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Soto
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Soto Zen (Ch. Caodong), or as it is known in Japan, is one of three sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism. The other two are Rinzai and Obaku sects. The sect was first established as the Caodong sect during the Tang Dynasty in China by Dongshan Liangjie in the 9th century, which Dogen Zenji then brought to Japan in the 13th century.
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Soto Zen (Ch. Caodong), or as it is known in Japan, is one of three sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism. The other two are Rinzai and Obaku sects. The sect was first established as the Caodong sect during the Tang Dynasty in China by Dongshan Liangjie in the 9th century, which Dogen Zenji then brought to Japan in the 13th century. Dogen is remembered today as the co-patriarch of Soto Zen in Japan along with Keizan Jokin. 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, Soto Zen was often given the derogatory term "farmer Zen" due to its mass appeal, while the Rinzai school was often called "samurai Zen" due to the larger samurai following. The latter term for the Rinzai can be somewhat misleading, however, as the Soto school also had samurai amidst its rosters.
The two head temples, or of the Soto sect are Eiheiji and Soji-ji. While Eiheiji owes its existence to Dogen, throughout history this head temple has had significantly less sub-temple affiliates than the Soji-ji. During the Tokugawa period, Eiheiji had approximately 1,300 affiliate temples compared to Soji-ji's 16,200. Furthermore, out of the more than 14,000 temples of the Soto sect today—13,850 of those identify themselves as affiliates of Soji-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 Soto dharma lineages."
History
Early period
The early beginnings of the Soto sect in Japan are traced back to 1227, the date in which Dogen returned to Japan after studying Ch'an in China and settled at Kenninji in Kyoto. In China Dogen 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 Dogen's own conception of shikantaza. The Eihei koroku claims that, unlike many of the other Japanese monks who had also traveled to China during this period, Dogen 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, Dogen effectively introduced Japan to the koan tradition. John Whitney Hall writes, "In the first works he wrote after his return to Japan, the Fukan zazenji (Principles for the universal promotion of zazen) and Bendowa (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 Enrayakuji monks, who succeeded in driving Dogen from the Kenninji 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, Dogen 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 Dogen the group lost its focus and internal conflicts led to a split. Dogen's followers soon introduced such esoteric elements as prayers and incantations into the teaching. By the time of the Fourth Patriarch, Keizan Jokin (1286—1325), Soto Zen was no longer centered in Fukai, but had begun to spread throughout the country." The monastery in Fukui which Dogen founded in 1243 (to which Yampolsky refers) is Eiheiji, one of the two head temples of Sotoshu today.
Split
Dogen was succeeded in death by his disciple Koun Ejo, who like Dogen 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 Ejo, a controversy called the sandai soron, wherein the monk that would eventually be called Ejo's successor, Gikai, was actually exiled to Kaga province, Dajoji (in Ishikawa prefecture). The second most important figure in Soto, Keizan, belonged not to the Eihei-ji branch but to this dissident branch. Keizan went on to found Yoko-ji in Ishikawa prefecture in 1312, and thereafter opened Soji-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 Sojiji into an officially recognized monastery. Two years later Keizan passed the direction of this monastery on to his disciple Gasan Joseki while he himself went back to Yokoji to spend his remaining days, according to the wish he had expressed in in the Record of Tokoku." Yokoji was Keizan's main temple, and, "despite Keizan's high hopes for Yokoji, it was another of his foundations, Sojiji, that would prosper after his death, thanks to Gasan Joseki and his disciples. In spite of efforts at restoration undertaken at the end of the last century (efforts that still continue), Yokoji remains a barren spot."
Patriarchy
Even though Dogen is today considered an original patriarch of the Soto sect, according to Charles S. Prebish and Steven Heine, "...for long periods he was regarded as no more important than several other ancestors, particularly fourth patriarch Keizan and Guin, the fifth patriarch of Dogen's temple Eiheiji, which often competed with the main temple founded by Keizan, Sojiji, 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 Soto sect along with Dogen, in 1877 the heads of the Soto community acknowledged him for a brief period as the overall founder of the Soto sect. According to William M. Bodiford, "In 1877 the Soto 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 Soto temples. Today that proclamation is said to mark the date when Keizan gained official recognition as the patriarch of the entire Japanese Soto school. Previously, the only Japanese patriarch common to all Soto factions had been Dogen. Keizan, by contrast, was known not as a source of religious authority but as the founder of Sojiji, the head temple of the largest Soto faction." According to an essay by Hisao Inagika, Dogen had, "involved himself in what we may refer to as a lay movement in the early days of his missionary career in Kyoto, 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 Soto Zen cites two patriarchs, viz., Dogen, who is referred to as the "koso," and Keizan, who is referred to as the "taiso." Both terms mean the original patriarch, that is, the founder of Japanese Soto 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 Soto school state that 80 percent of Soto 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 Soto 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 Sotoshu, the works closely with what most members see as their parent organization. With about one hundred fully transmitted priests, the Soto Zen Buddhist Association now represents nearly all Japanese-derived Soto Zen lineages in North America.
Important texts
Sutras
Soto Zen, like all of Zen, relies on the Prajnaparamita 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.
Soto Zen texts
Shih-t'ou Hsi-ch'ien's (Shitou Xiqien, Sekito Kisen, 700–790) poem "The Harmony of Difference and Sameness" is an important early expression of Zen Buddhism and is chanted in Soto temples to this day. One of the poems of Tung-shan Liang-chieh, the founder of Soto, "The Song of the Jewel Mirror Awareness" is also chanted in Soto 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 Soto Zen temples include the Heart Sutra (Hannyashingyo), and Dogen's Fukanzazengi (Universally Recommended Instructions for Zazen). Dogen's teaching is characterized by the identification of practice as enlightenment itself. This is to be found in the Shobogenzo.
See also
External links
- Official homepage of the Soto school of Zen.
- An independent order of ordained Soto Zen Buddhist priests founded by Rev. Nonin Chowaney.
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- The Order of Buddhist contemplatives founded by Rev. Master P.T.N.H. Houn Jiyu-Kennett.
- One of the largest American Soto Zen centers, founded by Shunryu Suzuki Roshi and his American students in 1962. SF Zen Center's Tassajara Zen Mountain Center was the first Soto Zen training monastery established in North America.
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