacher, but to a temple. In 1703 the government not only agreed with Manzan, but proclaimed that the Sōtō school must base its practices on Dōgen's teachings. From this point, study and analysis of ''Shōbōgenzō'' greatly increased. One of the earliest commentaries on the Shōbōgenzō was written by a monk named Tenkei Denson (1638-1735) in opposition to the emerging pro-Dōgen movement led by Manzan. Tenkei's commentary, called ''Benchū'', was written from 1726 to 1729 using the 60 fascicle version. In it, he harshly criticized the text, rejected several fascicles altogether, and made extensive "corrections" and revisions to the source text. Mujaku Dōchū (1653-1744), a Rinzai monk, wrote a commentary from 1725 to 1726 that made many of the same points. Both Tenkei and Mujaku argued for a unity of all schools of Zen, but the Shōbōgenzō harshly criticized some approaches to Zen practice, especially those found in Rinzai lineages in China during Dōgen's life. Tenkei and Mujaku both also argued that Dōgen did not understand Chinese grammar based on his unusual interpretation of Chinese quotations. Tenkei also consulted Senne and Kyōgō's ''Goshō'' commentary discussed above, but rejected it. Around the same time

Menzan Zuihō Menzan Zuihō (, 1683–1769) was a Japanese Sōtō Zen scholar and abbot of the Zenjo-ji and Kuin-ji temples active during the Tokugawa period. Born in Ueki, Kyushu, Menzan was the most influential Sōtō Zen writer of his time and his work co ...

was dedicating much of his life to analyzing the Shōbōgenzō in order to uncover Dōgen's source material. Menzan's student Fuzan and his students put this extensive study into writing in the 1770s. Menzan also made extensive use of Senne and Kyōgō's ''Goshō'' commentary in when studying the Shōbōgenzō, and he criticized Tenkei for having rejected it. Within a few years the monk Honkō made a commentary on the text and translated it into what was at the time the more respectable language of Classical Chinese. Commentaries were also made by the monks Zōkai and Rōran. An abridged collection of a variety of Dōgen's work appeared at this time called ''The Record of Eihei Dogen'', which the famous poet

Ryōkan (1758 – 6 January 1831) was a quiet and unconventional Sōtō Zen Buddhist monk who lived much of his life as a hermit. Ryōkan is remembered for his poetry and calligraphy, which present the essence of Zen life. He is also known by the name ...

wrote a verse on.

English translations

There are now four complete English translations of the ''Kana Shobogenzo'': *''Shōbōgenzō: The Eye and Treasury of the True Law'', translated by Kōsen Nishiyama and John Stevens, was published by Daihokkaikaku in 1975. *''Master Dogen's Shobogenzo'', translated by

Gudo Nishijima Gudo is a former municipality in the district of Bellinzona in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. On 2 April 2017 the former municipalities of Camorino, Claro, Giubiasco, Gnosca, Gorduno, Moleno, Monte Carasso, Pianezzo, Preonzo, Sant ...

and Chodo Cross, was published by Windbell Publications in 1994. This translation, under a different title, ''Shōbōgenzō: The True Dharma-Eye Treasury'', is freely distributed digitally by Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK) with many other

Mahāyāna ''Mahāyāna'' (; "Great Vehicle") is a term for a broad group of Buddhism, Buddhist traditions, Buddhist texts#Mahāyāna texts, texts, Buddhist philosophy, philosophies, and practices. Mahāyāna Buddhism developed in India (c. 1st century BC ...

texts. *''Shobogenzo: The Treasure House of the Eye of the True Teaching'', translated by Hubert Nearman, free-released digitally by

Shasta Abbey Shasta Abbey, located on sixteen forested acres near Mount Shasta in northern California, United States is a training monastery for Buddhist monks and a place of practice for lay Buddhists and interested visitors. It was established in 1970 by R ...

