Eihei Dogen

Scholar & Thinker

(1200 – 1253) · East Asia

Thirteenth-century Japanese Buddhist monk who founded the Soto school of Zen in Japan and is considered one of Japan's greatest philosophers. After studying in China, he returned to Japan and composed the Shobogenzo, a vast philosophical and meditative work written in Japanese rather than Chinese, an unprecedented choice for serious Buddhist writing. His teaching on the unity of practice and enlightenment transformed Japanese Zen.