Keizan Jōkin 瑩山紹瑾 laid the foundation for the development of the Sōto sect, establishing its rules in the Keizan Shingi 瑩山清規, which stipulates that the Sōdōki 僧堂記 was to be recited every morning. While the contents of the Sōdōki were unknown, I was able to find a surviving copy at the Jikōki 慈廣寺 temple. The text contains the precepts Dōgen 道元 received from Rujing 如浄. Some aspects are unclear as this is the only instance of these precepts being discovered; they state that monks should live in the mountains and valleys without getting closer to the king and ministers. However, in the late Middle Ages, the Sōto sect became more widespread throughout society and was approved by the imperial court. Feudal lords developed fields on the plains and built temples there; thus, the mountain-based existence stipulated in the precepts no longer fit the reality of the Sōto sect. This apparently resulted in precepts such as these no longer being recited. The daily recitation of other texts with Dōgen’s words, such as the Fukan Zazengi 普勧坐禅儀, continues to this day.
