The Shobogenzo in Translation, Online 3/11–4/1
Description
The Zoom link to participate in this event will be provided at least 24 hours before it begins. Please call 415-354-0360 if you have any questions.
Four Thursdays, March 11–April 1, 4:00–5:30 pm PT / 7:00–8:30 pm ET
How does the translation we read shape our understanding of Dogen?
The growing worldwide interest in Dogen’s Shobogenzo has produced six complete English translations, along with numerous versions in European and Asian languages. Each translation approaches this famously challenging and evocative work differently, offering readers distinct pathways into Dogen’s language and teaching.
In this four-session course, we will focus particularly on two major English editions: the widely-read translation produced by Kazuaki Tanahashi and a group of collaborators, and the recent eight-volume translation by the Soto Zen Text Project.
Both are immensely valuable, but they differ in their source texts, organization, treatment of chronology, and approach to annotation. The course’s primary focus will be “Ikka Myoju” (One Bright Pearl), “Inmo” (Suchness), “Komyo” (Radiant Light), “Shunju” (Spring and Autumn), and “Sansuikyo” (Mountains and Rivers Sutras), while ranging more widely where helpful for exploring questions of translation and interpretation.
Together, we will:
- Survey the history and variety of English translations of the Shobogenzo since the 1970s.
- Compare how the Tanahashi and Soto Zen Text Project editions approach several exemplary fascicles.
- Explore how significant passages have been rendered differently across translations.
- Develop practical ways of consulting multiple translations to engage Doogen’s subtle and paradoxical writing with greater confidence and appreciation.
Through close reading and discussion, participants in this four-session online class will gain a clearer understanding of how translation choices shape our encounter with Dogen, as well as new tools for approaching the Shobogenzo in their own study and practice.
Recordings:
All course sessions will be recorded, and registered participants will receive temporary access to the recordings for later viewing.
Fee Information
- Benefactor Ticket Price: $210 — supports others’ participation
- Standard ticket price: $168 — covers full program costs
- Member (Become an SFZC Member): $151 — for current SFZC members
- Supported: $101 — community supported rate
- Deeply Supported: $42 — for broadest accessibility
- Current SFZC residents and qualified SFZC retirees may attend this course for free. To register, please email onlineprograms@sfzc.org at least 72 hours before the program begins.
Registration Information
Or call 415-354-0360.
Dr. Steven Heine
Dr. Steven Heine is professor and founding director of Asian Studies at Florida International University and an expert on East Asian religions and society, especially the transmission of Zen Buddhism from China to Japan, including the life and thought of Master Dōgen. He has published more than three dozen books on these and related topics, including Dōgen and the Kōan Tradition, Did Dōgen Go to China?