The Shobogenzo Zuimonki is a collection of spontaneous Dharma talks that Dogen Zenji gave to his monks on various occasions, as well as question-and-answer sequences between Dogen and his main disciple Koun Ejo. It was Ejo Zenji who recorded these talks. In them, Dogen does not expound on Buddhist philosophy, although he frequently references it; instead, he provides his students with simple and vivid instructions, examples, and insights regarding attitudes and ways of living that align with the path chosen by Buddha. The author Eihei Dogen (1200-1253) brought Soto Zen from China to Japan. He founded the first pure Zen monastery, Koshoji, and later established Eiheiji, which is still one of the two main monasteries of the Soto Zen school in Japan. Dogen Zenji lived his life as a simple Zen monk.