Realizing Genjokoan

The Key to Dogen's Shobogenzo

Shohaku Okumura

• Publisher: Wisdom Publications
• Year: 2010
• Print ISBN:
  9780861716012
• eBook ISBN:
  9780861719341
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Eastern Philosophy

Dogen, the thirteenth-century Zen master who founded the Japanese Soto school of Zen, is renowned as one the world's most remarkable religious geniuses. His works are both richly poetic and deeply insightful and philosophical, pointing to the endless depths of Zen exploration. And almost precisely because of these facts, Dogen is often difficult for readers to understand and fully appreciate. Realizing Genjokoan is a comprehensive introduction to the teachings and approach of this great thinker, taking us on a thorough guided tour of the most important essay-Genjokoan-in Dogen's seminal work, the Shobogenzo. Indeed, the Genjokoan is regarded as the pinnacle of Dogen's writings, encompassing and encapsulating the essence of all the rest of his work.Our tour guide for this journey is Shohaku Okumura, a prominent teacher in his own right, who has dedicated his life to translating and teaching Dogen.This volume also includes an introduction to Dogen's life from Hee-Jin Kim's classic, Eihei Dogen: Mystical Realist, with updated annotations by Okumura.

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Foreword
• PREFACE
• THE TEXT
• 1 - DŌGEN ZENJI’S LIFE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF GENJŌKŌAN
• 2 - THE MEANING OF “GENJŌKŌAN”
• 3 - BUDDHIST TEACHINGS FROM THREE SOURCES: IS, IS NOT, IS
• 4 - FLOWERS FALL, WEEDS GROW
• 5 - REALIZATION BEYOND REALIZATION
• 6 - DROPPING OFF BODY AND MIND
• 7 - WHEN WE SEEK WE ARE FAR AWAY
• 8 - PAST AND FUTURE ARE CUT OFF
• 9 - THE MOON IN WATER
• 10 - SOMETHING IS STILL LACKING
• 11 - A FISH SWIMS, A BIRD FLIES
• 12 - WE WAVE A FAN BECAUSE WIND NATURE IS EVERYWHERE
• BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR ANNOTATIONS
• GLOSSARY
• NOTES
• INDEX
• ABOUT THE AUTHOR
• ABOUT WISDOM PUBLICATIONS
• Copyright Page