Sōtō Zen or the Sōtō school is the largest of the three traditional sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism. It is the Japanese line of the Chinese Cáodòng school, which was founded during the Tang dynasty by Dòngshān Liánjiè. It emphasizes Shikantaza, meditation with no objects, anchors, or content. The meditator strives to be aware of the stream of thoughts, allowing them to arise and pass away without interference.
Shitou Xiqian
Dōgen Zenji, credited as a founder of the Sōtō sect in Japan
Koun Ejō
Tettsū Gikai
Zen is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty as the Chan School or the Buddha-mind school, and later developed into various sub-schools and branches. From China, Chán spread south to Vietnam and became Vietnamese Thiền, northeast to Korea to become Seon Buddhism, and east to Japan, becoming Japanese Zen.
Kodo Sawaki practicing zazen, his hands make the "cosmic mudra" (Jp: hokkaijoin), which is common in Japanese Soto Zen
Venerable Hsuan Hua meditating in the lotus position, Hong Kong, 1953
Calligraphy of "Mu" (Hanyu Pinyin: wú) by Torei Enji. It figures in the famous Zhaozhou's dog kōan
Victoria Zen Centre Jukai ceremony, January 2009