Two of DŌ gen's most esteemed translators provide key chapters form his Zen masterpiece, the Shō bō genzō , in English with annotations to guide the reader.

The Buddhist view of inter-religious dialogue is significantly different from, say, that of Christianity. In Christianity Jesus Christ, being the only incarnation in the history, has an inexplicable uniqueness. It must be maintained even in the inter-faith dialogue. By contrast, in Buddhism Guatama Buddha is not the only Buddha, but one of many Buddhas. His uniqueness is realized in the fact that he is the first Buddha in human history. Furthermore, the Buddhist teaching of dependent co-origination and emptiness not only provides a dynamic common basis for various religions, but also will suggest a creative cooperation amongst world religions. The book clarifies such a Buddhist view and inter-religious dialogue from various perspectives.

Abe's studies of Dogen constitute a minor masterpiece within his overall scholarly production. His efforts have been two-fold: translation and interpretation.

This book tries to clarify a Buddhist view of interfaith dialogue from various points of view. It discusses how the Buddhist notion of Sunyata (Emptiness) works dynamically for mutual understanding and transformation of world religions. It also analyzes dialogue between Buddhism and Contemporary Christian theology, especially that of Paul Tillioh and Langdon Gillay.

This collection of Abe's essays is a welcome addition to philosophy and comparative philosophy.