Soto
Encyclopedia
Sōtō Zen or is, with Rinzai
and Ōbaku
, one of the three most populous sects of Zen
in Japanese Buddhism.
The Sōtō sect was first established as the Caodong
sect during the Tang Dynasty
in China
by Dongshan Liangjie in the 9th century, which Dōgen Zenji then brought to Japan in the 13th century. Dōgen is remembered today as the co-patriarch of Sōtō Zen in Japan along with Keizan Jōkin
. One of the signature features of this school is found in its practice of shikantaza
, a particular approach to zazen
which is sometimes referred to as "just sitting" or "silent illumination". Historically speaking, Sōtō Zen was often given the derogatory term "farmer Zen" because of its mass appeal, though some teachers of Zen would say that the reason why it was called "farmer Zen" was because of its down-to-earth approach, while the Rinzai school
was often called "samurai Zen" because of the larger samurai
following. The latter term for the Rinzai can be somewhat misleading, however, as the Sōtō school also had samurai among its rosters.
The two head temples or of the Sōtō sect are Eihei-ji
and Sōji-ji
. While Eihei-ji owes its existence to Dōgen, throughout history this head temple has had significantly fewer sub-temple affiliates than the Sōji-ji. During the Tokugawa period, Eiheiji had approximately 1,300 affiliate temples compared to Sōji-ji's 16,200. Furthermore, out of the more than 14,000 temples of the Sōtō sect today, 13,850 of those identify themselves as affiliates of Sōji-ji. Additionally, most of the some 148 temples that are affiliates of Eiheiji today are only minor temples located in Hokkaido
—founded during a period of colonization during the Meiji period
. Therefore, it is often said that Eiheiji is a head temple only in the sense that it is "head of all Sōtō dharma lineages."
The early beginnings of the Sōtō sect in Japan
are traced back to 1227, the date in which Dōgen
returned to Japan after studying Ch'an in China
and settled at Kennin-ji
in Kyoto
. In China Dōgen had received Dharma transmission
from Tiantong Rujing at the same monastery that Hongzhi Zhengjue
was once abbot—Hongzhi being an individual whose own writings on "silent illumination" had greatly influenced Dōgen's own conception of shikantaza
. The Eihei kōroku claims that, unlike many of the other Japanese
monks who had also traveled to China during this period, Dōgen returned to Japan with no artifacts or texts from his journey. Instead, he came only with his own realization and physical body. This is untrue, however, as he did return with various koan anthologies and other papers; thus, Dōgen did contribute to the transmission of the koan tradition to Japan. John Whitney Hall writes, "In the first works he wrote after his return to Japan, the Fukan zazengi (Principles for the universal promotion of zazen) and Bendōwa (Distinguishing the Way), he advocated zazen (seated meditation) as the supreme Buddhist practice for both monks and laypersons. This assertion of the primacy of Zen aroused the anger of the Enryaku-ji monks, who succeeded in driving Dōgen from the Kennin-ji
where he had settled after his return to the capital." Next, according to Philip B. Yampolsky, "Finding the atmosphere of Kyoto not conducive to his aims, Dōgen transferred his activities to the remote area of Fukui where he established a monastery in 1243. Here he devoted himself to the strict instruction of his disciples. But with the premature death of Dōgen the group lost its focus and internal conflicts led to a split. Dōgen's followers soon introduced such esoteric elements as prayers and incantations into the teaching. By the time of the Fourth Patriarch, Keizan Jōkin
(1286—1325), Sōtō Zen was no longer centered in Fukai, but had begun to spread throughout the country." The monastery in Fukui
which Dōgen founded in 1243 (to which Yampolsky refers) is Eihei-ji
, one of the two head temples of Sōtō-shū today.
