Shobogenzo

Shobogenzo, meaning “Treasury of the True Dharma Eye,” is a central collection of writings attributed to the Japanese Zen master Eihei Dogen (1200–1253) and the foundational text of the Soto school of Zen Buddhism. It presents Dogen’s teachings on practice, realization, and the nature of reality in a form that blends Chinese Chan and Japanese Buddhist thought. The work is regarded as a primary source for understanding Dogen’s philosophy of “practice-realization.”

Composition and structure: The Shobogenzo exists as a compilation of form and content rather than a single treatise. It comprises about 95 fascicles (chapters) that were edited and organized by Dogen’s disciples after his death, during the Kamakura period. The fascicles were drawn from a range of lectures, sermons, and essays delivered by Dogen throughout his monastic career. The text has been preserved in various editions, with the standard editions drawing on the traditional Eiheiji and other temple lineages.

Content and themes: The fascicles cover a wide scope, including zazen as the primary practice, the inseparability of practice and awakening, and the nature of mind and reality. Notable sections address buddha-nature, time and impermanence, and the harmony of form and emptiness. Some essays are systematizing doctrinal analysis, while others are devotional or poetic in character. The work as a whole emphasizes that awakening is realized through engaged, everyday practice.

Influence and reception: Shobogenzo has profoundly shaped the Soto school and the broader landscape of Zen thought. It has been translated into English and other languages in numerous editions, and remains a touchstone for scholarly study and monastic practice alike.