Press in 2007. Their old webpage for the Shobogenzo can be accessed on Archive.org. *''Treasury of the True Dharma Eye: Zen Master Dogen's Shobo Genzo'', translated by

Kazuaki Tanahashi is an accomplished Japanese calligrapher, Zen teacher, author and translator of Buddhist texts from Japanese and Chinese to English, most notably works by Dogen (he began his translation of '' Shobogenzo'' in his twenties). He first met Shunry ...

and "a team of translators that represent a Who’s Who of American Zen" and edited by

and Associate Editor

Peter Levitt Peter Levitt (born September 2, 1946 in New York City) is a poet and translator. He is also the founder and teacher of the Salt Spring Zen Circle, in the Soto Zen lineage of Shunryu Suzuki-Roshi. Background He has taught poetry, writing and creati ...

, was published by Shambhala in 2011. *The Stanford-based ''Soto Zen Text Project'' has completed several fascicles which were published in the Soto Zen journal ''Dharma Eye'', beginning with issue number 9 (October 2001). Their complete translation of the Shōbōgenzō, initially announced to be published in 2020, has been scheduled for 2023.

Books of the Shōbōgenzō

The 60-fascicle version

Bold text indicates a fascicle not also included in the 75 fascicle version. An asterisk (*) indicates a fascicle not found in any other version. #

Genjōkōan ''Genjōkōan'' (現成公按), translated by Tanahashi as ''Actualizing the Fundamental Point'', is an influential essay written by Dōgen, the founder of Zen Buddhism's Sōtō school in Japan. It is considered one of the most popular essays in '' ...

現成公案 # Maka hannya haramitsu 摩訶般若波羅蜜 The Perfection of Wisdom # Busshō 佛性 Buddha Nature #

Shinjin gakudō In Shin Buddhism, Shinjin (信心) was originally the Japanese word for the Buddhist concept of citta-prasāda (clear or clarified heart-mind), but now carries a more popular related meaning of faith or entrusting. According to Ueda, "shinjin is ...

身心學道 Practicing the Way with the Body and Mind # Sokushin zebutsu 即心是佛 The Very Mind is Buddha # Gyōbutsu igi 行佛威儀 Deportment of the Practicing Buddha #

Ikka myōju ''Ikka myōju'' (), known in English as ''One Bright Jewel'' or ''One Bright Pearl'', is a book of the Shōbōgenzō by the 13th century Sōtō Zen monk Eihei Dōgen. It was written in the summer of 1238 at Dōgen's monastery Kōshōhōrin-ji in Ky ...

一顆明珠 One Bright Pearl # Sanji gō 三時業 #

Kobutsushin image:Nanyang_Huizhong.jpg, The "National Teacher", Nanyang Huizhong, whose saying provides much of the inspiration for Dōgen's ''Kobutsushin'' ''Kobutsushin'' or ''Kobusshin'' (), also known in various English translations such as ''The Mind of ...

古佛心 The Old Buddha Mind #

Daigo Daigo may refer to: Buddhism *Daigo (Zen) (大悟), a Buddhist term meaning ''great enlightenment'' or ''great realization'' *Daigo (Shōbōgenzō) (大悟), or ''Great Realization'', a book in Eihei Dōgen's Shōbōgenzō *Daigo Temple (醍醐寺 ...

大悟 Great Awakening #

Zazen gi ''Zazen gi'' (), also known in various English translations such as ''The Standard Method of Zazen'' or ''Principles of Zazen'', is a book of the Shōbōgenzō by the 13th century Sōtō Zen monk Eihei Dōgen. The book appears tenth in the 75 fasc ...

