learn/[id]

建築
5 分で読める
永
ARCHITECTURE
Eiheiji Temple and Soto Zen: The Fundamental Training Hall Opened by Dogen
Eiheiji, the head temple of Soto Zen founded by Dogen in 1244 in the mountains of Fukui, embodies the pure zazen practice of shikantaza through its seven-hall monastic architecture.
聖
Author
Hijiri
| Shrines & Temples
Contents
MOKUJI
一
Soto Zen and Shikantaza
›
二
The Seven-Hall Monastery Architecture
›
三
The Cedar Approach and Landscape
›
四
Surrounding Sacred Sites in Echizen
›
五
Visiting Tips
›
Soto Zen and Shikantaza
Soto Zen (Sotoshu) places pure zazen — ‘just sitting’ (shikantaza) — at the heart of practice. Dogen (1200–1253) brought this teaching from Song China, having studied under Master Rujing at Tiantong Monastery. His insight was radical: zazen is not a means to enlightenment but is itself the expression of Buddha-nature (shusho ichijo — practice and realization are one).
Dogen’s masterwork Shobogenzo (Treasury of the True Dharma Eye), written in Japanese, remains one of the earliest and most sophisticated philosophical texts in the Japanese language.
The Seven-Hall Monastery Architecture
Eiheiji rises up a forested mountain slope in Fukui Prefecture, its halls connected by covered corridors (kairō). The seven essential buildings of a Zen monastery embody the teaching that all daily activities are practice:
Building
Function
Significance
Sanmon (Mountain Gate)
Threshold between worldly and sacred
Houses the Four Heavenly Kings
Butsuden (Buddha Hall)
Enshrines the main image and Dogen
Hatto (Dharma Hall)
Abbot’s teaching hall
Highest in the complex
Sodo (Monks’ Hall)
Zazen, meals, sleep — all in one space
Core of monastic life
Kuin (Kitchen)
Meal preparation is practice
Governed by the Tenzo Kyokun
Tosu (Toilet)
Cleanliness as practice
Enshrines Ususama Myoo
Yokushitsu (Bath)
Bathing as sacred purification
The sodo is the most distinctive space: monks practice zazen, eat, and sleep here on the same wooden platform, embodying Dogen’s principle that every moment of life is a dharma gate.
The Cedar Approach and Landscape
The avenue of ancient cedars leading to Eiheiji — some hundreds of years old — creates a canopy that stills the mind before one even enters the gate. The covered corridors that link the halls demand quiet steps, single-file movement, and mindful attention. Walking them is itself practice.
Surrounding Sacred Sites in Echizen
Mantokuji in Obama preserves a beautiful pond garden typical of Muromachi-period temple aesthetics. Hachiman Jinja in Tsuruga protected maritime trade along the Japan Sea coast. Uwase Jinja represents the deep stratum of local faith in Echizen, a region long open to continental culture.
Visiting Tips
•
Arrive at dawn to witness morning sutras (goka) by the resident monks
•
Follow corridor etiquette: right-side walking, no loud voices, respect no-photography zones
•
Book zazen experience sessions via Eiheiji’s official website well in advance
Last updated: May 2026
永平寺, related to 永平寺と曹洞宗
Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
萬徳寺, related to 永平寺と曹洞宗
Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
八幡神社（敦賀）, related to 永平寺と曹洞宗
Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
宇波西神社, related to 永平寺と曹洞宗
Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
福井神社, related to 永平寺と曹洞宗
Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
道元, related to 永平寺と曹洞宗
Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
── 了 ──
聖
Author
Hijiri（ひじり）
Shrines & Temples
Toku editorial team — shrines and temples. Former designer who reads temple architecture and gardens through an aesthetic lens, quietly tracing the lineages of sects and doctrines.
›
This article was
♡ Helpful
⤴
Key Figures
D
Dogen
Founder of Soto Zen
›
詣
Visit Related Places
History truly comes alive when you visit in person. Choose your next destination from the related sites and pilgrimage courses below.
1. Eiheiji
Head temple of Soto Zen
›
2. Mantokuji Temple
A Jodo sect temple whose Muromachi-era dry garden, associated with the Wakasa Takeda clan, is designated a National Scenic Beauty for its refined composition of white sand and stones
›
3. Hachiman Jinja Tsuruga
A tutelary shrine of Tsuruga's port town, where sailors navigating Japan Sea trade routes have long prayed for safe passage.
›
4. Uwasejinja
宇波西神社（うわせじんじゃ）は、福井県三方上中郡若狭町気山字寺谷129-5にある神社
›
5. 福井神社
Shrine
›
Pilgrimage Course
Japan Top 100: Hokkaido/Tohoku/Hokuriku
Visit 8 sites
›
Pilgrimage Course
100 Temples ① Hokkaido/Tohoku/Hokuriku
Visit 10 sites
›
I C H I G O I C H I E
📱
Explore pilgrimage with the app
Download on the App Store
✕