, who like Dōgen believed in the primacy of Zen Buddhism and resisted efforts from outside to water down the tradition with other beliefs. The split which Yampolsky refers to occurred following the death of Ejō, a controversy called the sandai sōron
, wherein the monk that would eventually be called Ejō's successor, Gikai, was actually exiled to Kaga province
, Dajō-ji (in Ishikawa prefecture
). The second most important figure in Sōtō, Keizan
, belonged not to the Eihei-ji branch but to this dissident branch. Keizan went on to found Yōko-ji in Ishikawa prefecture in 1312, and thereafter opened Sōji-ji
. In another passage Bernard Faure writes, "According to tradition, in 1322 a decree from Emperor Go-Daigo
, who had received from Keizan the Bodhisattva Precepts
, made Sōji-ji into an officially recognized monastery. Two years later Keizan passed the direction of this monastery on to his disciple Gasan Jōseki
while he himself went back to Yōkoji to spend his remaining days, according to the wish he had expressed in in the Record of Tōkoku." Yōko-ji was Keizan's main temple, and, "despite Keizan's high hopes for Yōko-ji, it was another of his foundations, Sōji-ji, that would prosper after his death, thanks to Gasan Jōseki and his disciples. In spite of efforts at restoration undertaken at the end of the last century (efforts that still continue), Yōko-ji remains a barren spot."
, "...for long periods he was regarded as no more important than several other ancestors, particularly fourth patriarch Keizan and Guin, the fifth patriarch of Dōgen's temple Eihei-ji, which often competed with the main temple founded by Keizan, Sōji-ji, originally situated in the Noto peninsula
but relocated to Yokohama
in 1898." While Keizan is considered today to be an original patriarch (some sources say fourth patriarch) of the Sōtō sect along with Dōgen, in 1877 the heads of the Sōtō community acknowledged him for a brief period as the overall founder of the Sōtō sect. According to William M. Bodiford, "In 1877 the Sōtō hierarchy announced new dates based on the solar calendar for yearly rituals. The true significance of that announcement, however, went beyond the abandonment of the lunar calendar. For the first time memorial services for Keizan were included among the annual events observed at all Sōtō temples. Today that proclamation is said to mark the date when Keizan gained official recognition as the patriarch of the entire Japanese Sōtō school. Previously, the only Japanese patriarch common to all Sōtō factions had been Dōgen. Keizan, by contrast, was known not as a source of religious authority but as the founder of Sōji-ji, the head temple of the largest Sōtō faction." According to an essay by Hisao Inagika, Dōgen had, "involved himself in what we may refer to as a lay movement in the early days of his missionary career in Kyōto, after his retreat to the Eiheiji Monastery in Fukui (and particularly in his later years at the Monastery), he seemingly preferred monastic discipline. It is precisely for this reason that today the Japanese Sōtō Zen cites two patriarchs, viz., Dōgen, who is referred to as the "kōso," and Keizan, who is referred to as the "taiso." Both terms mean the original patriarch, that is, the founder of Japanese Sōtō Zen tradition."
The larger majority of North American Sōtō priests, although including Japanese nationals, mainly those of American and specifically European descent, joined together in 1996 to form the Soto Zen Buddhist Association
. While institutionally independent of the Japanese Sōtōshū, the Sōtō Zen Buddhist Association works closely with what most members see as their parent organization. With about one hundred fully transmitted priests, the Sōtō Zen Buddhist Association now represents nearly all Japanese-derived Sōtō Zen lineages in North America.
Sutras, as well as general Mahayana
Buddhist sutras, such as the Lotus Sutra
, the Brahma Net Sutra
and the Lankavatara Sutra
. Zen is influenced in large part by the Yogacara
school of philosophy as well as the Huayan school.
is an important early expression of Zen Buddhism and is chanted in Sōtō temples to this day. One of the poems of Tung-shan Liang-chieh, the founder of Sōtō, "The Song of the Jewel Mirror Awareness" is also chanted in Sōtō temples. Another set of his poems on the Five Positions (Five Ranks) of Absolute and Relative is important as a set of koans in the Rinzai school. Other texts typically chanted in Sōtō Zen temples include the Heart Sutra
(Hannyashingyō), and Dōgen's Fukanzazengi (Universally Recommended Instructions for Zazen). Dōgen's teaching is characterized by the identification of practice as enlightenment itself. This is to be found in the Shōbōgenzō
.
Rinzai school
The Rinzai school is , one of three sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism.Rinzai is the Japanese line of the Chinese Linji school, which was founded during the Tang Dynasty by Linji Yixuan...
and Ōbaku
Obaku
Ōbaku is the Amur Corktree. It may refer to:*Mount Huangbo , a mountain in China's Fujian province, noted for its Buddhist temples*Mount Ōbaku , a mountain in the city of Uji in Japan...
, one of the three most populous sects of Zen
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
in Japanese Buddhism.
The Sōtō sect was first established as the Caodong
Caodong
Cáodòng is a Chinese Zen Buddhist sect founded by Dongshan Liangjie and his Dharma-heirs in the 9th century. Some attribute the name "Cáodòng" as a union of "Dongshan" and "Caoshan" from one of his Dharma-heirs, Caoshan Benji; however, the "Cao" much more likely came from Cáoxī , the...
sect during the Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
by Dongshan Liangjie in the 9th century, which Dōgen Zenji then brought to Japan in the 13th century. Dōgen is remembered today as the co-patriarch of Sōtō Zen in Japan along with Keizan Jōkin
Keizan
-Biography:Keizan Jōkin 螢山紹瑾 , also known as Taiso Jōsai Daishi, was the second of the great founders of the Sōtō Zen sect in Japan. While Dōgen Zenji, as founder of Japanese Sōtō, is known as , Keizan is often referred to as Taiso , or Greatest Patriarch...
. One of the signature features of this school is found in its practice of shikantaza
Shikantaza
is a Japanese term for zazen introduced by Rujing and associated most with the Soto school of Zen Buddhism. Ford cites on p. 224 an opinion that it is "the base of all Zen disciplines." Some people claim that according to Dōgen Zenji, shikantaza i.e...
, a particular approach to zazen
Zazen
In Zen Buddhism, zazen is a meditative discipline practitioners perform to calm the body and the mind, and be able to concentrate enough to experience insight into the nature of existence and thereby gain enlightenment .- Significance :Zazen is considered the heart of Zen Buddhist practice...
which is sometimes referred to as "just sitting" or "silent illumination". Historically speaking, Sōtō Zen was often given the derogatory term "farmer Zen" because of its mass appeal, though some teachers of Zen would say that the reason why it was called "farmer Zen" was because of its down-to-earth approach, while the Rinzai school
Rinzai school
The Rinzai school is , one of three sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism.Rinzai is the Japanese line of the Chinese Linji school, which was founded during the Tang Dynasty by Linji Yixuan...
was often called "samurai Zen" because of the larger samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
following. The latter term for the Rinzai can be somewhat misleading, however, as the Sōtō school also had samurai among its rosters.
The two head temples or of the Sōtō sect are Eihei-ji
Eihei-ji
is one of two main temples of the Sōtō sect of Zen Buddhism. Its founder was Eihei Dōgen. Eihei-ji is located about east of Fukui in Fukui Prefecture, Japan.- History :...
and Sōji-ji
Soji-ji
is one of two main temples of the Sōtō sect of Zen Buddhism. The temple was originally founded in 740 in Noto, but was totally destroyed by fire in 1898. It was rebuilt over a period of several years and reopened in its present location at Tsurumi, Yokohama in 1911. The temple also sustained...
. While Eihei-ji owes its existence to Dōgen, throughout history this head temple has had significantly fewer sub-temple affiliates than the Sōji-ji. During the Tokugawa period, Eiheiji had approximately 1,300 affiliate temples compared to Sōji-ji's 16,200. Furthermore, out of the more than 14,000 temples of the Sōtō sect today, 13,850 of those identify themselves as affiliates of Sōji-ji. Additionally, most of the some 148 temples that are affiliates of Eiheiji today are only minor temples located in Hokkaido
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
—founded during a period of colonization during the Meiji period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
. Therefore, it is often said that Eiheiji is a head temple only in the sense that it is "head of all Sōtō dharma lineages."
Early period
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
are traced back to 1227, the date in which Dōgen
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...
returned to Japan after studying Ch'an in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and settled at Kennin-ji
Kennin-ji
, is a historic Zen Buddhist temple in Higashiyama, Kyoto, Japan, near Gion. It is considered to be one of the so-called Kyoto Gozan or "five most important Zen temples of Kyoto".-History:...
in Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
. In China Dōgen had received Dharma transmission
Dharma transmission
Dharma transmission refers to "the manner in which the teaching, or Dharma, is passed from a Zen master to their disciple and heir...
from Tiantong Rujing at the same monastery that Hongzhi Zhengjue
Hongzhi Zhengjue
Hongzhi Zhengjue was a Chinese Chán Buddhist monk who authored or compiled several influential Buddhist texts. Hongzhi's conception of "silent illumination" is of particular importance to the Chinese Caodong and Japanese Sōtō Zen schools; however, Hongzhi was also the author of an important...
was once abbot—Hongzhi being an individual whose own writings on "silent illumination" had greatly influenced Dōgen's own conception of shikantaza
Shikantaza
is a Japanese term for zazen introduced by Rujing and associated most with the Soto school of Zen Buddhism. Ford cites on p. 224 an opinion that it is "the base of all Zen disciplines." Some people claim that according to Dōgen Zenji, shikantaza i.e...
. The Eihei kōroku claims that, unlike many of the other Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
monks who had also traveled to China during this period, Dōgen returned to Japan with no artifacts or texts from his journey. Instead, he came only with his own realization and physical body. This is untrue, however, as he did return with various koan anthologies and other papers; thus, Dōgen did contribute to the transmission of the koan tradition to Japan. John Whitney Hall writes, "In the first works he wrote after his return to Japan, the Fukan zazengi (Principles for the universal promotion of zazen) and Bendōwa (Distinguishing the Way), he advocated zazen (seated meditation) as the supreme Buddhist practice for both monks and laypersons. This assertion of the primacy of Zen aroused the anger of the Enryaku-ji monks, who succeeded in driving Dōgen from the Kennin-ji
Kennin-ji
, is a historic Zen Buddhist temple in Higashiyama, Kyoto, Japan, near Gion. It is considered to be one of the so-called Kyoto Gozan or "five most important Zen temples of Kyoto".-History:...
where he had settled after his return to the capital." Next, according to Philip B. Yampolsky, "Finding the atmosphere of Kyoto not conducive to his aims, Dōgen transferred his activities to the remote area of Fukui where he established a monastery in 1243. Here he devoted himself to the strict instruction of his disciples. But with the premature death of Dōgen the group lost its focus and internal conflicts led to a split. Dōgen's followers soon introduced such esoteric elements as prayers and incantations into the teaching. By the time of the Fourth Patriarch, Keizan Jōkin
Keizan
-Biography:Keizan Jōkin 螢山紹瑾 , also known as Taiso Jōsai Daishi, was the second of the great founders of the Sōtō Zen sect in Japan. While Dōgen Zenji, as founder of Japanese Sōtō, is known as , Keizan is often referred to as Taiso , or Greatest Patriarch...
(1286—1325), Sōtō Zen was no longer centered in Fukai, but had begun to spread throughout the country." The monastery in Fukui
Fukui
Fukui is a Japanese name meaning "fortunate" or it can mean "one who is from the Fukui prefecture". It may refer to:- Places :* Fukui Prefecture** Fukui, Fukui - the city of the same name in the prefecture...
which Dōgen founded in 1243 (to which Yampolsky refers) is Eihei-ji
Eihei-ji
is one of two main temples of the Sōtō sect of Zen Buddhism. Its founder was Eihei Dōgen. Eihei-ji is located about east of Fukui in Fukui Prefecture, Japan.- History :...
, one of the two head temples of Sōtō-shū today.
Split
Dōgen was succeeded in death by his disciple Koun EjōKoun Ejo
Koun Ejō was initially a disciple of the short-lived Darumashū sect of Japanese Zen under Nōnin, but later studied and received dharma transmission under Dōgen and is considered his spiritual successor by the Sōtō school. His transmission is the final koan chronicled in the Denkoroku...
