Did Dogen Go to China?

Dgen (1200-1253), the founder of the St Zen sect in Japan, is especially known for introducing to Japanese Buddhism many of the texts and practices that he discovered in China. Heine reconstructs the context of Dgen's travels to and reflections on China by means of a critical look at traditional sources both by and about Dgen in light of recent Japanese scholarship. While many studies emphasize the unique features of Dgen's Japanese influences, this book calls attention to the way Chinese and Japanese elements were fused in Dgen's religious vision. It reveals many new materials and insights into Dogen's main writings, including the multiple editions of the Shbgenz, and how and when this seminal text was created by Dgen and was edited and interpreted by his disciples. This book is the culmination of the author's thirty years of research on Dgen and provides the reader with a comprehensive approach to the master's life works and an understanding of the overall career trajectory of one of the most important figures in the history of Buddhism and Asian religious thought.