Insightful commentary on a beloved ancient philosopher of Zen by a beloved contemporary master of Zen.
Famously insightful and famously complex, Eihei Dogen’s writings have been studied and puzzled over for hundreds of years. In Deepest Practice, Deepest Wisdom, Kosho Uchiyama, beloved twentieth-century Zen teacher addresses himself head-on to unpacking Dogen’s wisdom from three fascicles (or chapters) of his monumental Shobogenzo for a modern audience.
The fascicles presented here from Shobogenzo, or Treasury of the True Dharma Eye include “Shoaku Makusa” or “Refraining from Evil,” “Maka Hannya Haramitsu” or “Practicing Deepest Wisdom,” and “Uji” or “Living Time.” Tom Wright and Shohaku Okumura lovingly translate Dogen’s penetrating words and Uchiyama’s thoughtful commentary on each piece. At turns poetic and funny, always insightful, this is Zen wisdom for the ages.
"A magnificent gift for anyone interested in the deep, clear waters of Zen—its great foundational master Dogen coupled with one of its finest modern voices. Uchiyama’s vivid and incisive commentaries are refreshingly direct and have a great deal to offer to Dogen lovers and new acquaintances alike. The translations, by deeply experienced Zen teachers, are robust and lyrical. What a package!"