Kazuaki Tanahashi: A Guide for Readers

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Kazuaki Tanahashi

Kazuaki (Kaz) Tanahashi is a gem with many facets: peace and environmental activism, generosity,  art, poetry, creativity and more.

Below you will find many of his contributions in book form, sometimes as translator, sometimes as editor, sometimes as author, always as collaborator.  One of the things you will notice with any of the books Kaz is involved with is that they are a team effort, assisted by his vast network of friends and admirers.

We have separated his works across a few categories you can jump to from here: those on art and calligraphy; the great Zen master Dogen; Hanshan, Ryoken, and Soen Nakagawa; and the  Heart Sutra and other Zen chants.

We put this reader guide together to mark his 90th birthday which was celebrated at Green Gulch Zen Center in September, 2023, but his output has not slowed and additional books will be added here as they come out.

Kaz’s 90th Birthday Cake, with an image of him painting.
Kaz’s 90th Birthday Cake, with an image of him painting. Created by his daughter Karuna Tanahashi.

On Dogen

Unsurprisingly, Dogen has been a major focus of Kaz's translation work.  As the spearhead of a  project involving many from the San Francisco Zen Center community, Kaz has edited, compiled, introduced and translated multiple works of Dogen.  The first, Moon in a Dewdrop, is still in print but with another publisher.  The others are below, culminating in Dogen's masterpiece, The Treasury of the True Dharma Eye.

essential dogen
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$21.95 - Paperback

On this volume, Kaz writes,

This volume is intended to make [Dogen's] writings easily accessible to readers, including those who are not familiar with Zen or Buddhism in general. Peter Levitt and I have selected passages from Dogen’s enormous body of work throughout his career and classified them according to theme. We hope that this approach will help those who are interested in his thinking and teachings on various topics. We have also included a selection of Dogen’s poems that, at a glance, might appear eccentric or absurd but may be more easily understood when placed in the context of his other writings.

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$24.95 - Paperback

Enlightenment Unfolds: The Essential Teachings of Zen Master Dogen

Enlightenment Unfolds is a sequel to Kaz Tanahashi's previous collection, Moon in a Dewdrop.

Tanahashi has brought together his own translations of Dogen with those of some of the most respected Zen teachers and writers of our own day, including Reb Anderson, Edward Espe Brown, Norman Fisher, Gil Fronsdal, Blanche Hartman, Jane Hirschfield, Daniel Leighton, Alan Senauke, Katherine Thanas, Mel Weitzman, and Michael Wenger.

dogen beyond thinking
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$22.95 - Paperback

Beyond Thinking: A Guide to Zen Meditation

On this volume, another collaboration of many contributors, Kaz writes,

For this book we have selected his essays, talks, and instructions that touch on various aspects of Zen meditation. We present the text in four parts: ‘‘Entering Zazen,’’ ‘‘Zazen Experience,’’ ‘‘Zazen in Community,’’ and ‘‘Zazen through the Seasons.’’

In focusing on Dogen's most practical words of instruction and encouragement for Zen students, this collection highlights the timelessness of his teaching and shows it to be as applicable to anyone today as it was in the great teacher's own time. Selections include Dogen's famous meditation instructions; his advice on the practice of zazen, or sitting meditation; guidelines for community life; and some of his most inspirational talks. Also included are a bibliography and an extensive glossary.

true dharma eye dogen
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$39.95 - Paperback

Distinct from the Treasury of the True Dharma Eye below, this is a collection of three hundred koans compiled by Dogen which presents readers with a uniquely contemporary perspective on his profound teachings and their relevance for modern Western practitioners of Zen. Following the traditional format for koan collections, John Daido Loori Roshi, an American Zen master, has added his own commentary and accompanying verse for each of Dogen’s koans. Kaz Tanahashi translated this work.  Zen students and scholars will find The True Dharma Eye to be a source of deep insight into the mind of one of the world’s greatest religious thinkers, as well as the practice of koan study itself.

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$100.00 - Hardcover

Treasury of the True Dharma Eye (Shobo Genzo, in Japanese) is Dogen's manum opus and a monumental work, considered to be one of the profoundest expressions of Zen wisdom ever put on paper, and also the most outstanding literary and philosophical work of Japan. It is a collection of essays by Eihei Dogen (1200–1253), founder of Zen’s Soto school.

Kazuaki Tanahashi and a team of translators that represent a Who’s Who of American Zen have produced a translation of the great work that combines accuracy with a deep understanding of Dogen’s voice and literary gifts. This volume includes a wealth of materials to aid understanding, including maps, lineage charts, a bibliography, and an exhaustive glossary of names and terms—and, as a bonus, the most renowned of all Dogen’s essays, “Recommending Zazen to All People.”

The Heart Sutra and Zen Chants

heart Sutra
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$24.95 - Paperback

The Prajna Paramita Hridaya Sutra is among the best known of all the Buddhist scriptures. Chanted daily by many Zen students, it is also studied extensively in the Tibetan tradition, and it has been regarded with interest more recently in the West in various fields of study—from philosophy to quantum physics. In just thirty-five lines, it expresses the truth of impermanence and the release from suffering that results from the understanding of that truth with a breathtaking economy of language. Kazuaki Tanahashi’s guide to the Heart Sutra is the result of a life spent working with it and living it.

The book is divided into six parts.  In Kaz's words:

"Part One, 'The Heart Sutra Here and Now,' presents a new translation of the text by Joan Halifax and myself. Our intention is to bring forth the sutra’s essential teaching of transcendence and freedom, which is often obscured by seemingly pessimistic and nihilistic expressions. We use the word “boundlessness” instead of the more common translation “emptiness” for the Sanskrit word shunyata. We use “free of the eyes, ears, nose . . .” instead of the usual rendition “no eyes, no ears, no nose . . .” Because we want to make the sutra accessible to non-Buddhists as well as Buddhists, we have replaced such traditional technical terms as bodhisattva and nirvana with more easily understandable words. I hope those of you who are used to chanting the common English versions of the sutra will find our translation helpful and thought-provoking. This first part also includes stories of my own affinity with the scripture and its potential to inspire us all.

Part Two, 'Story of the Sutra,' introduces ancient recountings of its use as a living text, as well as descriptions of my visits to temples in Korea and Japan, where I conducted research on the historical impact of the sutra.

Parts Three and Four, 'Modern Scholarship' and 'Most Recent Scholarship,' discuss scholarly findings over the course of two centuries about the formation and expansion of the text.

Part Five, 'Globalizing the Sutra,' discusses Chinese enthusiasm for and pan-Asian responses to the text, as well as examples of how the sutra has inspired modern scientists.

Part Six, 'Terms and Concepts,' includes semantic, etymological, and grammatical analyses of the Sanskrit and Chinese terms in the text. Most of the words in the sutra have Sanskrit origins, so looking at these terms is extremely fruitful. A Chinese version has become the standard text in East Asia, however, and was the basis for some of the translations of the sutra in European languages. Three English translations are also included here: the version by F. Max Müller from the late nineteenth century, as well as those by D. T. Suzuki and Edward Conze from the twentieth century."

Ruth Ozeki had this to say about this work:

“A masterwork of loving and meticulous scholarship, Kaz Tanahashi’s Heart Sutra is a living, breathing, deeply personal celebration of a beloved text, which all readers—Buddhists and non-Buddhists, newcomers to the teaching and seasoned scholars alike—will cherish throughout time.

The Online Course

kaz

Using Kaz’s book The Heart Sutra: A Comprehensive Guide to the Classic of Mahayana Buddhism as its text, this course delves deep into the history and lived experience of the Heart Sutra, posing questions and drawing connections to help you integrate this precious teaching into your daily life and awareness, whether you are encountering the sutra for the first time or have chanted it for decades. We invite you to join these two remarkable and wise teachers in exploring the boundless nature of all existence through this core text.

hs
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$21.95 - Paperback

Zen Chants: Thirty-Five Essential Texts with Commentary

A Zen chant is like a compass that sets us in the direction of the awakened life; it is the dynamic, audible counterpart to the silent practice of zazen, or sitting meditation; and it is a powerful expression of the fact that practice happens in community. Here is a concise guide to Zen chants for practitioners, as well as for anyone who appreciates the beauty and profundity of the poetry in dharma. An introduction to the practice is followed by fresh and carefully considered translations and adaptations of thirty-five chants—some common and others less well known—along with illuminating commentary.

The accompanying audio of this book:

On Ryoken, Hanshan, and Soen Nakagawa

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$18.95 - Paperback

Sky Above, Great Wind: The Life and Poetry of Zen Master Ryokan

Ryokan (1758–1831) is, along with Dogen and Hakuin, one of the three giants of Zen in Japan. But unlike his two renowned colleagues, Ryokan was a societal dropout, living mostly as a hermit and a beggar. He was never head of a monastery or temple. He liked playing with children. He had no dharma heir. Even so, people recognized the depth of his realization, and he was sought out by people of all walks of life for the teaching to be experienced in just being around him. His poetry and art were wildly popular even in his lifetime. He is now regarded as one of the greatest poets of the Edo Period, along with Basho, Buson, and Issa. He was also a master artist-calligrapher with a very distinctive style, due mostly to his unique and irrepressible spirit, but also because he was so poor he didn’t usually have materials: his distinctive thin line was due to the fact that he often used twigs rather than the brushes he couldn’t afford. He was said to practice his brushwork with his fingers in the air when he didn’t have any paper. There are hilarious stories about how people tried to trick him into doing art for them, and about how he frustrated their attempts. As an old man, he fell in love with a young Zen nun who also became his student. His affection for her colors the mature poems of his late period. This collection contains more than 140 of Ryokan’s poems, with selections of his art, and of the very funny anecdotes about him.

