who was dogen

Key Takeaway: Dogen (1200–1253), also known as Dogen Zenji or Eihei Dogen, was a Japanese Buddhist monk, philosopher, and founder of the Soto school of Zen.

Dogen (道元). Dogen (1200–1253), also known as Dogen Zenji or Eihei Dogen, was a Japanese Buddhist monk, philosopher, and founder of the Soto school of Zen. After traveling to China and awakening under Tiantong Rujing, he returned to Japan to teach 'just sitting' (shikantaza / 只管打坐) — the practice of zazen as not a means to enlightenment but its direct expression. His masterwork, the Shobogenzo (正法眼蔵, Treasury of the True Dharma Eye), is among the most profound works of Zen philosophy and Japanese literature.

In the tradition of Zen Buddhism, as transmitted through the teachings of masters from Bodhidharma to Dogen, Dogen (1200–1253), also known as Dogen Zenji or Eihei Dogen, was a Japanese Buddhist monk, philosopher, and founder of the Soto school of Zen.

— Oriens