Sōtō
Largest traditional Zen sect in Japanese Buddhism.
Sōtō Zen (曹洞宗, Sōtō-shū) is the largest of the three traditional sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism. It is the Japanese line of the Chinese Caodong school, founded during the Tang dynasty by Dongshan Liangjie. The sect emphasizes Shikantaza, a meditation with no objects, anchors, or content, in which the meditator strives to be aware of the stream of thoughts, allowing them to arise and pass away without interference. The Japanese brand of the sect was imported in the 13th century by Dōgen Zenji, who studied Caodong Buddhism in China. Dōgen is remembered today as the ancestor of Sōtō Zen in Japan along with Keizan Jōkin.
- founded
- 9th century (Chinese Caodong school); 13th century (Japanese Sōtō)
- founder
- Dongshan Liangjie (Chinese); Dōgen Zenji (Japanese)
- head_temples
- Eihei-ji and Sōji-ji
- key_figures
- Dōgen, Keizan Jōkin, Koun Ejō, Gikai, Gasan Jōseki
- field
- Zen Buddhism
- nationality
- Japanese
Lore & Background
He received Dharma transmission from Tiantong Rujing at Qìngdé Temple, where Hongzhi Zhengjue once was abbot. Hongzhi's writings on 'silent illumination' influenced Dōgen's conception of shikantaza. Dōgen's assertion of the primacy of Zen aroused the anger of Enryaku-ji monks, driving him from Kennin-ji. After Dōgen's death, a controversy called the sandai sōron occurred. Gikai introduced esoteric elements such as prayers and incantations, leading to conflict. Keizan, the second most important figure in Sōtō, received dharma transmission from Gikai and established Sōji-ji, which became the most influential center of the Dōgen school.
Reader's Guide
Its practice of Shikantaza—meditation without objects, anchors, or content—distinguishes it from other Zen schools. The sect's transmission to Japan by Dōgen in the 13th century established a lineage that, despite internal conflicts such as the sandai sōron, spread widely during the Muromachi period. Sōtō Zen's legacy includes its adaptation of Chinese monastic practices, such as group meditation on long platforms and etiquette traceable to the Indian Vinaya.
Did You Know?
- The sect's name may originally have been formed from the names of Dongshan Liangjie and his disciple Caoshan Benji.
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