The Complete Cold Mountain
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The Complete Cold Mountain: Poems of the Legendary Hermit Hanshan

Kaz translated this complete set of Hanshan's poems with Peter Levitt.

Welcome to the magical, windswept world of Cold Mountain. These poems from the literary riches of China have long been celebrated by cultures of both East and West—and continue to be revered as among the most inspiring and enduring works of poetry worldwide. This groundbreaking new translation presents the full corpus of poetry traditionally associated with Hanshan (“Cold Mountain”) and sheds light on its origins and authorship like never before. Kazuaki Tanahashi and Peter Levitt honor the contemplative Buddhist elements of this classic collection of poems while revealing Hanshan’s famously jubilant humor, deep love of solitude in nature, and overwhelming warmth of heart. In addition, this translation features the full Chinese text of the original poems and a wealth of fascinating supplements, including traditional historical records, an in-depth study of the Cold Mountain poets (here presented as three distinct authors), and more.

Peter Levitt and Kazuaki Tanahashi
endless vow
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$24.95 - Paperback

Endless Vow: The Zen Path of Soen Nakagawa

Endless Vow is the first English-language collection of the literary works of Soen Nakagawa Roshi. An intimate, in-depth portrait of the master of Eido Tai Shimano, his Dharma heir, introduces the poems, letters, journal entries, and other writings of Soen Roshi, which are illustrated with his calligraphies. In a postscript, some of his best-known American students—including Peter Matthiessen and Ruth McCandless—reminisce about this legendary figure of American Buddhist history.

Here is what Kaz has to say about the book,

Zen Master Soen Nakagawa was a key figure in the transmission of Zen Buddhism from Japan to the Western world. As abbot of the historic Ryutaku Monastery, he trained monks and lay practitioners. Among them were Robert Aitken and Philip Kapleau, who later became two of the first Westerners to teach Zen in the United States. Soen Roshi had a major impact upon Paul Reps, Maurine Stuart, Peter Matthiessen, Louis Nordstrom, Charlotte Joko Beck, and a great number of other Westerners whom he taught in and outside of Japan.

Soen Nakagawa was also an extraordinary poet. In Japan his haiku are renowned, even though no substantial collection of his work has been made available to the general public. Because he did not wish his anthologies to receive wide circulation in his lifetime, all four collections of his poems were published privately, in limited editions, for small circles of readers.

We have selected materials for this book largely from those four collections: Shigan (Coffin of Poems), 1936; Meihen (Life Anthology), 1949; Henkairoku (Journal of a Wide World) with Koun-sho (Ancient Cloud Selection), 1981; and Hokoju (Long Lasting Dharma Light), published posthumously in 1985. These selections are now presented in English for the first time.

On Art, Calligraphy, and Haiku

Painting Peace
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$21.95 - Paperback

“Awakening,” says Kaz, “is to realize the infinite value of each moment of your own life as well as of other beings, then to continue to act accordingly.” This book is the record of a life spent acting accordingly: through his prose, poetry, letters, lyrics, and art, Tanahashi provides an inspirational account of a what it’s been like to work for peace and justice, from his childhood in Japan to the present day. Included are fascinating vignettes of the seminal figures who refined his views—among them Daniel Ellsberg, Gary Snyder, Mayumi Oda, and Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido—as well as striking examples of the art he has so famously used to bear witness to the infinite value of life.

It is such a wonderful that shows so many facets of his activism, generosity, commitment to peace, art, poetry, creativity and more.  It is incredible to hear about his training with Morihei Ueshiba, the role his father played in the military leading up to the war and the impact these had on Kaz.  It is sure to leave you with a deep appreciation of his work in all its variety.

heart of the brush
Paperback

$39.95 - Paperback

This comprehensive and accessible introduction to the history and art of calligraphy as it’s been practiced for centuries in Asia offers the possibility of appreciating it in a hands-on way. It works as a guide for the beginner hoping to develop an appreciation for Asian calligraphy, for the person who wants to give calligraphy-creation a try, as well as for the expert or afficionado who wants nothing more than to exult in lovely examples of this art. After proving a brief overview, Kazuaki Tanahashi invites you to give it a try yourself, giving guidance for materials, and then instruction in the basic strokes. He then provides examples of 150 characters, from action to zen, with history and development of each, famous examples, stroke sequences, and the author’s interpretation of the character in styles that range from traditional to modern. It’s a calligraphy course in a book, but it’s also a book for hours of meditative browsing.

