Do^gen; （1200-1253） prominent Japanese Zen master， founder of the So^to^ 曹洞 sect of Japanese Buddhism. Born into a family of the nobility， he lost both parents at an early age. He entered Mt. Hiei 比睿山 as a novice at the age of thirteen， staying for about two years. After learning with Ko^in 公胤 of Miidera 三井寺 for a period of time， he next moved on to Kenninji 建仁寺 where he had a chance to study with Esai 荣西， the founder of the Japanese Rinzai school. Following Esai's death， he traveled to Song China together with Esai's successor Myo^zen 明全. Here he was exposed to a number of the influential streams of Ch'an， including that of Dahui 大慧， but his major awakening came as a result of his encounter with the Caotong 曹洞 master Rujing 如净 at Tiantong shan 天童山. In 1227 Do^gen returned to Japan where he began to institute the Caotong （So^to^） teaching at Kenninji and then moving to Fukakusa where he opened up Ko^sho^ji 兴圣寺. Here he spent about ten productive years during which he composed his most important work， the Sho^bo^genzo^ 正法眼藏. His final important period followed this， when he moved into the mountains of Echizen prefecture to establish a center for pure meditational practice away from the secular influences of the capital. This new monastery was originally named Daibutsuji 大佛寺 and was later named Eiheiji 永平寺， which survives to the present as an active monastery for the practice of Zen. In addition to the Sho^bo^genzo^ （95 fasc.） he composed numerous influential works， including the Fukanzazengi 普劝坐禅（1 fasc.）， the Eiheishingi 永平清规 （2 fasc.）， and Gakudo^ yo^shin shu^ 学道用心集 （1 fasc.） The power of wisdom. ［二障义 HPC 1.802c］