![](\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/_0uPSljNE9f4\/TTdvwsOFbsI\/AAAAAAAABCY\/pguvJ9hQ1NQ\/s1600\/101_1938.JPG\")
<\/a><\/div>\nToday is Katagiri Roshi\u2019s birthday (82 or 83) so I begin by toasting that old boy with the above one big candle.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n It would make him very happy, I\u2019m sure, to see Kaz Tanahashi & Co\u2019s brand-spanking new and complete translation of Dogen\u2019s S<\/i>hobogenzo<\/i><\/a> here on my table. And a lovely translation it is with a couple hundred page glossary, maps, index, updated translations and is just a wonderful contribution to dharma<\/a> students.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n You might thank all those associated with the project by clicking here<\/a> and buying it now (get ready for sticker shock)!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Okay, that\u2019s my commercial message.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n If you want to hear a real Zen talk about the translation process, click here<\/a> for Peter Levitt\u2019s talk \u201cDogen, Poetry, and the Heart of Practice.\u201d You can also get it over at the iTunes Store for free.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n There are several translations of Shobogenzo<\/i> online (Shasta Abbey<\/a>, Numata Center for the Nishijima and Cross<\/a>, and the Soto Zen Text Project<\/a>) but this one stands out.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The way I work with Dogen is to use at least a couple translations so as to see what the original says from a couple vantage points. I prefer the careful scholarly perspective of the Soto Zen Text Project. You see I<\/span><\/span> have fetish for footnotes and go into eyes-rolled-back ecstasy when there are supplemental footnotes to the footnotes<\/span><\/span> but they\u2019ve only got 21 of the 75 fascicle version translated so I\u2019ll be comparing Kaz\u2019s great work here either with that or with the Nishijima and Cross.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Take for example the passage from \u201cThe Meaning if Bodhidharma Coming from India\u201d that has the person-up-a-tree koan and Dogen\u2019s commentary. This passage riles some purist, anti-koan folks because it\u2019s kinda hard to explain away how Dogen gives specific koan instructions.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019ve quoted the following passage before on this blog here<\/a> and here<\/a> (sort of) but here it is again in the new translation:\u00a0<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Many people have investigated and discussed this case, but few have spoken penetrating words about it. Most have been dumbfounded. However, if we think about this case by taking up not-thinking and beyond thinking, we can have the experience of sharing a cushion with Old Man Xiangyan. If you sit steadfastly together with Xiangyan on the same cushion, you must understand this case thoroughly before he opens his mouth.\u00a0<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Be that as it is, remember that Dogen\u2019s words and koan introspection are both about embodying the truth of the moment.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n So here we are, dangling by our teeth, 1,000 ft. up in the air. Someone comes along and says, \u201cHey, if it\u2019s all perfect just as it is, why have all the great masters from the past given up everything to realize it?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n If you speak, you lose your life. If you don\u2019t speak, you avoid your responsibility and don\u2019t give your attention to the speaker.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n What will you do?\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Today is Katagiri Roshi\u2019s birthday (82 or 83) so I begin by toasting that old boy with the above one big candle.\u00a0 It would make him very happy, I\u2019m sure, to see Kaz Tanahashi & Co\u2019s brand-spanking new and complete translation of Dogen\u2019s Shobogenzo here on my table. And a lovely translation it is with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":182,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-92","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n<\/a><\/div>\n