, who like Dōgen believed in the primacy of Zen Buddhism and resisted efforts from outside to water down the tradition with other beliefs. The split which Yampolsky refers to occurred following the death of Ejō, a controversy called the sandai sōron
Sandai soron
The sandai sōron , or third-generation differentiation, was a dispute over the orthodoxy and succession of Sōtō Zen Buddhism. The major figures involved were Jakuen, Gikai, Gien, and Giin, all of whom claimed the right to serve as abbot of Eihei-ji...
, wherein the monk that would eventually be called Ejō's successor, Gikai, was actually exiled to Kaga province
Kaga Province
was an old province in the area that is today the southern part of Ishikawa Prefecture. It was sometimes called .Ruled by the Maeda clan, the capital of Kaga was Kanazawa. Kaga bordered on Echizen, Etchū, Hida, and Noto Provinces...
, Dajō-ji (in Ishikawa prefecture
Ishikawa Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshū island. The capital is Kanazawa.- History :Ishikawa was formed from the merger of Kaga Province and the smaller Noto Province.- Geography :Ishikawa is on the Sea of Japan coast...
). The second most important figure in Sōtō, Keizan
Keizan
-Biography:Keizan Jōkin 螢山紹瑾 , also known as Taiso Jōsai Daishi, was the second of the great founders of the Sōtō Zen sect in Japan. While Dōgen Zenji, as founder of Japanese Sōtō, is known as , Keizan is often referred to as Taiso , or Greatest Patriarch...
, belonged not to the Eihei-ji branch but to this dissident branch. Keizan went on to found Yōko-ji in Ishikawa prefecture in 1312, and thereafter opened Sōji-ji
Soji-ji
is one of two main temples of the Sōtō sect of Zen Buddhism. The temple was originally founded in 740 in Noto, but was totally destroyed by fire in 1898. It was rebuilt over a period of several years and reopened in its present location at Tsurumi, Yokohama in 1911. The temple also sustained...
. In another passage Bernard Faure writes, "According to tradition, in 1322 a decree from Emperor Go-Daigo
Emperor Go-Daigo
Emperor Go-Daigo was the 96th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession....
, who had received from Keizan the Bodhisattva Precepts
Bodhisattva Precepts
The Bodhisattva Precepts are a set of moral codes used in Mahayana Buddhism to advance a practitioner along the path to becoming a Bodhisattva. Traditionally, monastics observed the basic moral code in Buddhism, the Pratimoksha, but in the Mahayana tradition, monks would additionally observe the...
, made Sōji-ji into an officially recognized monastery. Two years later Keizan passed the direction of this monastery on to his disciple Gasan Jōseki
Gasan Joseki
Gasan Jōseki was a Japanese Soto Zen master. He was a disciple of Keizan Jokin, and his disciples included Bassui Tokushō, Taigen Sōshin, Tsūgen Jakurei, Mutan Sokan, Daisetsu Sōrei, and Jippō Ryōshū....
while he himself went back to Yōkoji to spend his remaining days, according to the wish he had expressed in in the Record of Tōkoku." Yōko-ji was Keizan's main temple, and, "despite Keizan's high hopes for Yōko-ji, it was another of his foundations, Sōji-ji, that would prosper after his death, thanks to Gasan Jōseki and his disciples. In spite of efforts at restoration undertaken at the end of the last century (efforts that still continue), Yōko-ji remains a barren spot."
Patriarchy
Even though Dōgen is today considered an original patriarch of the Sōtō sect, according to Charles S. Prebish and Steven HeineSteven 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...
, "...for long periods he was regarded as no more important than several other ancestors, particularly fourth patriarch Keizan and Guin, the fifth patriarch of Dōgen's temple Eihei-ji, which often competed with the main temple founded by Keizan, Sōji-ji, originally situated in the Noto peninsula
Noto Peninsula
thumb|right|240px|Landsat image with high-resolution data from Space Shuttle.Noto Peninsula is a peninsula that projects north into the Sea of Japan from the coast of Ishikawa prefecture in central Honshū, the main island of Japan...
