Soto Soto monk meditating while begging, Kyoto, Japan. (more) Sōtō Buddhist sect Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Print Cite verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/Soto Feedback External Websites Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture - The Soto Sect and Japanese Military Imperialism in Korea Official Site of Sotozen-Net Britannica Websites Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Soto - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) Ask the Chatbot a Question Also known as: Ts’ao-tung Written by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot Areas Of Involvement: Buddhism (Show more) Related People: Dōgen (Show more) See all related content Sōtō, largest of the Zen Buddhist sects in Japan. It follows the method of quiet sitting and meditation (zazen) as a means of obtaining enlightenment.

　　The sect was founded in China in the 9th century by Liang-chieh and Pen-chi, where it was known as Ts’ao-tung (after its monastic centres on the mountains Ts’ao and Tung). It was transmitted to Japan by Dōgen, who founded the Eihei Temple in 1244 in what is now Fukui prefecture, and further popularized in the 13th–14th century by Keizan.

　　The headquarters of the sect are at the Eihei Temple and the Sōji Temple (founded in 1321 in what is now Ishikawa prefecture and in 1911 moved to Yokohama). Compare Rinzai.

　　This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.