One of the two main schools of Zen in Japan, the other being Rinzai. The tendency towards caution (one could even say mistrust) regarding words and concepts which is a common thread in Zen finds its greatest expression in the Sōtō school. Thus it follows that there is less emphasis placed on dokusan and koan study in the Sōtō tradition and more emphasis placed on shikantaza. Zen practiced this way is sometimes called mokusho, which means the Zen of silent enlightenment. Perhaps following the Buddhist doctrine of non-duality, it should be noted that many Zen teachers and students in Western cultures today do not consider the line between Sōtō and Rinzai to be of great importance.
