Gento Sokuchu was a Soto Zen priest and 11th abbot of Eiheiji in Fukui, Japan who greatly deemphasized the use of koans in the Soto school. According to Steven Heine

Steven Heine

Steven Heine, Ph.D., is a Professor of Religion and History as well as Director of the Institute for Asian Studies at Florida International University . He specializes in East Asian and comparative religions, Japanese Buddhism and medieval intellectual history, Buddhist studies, and religion and...

, "Gento's efforts to 'purify' his lineage of foreign influence seems to have contributed to Ryōkan

Ryokan

was a quiet and eccentric Sōtō Zen Buddhist monk who lived much of his life as a hermit. Ryōkan is remembered for his poetry and calligraphy, which present the essence of Zen life.-Early life:...

's decision to leave Entsūji and choose a life of wandering. He also edited major editions of works by Dogen

Dogen

Dōgen Zenji was a Japanese Zen Buddhist teacher born in Kyōto, and the founder of the Sōtō school of Zen in Japan after travelling to China and training under the Chinese Caodong lineage there...

, including Eihei Shingi and the Shōbōgenzō

Shobogenzo

The term Shōbōgenzō has three main usages in Buddhism: It can refer to the essence of the Buddha's realization and teaching, that is, to the Buddha Dharma itself, as viewed from the perspective of Mahayana Buddhism, it is the title of a koan collection with commentaries by Dahui Zonggao, and it...

.

See also

• Buddhism in Japan
  Buddhism in Japan
  The history of Buddhism in Japan can be roughly divided into three periods, namely the Nara period , the Heian period and the post-Heian period . Each period saw the introduction of new doctrines and upheavals in existing schools...