Meiho Sotetsu

Meiho Sotetsu was the fourth-generation Soto patriarch who played an important role in consolidating the school's institutional structure. He served as abbot of Daijoji Temple and trained students who would carry the Soto tradition forward during a period of growth and geographical expansion across Japan.

Sotetsu's teaching maintained the Soto emphasis on zazen practice while adapting to the institutional needs of a growing school. He helped establish the systems of temple administration and dharma transmission that would sustain the Soto school as it expanded from its base in the north to become a national presence. His lineage through subsequent generations contributed to the school's eventual status as the largest Buddhist denomination in Japan.