but relocated to Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
in 1898." While Keizan is considered today to be an original patriarch (some sources say fourth patriarch) of the Sōtō sect along with Dōgen, in 1877 the heads of the Sōtō community acknowledged him for a brief period as the overall founder of the Sōtō sect. According to William M. Bodiford, "In 1877 the Sōtō hierarchy announced new dates based on the solar calendar for yearly rituals. The true significance of that announcement, however, went beyond the abandonment of the lunar calendar. For the first time memorial services for Keizan were included among the annual events observed at all Sōtō temples. Today that proclamation is said to mark the date when Keizan gained official recognition as the patriarch of the entire Japanese Sōtō school. Previously, the only Japanese patriarch common to all Sōtō factions had been Dōgen. Keizan, by contrast, was known not as a source of religious authority but as the founder of Sōji-ji, the head temple of the largest Sōtō faction." According to an essay by Hisao Inagika, Dōgen had, "involved himself in what we may refer to as a lay movement in the early days of his missionary career in Kyōto, after his retreat to the Eiheiji Monastery in Fukui (and particularly in his later years at the Monastery), he seemingly preferred monastic discipline. It is precisely for this reason that today the Japanese Sōtō Zen cites two patriarchs, viz., Dōgen, who is referred to as the "kōso," and Keizan, who is referred to as the "taiso." Both terms mean the original patriarch, that is, the founder of Japanese Sōtō Zen tradition."
20th century
Funerals continue to play an important role as a point of contact between the monks and the laity. Statistics published by the Sōtō school state that 80 percent of Sōtō laymen visit their temple only for reasons having to do with funerals and death, while only 17 percent visit for spiritual reasons and a mere 3 percent visit a Zen priest at a time of personal trouble or crisis.The larger majority of North American Sōtō priests, although including Japanese nationals, mainly those of American and specifically European descent, joined together in 1996 to form the Soto Zen Buddhist Association
Soto Zen Buddhist Association
The Soto Zen Buddhist Association was formed in 1996 by American and Japanese Zen teachers in response to a perceived need to draw the various autonomous lineages of the North American Sōtō stream of Zen together for mutual support as well as the development of common training and ethical standards...
. While institutionally independent of the Japanese Sōtōshū, the Sōtō Zen Buddhist Association works closely with what most members see as their parent organization. With about one hundred fully transmitted priests, the Sōtō Zen Buddhist Association now represents nearly all Japanese-derived Sōtō Zen lineages in North America.
Sutras
Sōtō Zen, like all of Zen, relies on the PrajnaparamitaPrajnaparamita
Prajñāpāramitā in Buddhism, means "the Perfection of Wisdom." The word Prajñāpāramitā combines the Sanskrit words prajñā with pāramitā . Prajñāpāramitā is a central concept in Mahāyāna Buddhism and its practice and understanding are taken to be indispensable elements of the Bodhisattva Path...
Sutras, as well as general Mahayana
Mahayana
Mahāyāna is one of the two main existing branches of Buddhism and a term for classification of Buddhist philosophies and practice...
Buddhist sutras, such as the Lotus Sutra
Lotus Sutra
The Lotus Sūtra is one of the most popular and influential Mahāyāna sūtras, and the basis on which the Tiantai and Nichiren sects of Buddhism were established.-Title:...
, the Brahma Net Sutra
Brahmajala Sutra (Mahayana)
The Brahmajala Sutra , also called the Brahma's Net Sutra is a text of the Mahayana Buddhist canon. It is not related to the Brahmajala Sutta of the Theravada Buddhist Pali Canon...
and the Lankavatara Sutra
Lankavatara Sutra
The Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra is a sutra of Mahāyāna Buddhism. The sūtra recounts a teaching primarily between the Buddha and a bodhisattva named Mahāmati...
. Zen is influenced in large part by the Yogacara
Yogacara
Yogācāra is an influential school of Buddhist philosophy and psychology emphasizing phenomenology and ontology through the interior lens of meditative and yogic practices. It developed within Indian Mahāyāna Buddhism in about the 4th century CE...
school of philosophy as well as the Huayan school.
