Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
Audible Plus auto-renews for $7.95/mo after 30 days. Upgrade or cancel anytime.
The Essential Dogen  By  cover art

The Essential Dogen

By: Kazuaki Tanahashi - editor,Peter Levitt - editor
Narrated by: Brian Nishii
Try for $0.00

$7.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $2.99

Buy for $2.99

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Eihei Dogen (1200 - 1253), founder of the Soto School of Zen Buddhism, is one of the greatest religious, philosophical, and literary geniuses of Japan. His writings have been studied by Zen students for centuries, particularly his masterwork, Shobo Genzo or Treasury of the True Dharma Eye. This is the first book to offer the great master's incisive wisdom in short selections taken from the whole range of his voluminous works. The pithy and powerful readings, arranged according to theme, provide a perfect introduction to Dogen - and inspire spiritual practice in people of all traditions.

©2013 The San Francisco Zen Center (P)2014 Audible Inc.

Featured Article: The Best Zen Audiobooks to Guide You to Enlightenment


Perhaps you’re a meditation master looking for some in-depth topics, or maybe you’re new to your zen practice and seeking guidance. Either way, these ten titles offer a comprehensive selection to begin or continue your spiritual practice. Our selection includes poems, short stories, letters, and full-length texts all brought to life in audio. They cover various schools of philosophy and religion from traditionalists to modern practitioners.

More from the same

What listeners say about The Essential Dogen

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    645
  • 4 Stars
    231
  • 3 Stars
    122
  • 2 Stars
    32
  • 1 Stars
    15
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    615
  • 4 Stars
    179
  • 3 Stars
    66
  • 2 Stars
    21
  • 1 Stars
    11
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    543
  • 4 Stars
    190
  • 3 Stars
    97
  • 2 Stars
    35
  • 1 Stars
    17

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A Great Pearl of Little Price

For $1.95 (the price I paid for this Audible Audiobook) this may be, penny for penny, the greatest value I have ever received on a book of Religion / Philosophy.

Many hours of The Great Dogen for less than 2 bucks is…Unsurpassable.

I especially appreciate the performance of Brian Nishii, who did not clobber the Chinese, but rendered, in almost every case, accurate pronunciations of the Mandarin readings of the names of the Chinese Zen Masters, and the place names associated with them.

To sum up:

BUY THIS AUDIBLE AUDIOBOOK !

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

21 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Perfect for blind donkeys

Hold your breath and cover your ears. Then you will be ready to listen. Seeking entertainment instead of cleaning the red dust out of your eyes, you have already received thirty blows.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

18 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

One of Buddhism's most influential teachers.

Dogen is mind-blowing. The narrator was passable, but put a little too much into it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Dogen

Would you listen to The Essential Dogen again? Why?

I will listen to The Essential Dogen again and I have already!

What other book might you compare The Essential Dogen to and why?

Living Buddha Living Christ, New Seeds of Contemplation.

What about Brian Nishii’s performance did you like?

It was relaxed and peacefully done.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No.

Any additional comments?

Great for the novice to the master meditator. If there is such a thing.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great work on Dogen

Great narrator. Well structured even for a beginner. I would highly recommend this listen for those on the way. master Dogen paints a verbal work of art to help you to focus your mind. Not 1, not 2.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Dogen is difficult to comprehend

Dogen is a difficult read, which should not be seen as a critique of the author or the narrator. Both have done a good job handling the material. That being so, the material is difficult to comprehend.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Felt less Dogen, more post-modern biased

Narration was good, name pronunciation was well done, it touches on Zen and Dogen but inserts it's post modern bias using the modern "sexism/ racism" terms to compare society today with Dogen's society and culture. I just want his teachings without the ideologically possessed nonsense of the anti-western neo-marxists that flood our media today.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Good book, narrator was passable

Would you consider the audio edition of The Essential Dogen to be better than the print version?

The brilliance of Dogen is "uncomment-able", drat I did it again. Found the narrators sudden misplaced lower register growling of "DOHgun" distracting. He didn't do it all the time but when he did, it was out of place and distracting.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The butlers dumpling was delicious.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Brian Nishii?

perhaps

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Perhaps, but how does one do this ?

Any additional comments?

Only that I have no more comments

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Basically just a commentary

Basically just a commentary, Not what i expected, and is not really the writings i wanted to hear.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Superb

Before enlightenment,chop wood and carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood and carry water. Zen mind, beginners mind. In the beginners mind there are many options, in the experts mind there are few. Mountains and rivers. Rivers and mountains.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful