Caodong (Chinese 曹洞宗) is a ChineseZenBuddhist sect founded by Dongshan Liangjie and his Dharma_heirs in the 9th century. Some attribute the name "Caodong" as a union of "Dongshan" and "Caoshan" from one of his Dharma-heirs, Caoshan Benji; however, the "Cao" much more likely came from "Caoxi", the "mountain-name" of Huineng, the Sixth Ancestor of Chan, as Caoshan was of little importance unlike his contemporary and fellow Dharma-heir, Yunju Daoying. The sect emphasised sitting meditation, and later "silent illumination" techniques.
Soto (曹洞宗;; Japanese: sōtō-shū; Chinese "Caodong Zong") is one of the two major Japanese Zen sects.
It is an extension or subbranch of the Chinese Caodong, which was brought to Japan by Dogen Zenji (1200-1253), and which after his death became known as the Soto school.
With 14,700 temples and nearly 7 million adherents (in 1989) Soto is the largest Zen sect in Japan, surpassing Rinzai and Obaku.
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