▁ ▁When ▁he ▁was ▁ 1 6 , ▁he ▁ran ▁away ▁from ▁home ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁mon k ▁at ▁E ihe i - ji , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁head ▁tem ples ▁of ▁the ▁S ō t ō ▁Z en ▁sect , ▁and ▁later ▁tra ve led ▁to ▁S osh in - ji ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁ord ained ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 9 ▁by ▁Koh o ▁S aw ada . ▁However , ▁he ▁was ▁draft ed ▁to ▁serve ▁in ▁the ▁Imperial ▁Japanese ▁Army ▁during ▁the ▁Rus so - J apan ese ▁War ▁of ▁ 1 9 0 4 - 1 9 0 5 ▁to ▁minister ▁to ▁the ▁wounded . ▁ ▁After ▁being ▁dis charg ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 6 , ▁S aw aki ▁became ▁head ▁student ▁at ▁S osh in - ji . ▁He ▁received ▁d har ma ▁transmission ▁later ▁that ▁year ▁from ▁Z en ko ▁S aw ada . ▁He ▁then ▁studied ▁for ▁two ▁years ▁at ▁the ▁pri ests ▁training ▁school ▁of ▁Sen ju - ji , ▁a ▁J ō do ▁Shin sh ū ▁temple ▁in ▁the ▁Tak ada ▁district ▁of ▁T su . ▁From ▁there , ▁S aw aki ▁tra ve led ▁to ▁H ō ry ū - ji ▁to ▁study ▁Y og ac ara ▁with ▁Jo in ▁Sa ek i . ▁At ▁this ▁point , ▁S aw aki ▁began ▁studying ▁D ogen ▁and ▁pract icing ▁z az en . ▁S aw aki ▁spent ▁a ▁three - month ▁practice ▁period ▁studying ▁D ogen ▁with ▁O ka ▁S ot