I recently received a rebate on my council tax bill since the council had inadvertently been charging me too much. So, before the money got swallowed up by the great pit of emptiness that is my bank account (actually, it's not that bad!) I ordered a copy of the Tanahashi translation of Shobogenzo. The book itself is lovely although as one minor criticism I wish that the Japanese fascicle titles had been included below the English ones as was done in Moon in a Dewdrop. The corresponding titles can be found in the book but this would have made things easier.

Drawing inspiration from other Buddhist traditions I usually remove the paper dust jacket from hardback volumes that are particularly important to me and replace that with a hand-sewn cover that ties with a corresponding ribbon. As well as protecting the book this is also an act of offering from me to the text. Several such volumes I place on the shrine to represent the dharma jewel.

Anyway, my new Shobogenzo received this treatment with a cover made from Japanese cotton/linen fabric but I am questioning the appropriateness of doing this in Zen. Does it veer over into attachment to words or is it an appropriate act of devotion for Dogen's text?

I have previously been taught to handle dharma texts with care and not to place them on the ground or cover them with secular volumes, place coffee mugs on them etc. Are there similar instructions in Zen?

Clearly, the most important thing to do with a dharma text is to read it and put it into practice and I am consuming this one in small bites but any other instruction on the care of dharma texts would be gratefully received.


Gassho
Andy