Soto Zen Text Project Shobogenzo books

[Ryumon]

I see that this is available as an eight volume set in paperback:

https://uhpress.hawaii.edu/title/treasury-of-the-true-dharma-eye-dogens-shobogenzo-eight-volume-set/

I know it's online as PDFs , but I'm tempted to add this to my library, because of the extensive glosses and commentaries. Any thoughts on this?

After posting this, I saw that it's 23% off on Amazon:

https://amzn.to/4oZnRzD

And 42% off on Amazon UK.

https://amzn.to/4n5lQQz

Methinks I shall order this at that price...

Gassho,

Ryūmon (Kirk)

Sat Lah

[Junsho]

I am reading the version of Shobogenzo by our grandpa, Gudo Wafu Nishijima Roshi, and it is excellent, with many insightful footnotes (I bought the four volumes, but they are available for free). I have a fixed idea of translating Shobogenzo into Portuguese in the future from English, as there is currently no translation available in my language, and I do not know Japanese.

However, I wonder if I will be able to accomplish this due to the complexity of the work and the fact that I am not a teacher. (I also believe that I need authorization to do it.) We will see if this will becomes one of my life mission, to spread the words of master Dogen in the Lusophone world.
Gassho!
SatLah

[Jundo]

Hi Ryumon,

The sheer quantity of footnoting on the Soto Zen Text Project is AMAZING, incredible, invaluable, like nothing else ... tracing each Dogen reference and allusion back to the likely source of the story or phrase, with historical background. No other translation, even Nishijima-Cross version's footnotes, is anywhere close.

It is also a very literal and precise translation, which sacrifices literary "flow" and poesy quite often for that reason. Different scholars took different sections. It can be "clunky" to read. Tanahashi still does best for "readability," and Nishijima-Cross is also very precise (according to scholars I have asked.) I still recommend reading 2 or 3 versions side-by-side for best result, triangulating where the old boy was coming from. The only version I really recommend against is the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives/Nearman translation, which is really the translator more than Dogen sometimes. Also the early Nishiyama (not to be confused with Nishijima ) is also hit and miss.

And Junsho ... we might try a section of Shobogenzo or two, working from existing English and Spanish versions perhaps. I will be unable to judge the result, however, but maybe we can find someone who can.

Gassho, Jundo
stlah

[Junsho]

Thank you, Sensei Jundo . Next year, I intent to begin implementing this project, which may be available online as an ongoing effort. Spanish has a 98% similarity to Portuguese, so perhaps the translations can be compared and audited alongside the English version. It is a pity that a language spoken by 260 million people has almost no translations of major Zen literature, limiting accessibility to those who speak only English.

Gassho!
SatLah

[Kokuu]

That is a wonderful idea, Junsho! i wonder if you can find a Portuguese speaking Zen teacher to work with on this?

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday/lah-

[Ryumon]

Roshi,

I agree about the readability. I’m more interested in the notes, which are incredibly copious. They will give some insight into the vastness of the references that Dogen used in the texts.

Gassho,
Ryūmon (Kirk)
Sat Lah