Claim: Gikai was one of several influential groups in Dōgen's school and in 1267 Gikai succeeded Ejō who died before the sandai sōron occurred (a putative dispute over the orthodoxy and succession of Sōtō Zen Buddhism).
Evidence: Dōgen Zenji (道元禅師; 19 January 1200 – 22 September 1253), also known as Dōgen Kigen (道元希玄), Eihei Dōgen (永平道元), Kōso Jōyō Daishi (高祖承陽大師), or Busshō Dentō Kokushi (仏性伝東国師), was a Japanese Buddhist priest, writer, poet, philosopher, and founder of the Sōtō school of Zen in Japan. In 1267 Ejō retired as Abbot of Eihei-ji, giving way to Gikai, who was already favored by Dogen. After the death of Ejō, a controversy called the sandai sōron occurred. The sandai sōron (三代相論), or third-generation differentiation, was a putative dispute over the orthodoxy and succession of Sōtō Zen Buddhism. Among this group were Gikai, Gien and Giin, who were to become influential members of Dōgen's school.