Refers to one of the two main branches of Zen. Known as Tsao-tung in China, it was brought by Dogen from China to Japan in 1227. Unlike Rinzai, Soto teaches a form of silent seated meditation in which enlightenment is a gradual process. In his 'Shobo Genzo,' Dogen advocates a combination of seated meditation (zazen), daily labor, discipline, and the use of koans. Dogen also wrote the 'General Teaching for Seated Meditation' which describes the five stages of zazen, culminating in the realization of the individual's oneness with reality. Soto appealed to the lesser samurai and to peasant farmers as a method of self-control. Soto became more popular than Rinzai, in part because it incorporates Pure Land funeral practices.
