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DOgen[dO´gen] Pronunciation Key, 1200–1253, Zen master (see Zen Buddhism) and founder of the SOtO Zen school in Japan. After studying in China, he received the seal of enlightenment and succession to the Ts'ao-tung (SOtO) school. In 1236 he established the first independent Zen temple in Japan. SOtO Zen stresses zazen, sitting meditation, based on the Buddha's own practice. Whereas for Rinzai Zen koans are a means to enlightenment, SOtO stresses the identity of practice and attainment. DOgen, unlike many Zen masters, stressed practice without rejecting scripture.
See H.-J. Kim, DOgen Kigen, Mystical Realist (1975); Y. Yokei, Zen Master DOgen (1976); F. Cook, How to Raise an Ox (1978); C. Bielefeldt, DOgen's Manuals of Zen Meditation (1988); G. Snyder, The Teachings of Zen Master Dogen (1992).
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