Ben Waber reviewed The Essential Dogen by Peter Levitt
A Compact Collection with a Bit of Commentary
4 stars
This is a good, compact collection of some of Dōgen's writings, with a nice introduction and some commentary before each section. As a piece of philosophical writing it's interesting in and of itself and provides some insight into more modern norms in Japan. I would've liked more commentary and analysis here, however, since as a beginner in this space it's difficult to fully appreciate the context of these writings. As a first introduction, however, this book serves as a good jumping off point. Highly recommend
This is a good, compact collection of some of Dōgen's writings, with a nice introduction and some commentary before each section. As a piece of philosophical writing it's interesting in and of itself and provides some insight into more modern norms in Japan. I would've liked more commentary and analysis here, however, since as a beginner in this space it's difficult to fully appreciate the context of these writings. As a first introduction, however, this book serves as a good jumping off point. Highly recommend