坐禪儀 Principles of Zazen # *Hokke ten hokke 法華轉法華 # Kaiin zanmai 海印三昧 The Ocean Seal Samadhi # Kūge 空華 Sky Flowers # Kōmyō 光明 Illuminating Wisdom # Gyōji (Part 1) 行持 # Gyōji (Part 2) † in the 75 fascicle version the text is not divided into two parts # Kannon 觀音 # Kokyō 古鏡 The Old Mirror #

Uji is a city on the southern outskirts of the city of Kyoto, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. Founded on March 1, 1951, Uji is between the two ancient capitals of Nara and Kyoto. The city sits on the Uji River, which has its source in Lake Biwa. ...

有時 # Juki 授記 Conferring Predictions # Tsuki 都機 The Moon # Zenki 全機 Full Function † Zenki and Tsuki are reversed in the 75 fasicle version # Gabyō 畫餅 Painted Cakes # Keisei sanshoku 谿聲山色 Sounds of the Valley, Forms of the Mountain # Bukkōjōji 佛向上事 What Is Beyond the Buddha # Muchū setsumu 夢中説夢 # *Bodaisatta shishōhō 菩提薩埵四摂法 # Inmo 恁麼 Being So † appears 17th in the 75 fasicle version # Kankin 看經 Sutra Reading # Shoaku makusa 諸悪莫作 Not Doing Evils # Sangai yuishin 三界唯心 The Three Realms Are Only Mind † appears as the 41st in the 75 fascicle version # Dōtoku 道得 # Hotsu bodai shin 發心菩提 # Jinzū 神通 Spiritual Powers # Arakan 阿羅漢 The Arhat # Henzan 徧參 Extensive Study † appears 57th in the 75 fascicle version # Kattō 葛藤 Twining Vines # Shiba 四馬 # Hakujushi 柏樹子 The Cypress Tree # Kesa kudoku 袈裟功徳 # Hou 鉢盂 † from this point the arrangement of the 60 and 75 fascicle versions differ substantially # Kajō 家常 Everyday Matters # Ganzei 眼睛 The Eye # Jippō 十方 The Ten Directions # Mujō seppō 無情説法 The Insentient Preach the Dharma # Kenbutsu 見佛 # Hosshō 法性 Dharma Nature † this fascicle up to Senmen are numbered the same in the 75 fasicle version # Darani 陀羅尼 Dharani # Senmen 洗面 † this fascicle was rewritten for the 75 fascicle version # Ryūgin 龍吟 Song of the Dragon † this fascicle up to Nyorai zenshin are sequential in the 75 fasicle version as well # Soshi seirai i 祖師西来意 The Intention of the Ancestral Master's Coming from the West # Hotsu mujō shin 發無上心 Bringing Forth the Supreme Mind # Udon ge 優曇華 # Nyorai zenshin 如來全身 # Kokū 虚空 # Ango 安居 # Shukke kudoku 出家功徳 # Kuyō shobutsu 供養諸佛 # Kie buppōsō bō 歸依佛法僧寶

The 75-fascicle version

Bold text indicates a fascicle not also included in the 60 fascicle version
An asterisk (*) indicates a fascicle not found in any other version
1.

現成公案
2. Maka hannya haramitsu 摩訶般若波羅蜜 The Perfection of Wisdom
3. Busshō 佛性. Buddha Nature
4.

身心學道 Practicing the Way with the Body and Mind
5. Sokushin zebutsu 即心是佛 The Very Mind is Buddha
6. Gyōbutsu igi 行佛威儀 Deportment of the Practicing Buddha
7.

一顆明珠 One Bright Pearl
8. Shin fukatoku 心不可得 The Mind Cannot Be Got
9.

古佛心 The Old Buddha Mind
10.

大悟 Great Awakening
11.

坐禪儀 Principles of Zazen
12. *

Zazen shin ''Zazen shin'' (), rendered in English as the ''Acupuncture Needle of Zazen'', ''Lancet of Zazen'', or ''Needle for Zazen'', is a book of the Shōbōgenzō by the 13th century Sōtō Zen monk Eihei Dōgen. It was written on the 19th of April in 12 ...

坐禪箴 Lancet of Zazen
13. Kaiin zanmai 海印三昧 The Ocean Seal Samadhi
14. Kūge 空華 Sky Flowers
15. Kōmyō 光明 Illuminating Wisdom
16. Gyōji 行持 Continuous Practice
17. Inmo 恁麼 Being So
18. Kannon 觀音 Avalokiteśvara
19. Kokyō 古鏡 The Old Mirror
20.

有時 Being-Time
21. Juki 授記 Conferring Predictions
22. Zenki 全機 Full Function
23. Tsuki 都機 The Moon
24. Gabyō 畫餅 Painted Cakes
25. Keisei sanshoku 谿聲山色 Sounds of the Valley, Forms of the Mountain
26. Bukkōjōji 佛向上事 What Is Beyond the Buddha
27. Muchū setsumu 夢中説夢 Expounding a Dream Within a Dream
28. Raihai tokuzui 禮拜得髓 Getting the Marrow by Doing Obeisance
29.

Sansui kyō In this book, Dōgen equates mountains and waters with the Buddha's body and speech ''Sansui kyō'' (), rendered in English as ''Mountains and Waters Sutra'', is a book of the Shōbōgenzō by the 13th century Sōtō Zen monk Eihei Dōgen. It i ...

山水經 The Mountains and Waters Sutra
30. Kankin 看經 Sutra Reading
31. Shoaku makusa 諸悪莫作 Not Doing Evils
32. Den e 傳衣 Transmitting the Robe
33. Dōtoku 道得 Able to Speak
34. Bukkyō 佛教 Buddha's Teaching
35. Jinzū 神通 Spiritual Powers
36. Arakan 阿羅漢 The Arhat
37. *Shunjū 春秋 Spring and Autumn
38. Kattō 葛藤 Twining Vines
39. Shisho 嗣書 Succession Record
40. Hakujushi 柏樹子 The Cypress Tree
41. Sangai yuishin 三界唯心 The Three Realms Are Only Mind
42. Sesshin sesshō 説心説性 Talking of the Mind, Talking of the Nature
43. Shohō jissō 諸法實相 True Reality of All Dharmas
44. Butsudō 佛道 The Way of the Buddha
45. Mitsugo 密語 Secret Language
46. Mujō seppō 無情説法 The Insentient Preach the Dharma
47. Bukkyō 佛經 Buddha's Sutras
48. Hosshō 法性 Dharma Nature
49. Darani 陀羅尼 Dharani
50. Senmen 洗面 Washing the Face
51. Menju 面授 Face to Face Transmission
52. Busso 佛祖 Buddhas and Ancestors
53. *Baika 梅華 Plum Flowers
54. *Senjō 洗淨Purification
55. Jippō 十方 The Ten Directions
56. Kenbutsu 見佛
57. Henzan 徧參 Extensive Study
58. Ganzei 眼睛 The Eye
59. Kajō 家常 Everyday Matters
60. Sanjûshichihon bodai bunpō 三十七品菩提分法 Thirty-seven Factors of Awakening
61. Ryūgin 龍吟 Song of the Dragon
62. Soshi seirai i 祖師西来意 The Intention of the Ancestral Master's Coming from the West
63. Hotsu mujō shin 發無上心 Bringing Forth the Supreme Mind
64. Udon ge 優曇華 Udumbara Flower
65. Nyorai zenshin 如來全身
66. Zanmai ō zanmai 三昧王三昧 The King of Samadhis Samadhi
67. Ten hōrin 轉法輪 Turning the Dharma Wheel
68. Dai shugyō 大修行 Great Practice
69. Jishō zanmai 自證三昧 The Samadhi of Self Verification
70. Kokū 虚空 Empty Space
71. Hou 鉢盂 Almsbowl
72. Ango 安居 Practice Period
73. *Tashin tsū 佗心通 Penetration of Other Minds
74. Ō saku sendaba 王索仙陀婆 A King Seeks Necessities in Saindhava
75. Shukke 出家 Leaving Home

