shin-fukatoku
Mind Cannot Be Grasped [The latter]
The 95-chapter edition of Shobogenzo has two chapters with the same title Shin-fukatoku or Mind Cannot Be Grasped. We usually discriminate between the two chapters with the words “the former,” and “the latter.” The contents of the two chapters are different, but the meaning of the two chapters is almost the same. Furthermore, the end of each chapter records the same date – the summer retreat in 1241. However, while the former chapter says “preached to the assembly” this chapter says “written.” So it may be that the former chapter was a short-hand record of Master Dogen’s preaching, and the latter was Master Dogen’s draft of his lecture. This is only a supposition, and scholars in future may be able to find a more exact conclusion.