The Roots of Goodness

Learn to nurture the eight qualities of an extraordinary person within yourself through the wisdom of Zen master Dogen.

Learn to nurture the eight qualities of an extraordinary person within yourself through the wisdom of Zen master Dogen.

The Buddha taught that every person is capable of greatness by practicing eight key qualities in their life, from having few desires and not engaging in useless arguments to knowing what is enough. These timeless teachings were later expanded upon by the prolific thirteenth-century Zen master Eihei Dogen in his final teaching before his death-values that, despite their age, perennially ring true.

In The Roots of Goodness, the late Japanese Zen teacher Kosho Uchiyama R shi bridges the gap between the eras of these ancient masters and today, delivering insightful, relatable, and rich commentary that brings these eight qualities into focus and directly applies them to the complexities of modern life. Translator Daitsu Tom Wright, a longtime student of Uchiyama, provides a full translation of Dogen's original work as well as a faithful translation of Uchiyama's commentary, supplemented with a historical background of Dogen, an exploration of how the teaching of the eight qualities impacted Uchiyama's life and work, and a personal introduction that grounds the importance of this teaching in modernity. This book seamlessly weaves together ancient wisdom with Uchiyama's beloved humor and style, offering a path for using these qualities to more fully embrace Buddhist practice and answer the age-old question- How does one become a truly good person?