The 12-fascicle version

Bold text indicates a fascicle not also included in the 60 fascicle version
An asterisk (*) indicates a fascicle not found in any other version
Note than no fascicles from the 12 fascicle version appear in the 75 fascicle version 1. Shukke kudoku 出家功徳
2. Jukai 受戒Taking Vows/ Ordination
3. Kesa kudoku 袈裟功徳
4. Hotsu bodai shin 發心菩提
5. Kuyō shobutsu 供養諸佛
6. Kie buppōsō bō 歸依佛法僧寶
7. Jinshin inga 深信因果 Deep Belief in Cause and Effect
8. *Sanji gō 三時業
† this fascicle was rewritten; it differs from 60 fascicle version
9. Shiba 四馬
10. Shizen biku 四禪比丘
11. *Ippyakuhachi hōmyō mon 一百八法明門
12. Hachi dainin gaku 八大人覺

The 28-fascicle version

Bold text indicates a fascicle not also included in the 75 fascicle version
An asterisk (*) indicates a fascicle not found in any other version
1. Bukkōjōji 佛向上事 What Is Beyond the Buddha
† this fascicle is found in both the 60 and 75 fascicle versions
2. *Shōji 生死 Birth and Death
3. Shin fukatoku 心不可得 The Mind Cannot Be Got
† this is the same text found in the 75 fascicle version
4. *Go shin fukatoku 後心不可得
† this differs from the text in the 75 fascicle version
5. Jinshin inga 深信因果 Deep Belief in Cause and Effect
6. Shohō jissō 諸法實相 True Reality of All Dharmas
7. *Butsudō (variant) 佛道 The Way of the Buddha
† this differs from the version found in the 75 fascicle version; it was called Dōshin 道心 by later compilers
8. *Raihai tokuzui (variant) 禮拜得髓 Getting the Marrow by Doing Obeisance
† this differs from the version found in the 75 fascicle version
9. Butsudō 佛道 The Way of the Buddha
† this is the same text found in the 75 fascicle version
10. Zanmai ō zanmai 三昧王三昧 The King of Samadhis Samadhi
11. Sanjûshichihon bodai bunpō 三十七品菩提分法 Thirty-seven Factors of Awakening
12. Den e 傳衣 Transmitting the Robe
13. Bukkyō 佛教 Buddha's Teaching
14.

山水經 The Mountains and Waters Sutra
15. Mitsugo 密語 Secret Language
16. Ten hōrin 轉法輪 Turning the Dharma Wheel
17. Jishō zanmai 自證三昧 The Samadhi of Self Verification
18. Dai shugyō 大修行 Great Practice
19. Shisho 嗣書 Succession Record
20. Hachi dainin gaku 八大人覺 Eight Awakenings of Great Beings
21. Jukai 受戒Taking Vows/ Ordination
22. Busso 佛祖 Buddhas and Ancestors
23. Shizen biku 四禪比丘
24. Shukke 出家 Leaving Home
25. Bukkyō 佛經 Buddha's Sutras
26. Menju 面授 Face to Face Transmission
27. Sesshin sesshō 説心説性 Expounding Mind, Expounding Nature
28. *Yuibutsu Yobutsu 唯佛與佛 Only A Buddha Together With A Buddha

Fascicles not originally included in Shōbōgenzō

辨道話
Jūundō shiki 重雲堂式
Ji kuin mon 示庫院文

Reference Notes

References

* Dogen, Trans.

Thomas Cleary Thomas Cleary (24 April 1949 – 20 June 2021) was an American translator and writer of more than 80 books related to Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian, and Muslim classics, and of ''The Art of War'', a treatise on management, military strategy, and ...