Sōtō Zen texts
Shih-t'ou Hsi-ch'ien's (Shitou Xiqien, Sekito Kisen, 700–790) poem "The Harmony of Difference and Sameness"Sandokai
The Sandōkai is a poem by the eighth Chinese Zen ancestor Shitou Xiqian and a fundamental text of the Sōtō school of Zen, chanted daily in temples throughout the world.-Title:...
is an important early expression of Zen Buddhism and is chanted in Sōtō temples to this day. One of the poems of Tung-shan Liang-chieh, the founder of Sōtō, "The Song of the Jewel Mirror Awareness" is also chanted in Sōtō temples. Another set of his poems on the Five Positions (Five Ranks) of Absolute and Relative is important as a set of koans in the Rinzai school. Other texts typically chanted in Sōtō Zen temples include the Heart Sutra
Heart Sutra
The Heart Sūtra is a Mahāyāna Buddhist sūtra. Its Sanskrit name literally translates to "Heart of the Perfection of Transcendent Wisdom." The Heart Sūtra is often cited as the best known and most popular of all Buddhist scriptures.-Introduction:The Heart Sūtra is a member of the Perfection of...
(Hannyashingyō), and Dōgen's Fukanzazengi (Universally Recommended Instructions for Zazen). Dōgen's teaching is characterized by the identification of practice as enlightenment itself. This is to be found in 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
- CaodongCaodongCáodòng is a Chinese Zen Buddhist sect founded by Dongshan Liangjie and his Dharma-heirs in the 9th century. Some attribute the name "Cáodòng" as a union of "Dongshan" and "Caoshan" from one of his Dharma-heirs, Caoshan Benji; however, the "Cao" much more likely came from Cáoxī , the...
- Eihei-jiEihei-jiis one of two main temples of the Sōtō sect of Zen Buddhism. Its founder was Eihei Dōgen. Eihei-ji is located about east of Fukui in Fukui Prefecture, Japan.- History :...
- Gudo Nishijima
- Japanese Buddhism
- Koan
- ShikantazaShikantazais a Japanese term for zazen introduced by Rujing and associated most with the Soto school of Zen Buddhism. Ford cites on p. 224 an opinion that it is "the base of all Zen disciplines." Some people claim that according to Dōgen Zenji, shikantaza i.e...
- Shunryu SuzukiShunryu SuzukiShunryu Suzuki was a Sōtō Zen roshi who popularized Zen Buddhism in the United States, particularly around San Francisco. Born in the Kanagawa Prefecture of Japan, Suzuki was occasionally mistaken for the Zen scholar D.T...
- Taizan MaezumiTaizan MaezumiHakuyū Taizan Maezumi was a Japanese Zen Buddhist teacher and rōshi, and lineage holder in the Sōtō, Rinzai and Harada-Yasutani traditions of Zen. He combined the Rinzai use of koans and the Sōtō emphasis on shikantaza in his teachings, influenced by his years studying under Hakuun Yasutani in the...
- ZazenZazenIn Zen Buddhism, zazen is a meditative discipline practitioners perform to calm the body and the mind, and be able to concentrate enough to experience insight into the nature of existence and thereby gain enlightenment .- Significance :Zazen is considered the heart of Zen Buddhist practice...
External links
- Sōtō Zen International Official homepage of the Sōtō school of Zen.
- Order of the Prairie Wind An independent order of ordained Sōtō Zen Buddhist priests founded by Rev. Nonin Chowaney.
- The Norwegian Sōtō Zen Buddhist Order. (Defaults to Norwegian text. English text selectable.)
- The International Zen Association Founded by Master Taisen Deshimaru in France for Europe.
- The IZA in the UK IZAUK is an affiliate of the International Zen Association.
- The Order of Buddhist Contemplatives The Order of Buddhist contemplatives founded by Rev. Master P.T.N.H. Houn Jiyu-Kennett.
- San Francisco Zen Center One of the largest American Sōtō Zen centers, founded by Shunryu Suzuki Roshi and his American students in 1962. SF Zen Center's Tassajara Zen Mountain CenterTassajara Zen Mountain Center-External links:*...
was the first Sōtō Zen training monastery established in North America. - Shasta Abbey Buddhist Monastery Official homepage of the Sōtō Zen Buddhist Abbey near Mount Shasta, CA.