SO TO ZEN - Shasta Abbey

50 Sōtō Zenand at last realized the liberation of body and mind (J. shinjindatsuraku datsuraku shinjin), the most important event ofoneÕs life. D‡gen freed himself from the illusion of ego whicharises from a dualistic way of thinking and experienced deeplythe bliss of Buddhist Truth. He continued his religious trainingin China for two more years before returning to Japan at the ageof twenty-eight. D‡genÕs greatest desire was that he would beable to transmit the Buddhist teaching and thereby benefit allmankind. He first settled in K‡sh‡ Temple, where he set himselfupon the task of instructing monastic trainees. He had atraining hall (J. d‡j‡) built, and he taught the Buddhist monasticSangha and laity alike for more than ten years. In 1243, atthe earnest supplication of Hatano Yoshishige, he movedto Echizen in the present-day Fukui Prefecture and foundedEihei-ji Temple, which is now one of the two head temples ofthe S‡t‡ School. Burning with great enthusiasm to teach trueBuddhism to all those who were in search of it, he spent someten years here leading a peaceful religious life.D‡gen is the greatest religious figure and creative thinkerin Japanese history. Farsighted leaders outside the S‡t‡ Schoolhave declared that the essence of Japanese culture cannot becorrectly understood without considering this great religiousteacher. Deeply impressed at the breadth and the depth ofD‡genÕs thought, leaders have noted D‡genÕs profound andpervasive influence on Japanese culture. The reason D‡gen is