; ''Shobogenzo: Zen Essays By Dogen''; U. of Hawaii Press, Honolulu; (1st edition, hardback, 1986). * Dogen, Trans. Norman Waddell and

Masao Abe was a Japanese Buddhist philosopher and religious studies scholar who was emeritus professor at Nara University. He is best known for his work in comparative religion, developing a Buddhism and Christianity, Buddhist-Christian interfaith dialog ...

; ''The Heart of Dogen's Shobogenzo''; SUNY Press, Albany; (1st edition, hardback, 2002). * Dogen, Trans. Thomas Cleary; ''Rational Zen: The Mind of Dogen Zenji''; Shambhala, Boston; (1st edition, hardback, 1992). * Dogen, Trans.

Gudo Wafu Nishijima Gudo is a former municipality in the district of Bellinzona in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. On 2 April 2017 the former municipalities of Camorino, Claro, Giubiasco, Gnosca, Gorduno, Moleno, Monte Carasso, Pianezzo, Preonzo, Sa ...

& Chodo Cross; ''Master Dogen's Shobogenzo''; Windbell Publications, London; (four volumes, paperback, 1994). * Dogen, Ed.

; ''Moon in a Dewdrop: Writings of Zen Master Dogen''; North Point Press, San Francisco; (hardback, 1985). * Yuho Yokoi; ''Zen Master Dogen''; Weatherhill Inc., New York; (6th edition, paperback, 1990) *

Steven Heine Steven Heine (born 1950), is a scholar in the field of Zen Buddhist history and thought, particularly the life and teachings of Zen Master Dōgen (1200–1253). He has also taught and published extensively on Japanese religion and society in worl ...

; ''Dogen and the Koan Tradition: A Tale of Two Shobogenzo Texts''; SUNY Press, Albany; (1st edition, hardback, 1994) * Carl Bielefeldt; ''Dogen's Manuals of Zen Meditation''; University of California Press, Berkeley, Los Angeles, London; (paperback, 1988?) * Dogen, Trans. Shohaku Okumura and

Taigen Daniel Leighton Taigen Dan Leighton (born 1950, grew up in Pittsburgh, PA) is a Sōtō priest and teacher, academic, and author. He is an authorized lineage holder and Zen teacher in the tradition of Shunryū Suzuki and is the founder and Guiding Teacher of Ancien ...

, with commentary by Kosho Uchiyama Roshi: ''The Wholehearted Way''; Tuttle Publishing; (first edition, paperback, 1997). * Roshi P. T. N.

Houn Jiyu-Kennett Hōun Jiyu-Kennett (Japanese: 法雲慈友ケネット, 1 January 1924 – 6 November 1996), born Peggy Teresa Nancy Kennett, was a British roshi most famous for having been the first female to be sanctioned by the Sōtō School of Japan ...

; ''Zen is Eternal Life''; Shasta Abbey Press; (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; (1996) * Dogen, Trans. Eido Shimano Roshi & Charles Vacher; ''Shobogenzo Uji''; (1997); and ''Shobogenzo Yui Butsu Yo Butsu and Shoji''; (1999). * Dogen, Trans. Kosen Nishiyama and John Stevens; ''Shobogenzo: The Eye and Treasury of the True Law, Volume One''; Nakayama Shobo, Tokyo, Japan; (hardback, 1975). ''Volume Two''; same ISBN (hardback, 1977). ''Volume Three''; same ISBN (hardback, year unknown). Out of print.

External links

*The four volumes o
Gudo Nishijima and Chodo Cross's English translation of Master Dōgen's ''Shōbōgenzō''
in their original format, ''i.e.'', including Chinese characters of fascicle titles, in glosses and notes, ''etc.'' (four downloadable PDFs)
Understanding the ''Shōbōgenzō''
by Gudo Nishijima

translated by the Sōtō Zen Text Project

from Shasta Abbey Press (downloadable PDF) {{DEFAULTSORT:Shobogenzo 13th-century books Soto Zen Zen texts Early Middle Japanese texts Kamakura-period books about Buddhism Dōgen