"Where eight centuries of seated meditation have sanctified a mountain temple of eternal peace"
Daihonzan Eiheiji (Eihei Temple)
Eiheiji Town, Fukui Prefecture, Japan
Hidden in the cedar forests of Fukui Prefecture, Eiheiji stands as one of the two head temples of Soto Zen Buddhism. Here, over one hundred monks maintain the same rigorous practice that founder Dogen Zenji established in 1244: rising before dawn for zazen, treating every action as meditation, embodying the principle that practice and enlightenment are one.
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Quick Facts
Location
Eiheiji Town, Fukui Prefecture, Japan
Tradition
Site Type
Coordinates
36.0557, 136.3553
Last Updated
Jan 11, 2026
Eiheiji was founded in 1244 by Dogen Zenji, who brought Soto Zen from China to Japan. For nearly eight centuries it has served as a primary training center for Zen monks, maintaining the founder's teaching that every action of daily life can become practice.
Origin Story
Dogen was born in 1200 to a wealthy Kyoto family but was drawn early to the religious life. After initial training in Japan, he traveled to China in 1223, seeking authentic Buddhist teaching. Under his master Tiantong Rujing, he experienced awakening when he heard Rujing scold a sleeping monk with the words 'Zazen is the dropping off of body and mind.' This profound realization became the core of his teaching. Returning to Japan in 1227, Dogen eventually accepted land from his devoted lay follower Yoshishige Hatano, a samurai who had studied with him. In 1244, Dogen founded the temple, initially called Sanshoho Daibutsuji, which he later renamed Eiheiji, 'Temple of Eternal Peace.' Here he devoted himself to training followers in the perfection of Zen practice in every action of daily life.
Key Figures
Dogen Zenji
Founder of Eiheiji and Soto Zen in Japan. Born 1200, died 1253. Traveled to China to study Zen, returned to establish a distinct form of Zen emphasizing shikantaza ('just sitting') and the unity of practice and enlightenment. His ashes rest in the Joyoden.
Tiantong Rujing
Dogen's Chinese master under whom he experienced awakening. Transmitted the authentic Soto (Caodong) lineage to Dogen.
Yoshishige Hatano
Samurai and devoted lay follower who donated the land for Eiheiji. His support enabled Dogen to establish the temple.
Spiritual Lineage
Eiheiji maintains an unbroken transmission lineage from Dogen, who received transmission from Tiantong Rujing in China, connecting to the original Caodong (Soto) lineage tracing to Dongshan Liangjie (807-869). This lineage ultimately connects to Shakyamuni Buddha through the Chan masters of China. The temple preserves this transmission through its successive abbots and through the training of new priests who will carry the lineage forward.
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