O'Leary describes it this:

The One Thousand Character Essay is both essay and visual art. For brush calligraphers who do not read Chinese, this text offers a rare opportunity (by looking at the bottom of the facing left-hand page for translation and then reading a column of characters on the right-hand page), to take in the visual aspects of a larger meaning, of several characters in a row. To compare, side by side and over and over, formal and cursive script. Then glance back again to the top of the left-hand page, for the specific
meaning of a particular character. For me, this was entering a calligraphic text as I never had before.

In recent years, some calligraphers have been taking cellphone photos of individual characters and then enlarging them on the phone screen to be able to study the detail of strokes and how the calligrapher formed them. It is mesmerizing to look so closely at Zhiyong’s art. This form of attention can seem to slow down time, and it feels like an opportunity for carefully observing that only museum conservators could have had until very recently. We encourage you to try this.

Kaz once said to me, “I believe in the power of writing. I believe in the power of art.” You hold in your hands the written art of space and time. Of black night sky and earth. Ochre earth.

The Online Course

kaz brush

In this online workshop, you can study with him up close, as he guides you in exploring the wondrous world of brush calligraphy.

In each of the eight workshop sessions, Kaz will guide you in making a close study of an ancient Chinese masterpiece. He will demonstrate the character himself and then comment on the work of several of his calligraphy friends to help you deepen your understanding. He ends each session with homework designed to help you cultivate your own calligraphy practice.

You don’t need to have any previous experience of calligraphy or know any East Asian language to take this course. It takes years of practice to be a good calligrapher, but in this workshop and through Kaz’s unique style of teaching, you will experience both a beginning and, at the same time, an advanced study of East Asian calligraphy.

Paperback

$24.95 - Paperback

In this translation collaboration between Kaz and Susan O'Leary, The Thousand Character Essay is China’s most widely used and beloved calligraphy textbook—sung to infants as a lullaby, used to teach reading and writing, employed as library index codes, and more. Composed by the literary giant Zhou Xingsi and handwritten by sixth-century Buddhist monk Zhiyong, this masterful work has endured for centuries as the standard guide for brush writing both in formal and cursive scripts. Delight in One Thousand Characters brings this sublime body of art-as-text to English-speaking readers, detailing the fascinating history, geographic range, and aesthetic nuance of the essay. Preserving the renowned beauty of Zhiyong’s only extant handwriting, the book includes a full one-hundred-strip edition of his calligraphy and offers corresponding commentary explaining the meaning of each character.

O'Leary describes it this:

The One Thousand Character Essay is both essay and visual art. For brush calligraphers who do not read Chinese, this text offers a rare opportunity (by looking at the bottom of the facing left-hand page for translation and then reading a column of characters on the right-hand page), to take in the visual aspects of a larger meaning, of several characters in a row. To compare, side by side and over and over, formal and cursive script. Then glance back again to the top of the left-hand page, for the specific
meaning of a particular character. For me, this was entering a calligraphic text as I never had before.

In recent years, some calligraphers have been taking cellphone photos of individual characters and then enlarging them on the phone screen to be able to study the detail of strokes and how the calligrapher formed them. It is mesmerizing to look so closely at Zhiyong’s art. This form of attention can seem to slow down time, and it feels like an opportunity for carefully observing that only museum conservators could have had until very recently. We encourage you to try this.

Kaz once said to me, “I believe in the power of writing. I believe in the power of art.” You hold in your hands the written art of space and time. Of black night sky and earth. Ochre earth.

white tea bowl
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$16.95 - Paperback

A White Tea Bowl: 100 Haiku from 100 Years of Life

Kaz edited A White Tea Bowl, a selection of 100 haiku written by Mitsu Suzuki, the widow of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, which was published in celebration of her 100th birthday. The compelling introduction by Zen priest Norman Fischer describes the profound impact on her life and work of war in Japan and social upheaval in America.

Part I: 100 Haiku presents a kaleidoscope of poems by Mitsu Suzuki that touch all aspects of her being: her dedication to the Buddha way, the loneliness of a widow's life, her generational role as "Candy Auntie," her sensitive attunement to nature, and her moments of insight into the dharma. The more you read these haiku, the more their wisdom will emerge.

Part II: Pickles and Tea contains reminiscences and anecdotes about Mitsu Suzuki by those who lived and studied with her at the San Francisco Zen Center; often these meetings took place in Mitsu's kitchen where she provided countless cups of tea, cookies, and homemade pickles as well as sage advice.

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