| The Five Houses |
| Caodong / Sōtō Linji / Rinzai Fayan / Hōgen Guiyang / Igyō Yunmen / Unmon |
| Doctrine and practice |
| Buddha-nature Dharma transmission Enlightenment Group meditation Kōan practice Samādhi Sitting meditation |
| Principal texts |
| Diamond Sūtra Heart Sūtra Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra Platform Sūtra Śūraṅgama Sūtra (Kōan collections) |
| Mahāyāna Buddhism Outline of Buddhism (Category) |
Cáodòng (Chinese: 曹洞宗; pinyin: Cáo dòng zōng; Wade–Giles: Ts'ao-tung-tsung) is a Chinese Zen Buddhist sect founded by Dongshan Liangjie and his Dharma-heirs in the 9th century. Some attribute the name "Cáodòng" as a union of "Dongshan" and "Caoshan" from one of his Dharma-heirs, Caoshan Benji; however, the "Cao" much more likely came from Cáoxī (曹溪), the "mountain-name" of Huineng, the Sixth Ancestor of Chan, as Caoshan was of little importance unlike his contemporary and fellow Dharma-heir, Yunju Daoying. The sect emphasised sitting meditation, and later "silent illumination" techniques.
In 1227 Dōgen Zenji, a former Tendai student, studied Caodong Buddhism, and returned to Japan to establish the Sōtō sect.
Caodong masters: