The Bendōwa 弁道話 of Dōgen 道元 （1200-1253） shows the significance of zazen in the Buddhist method of the correct transmission from teacher to disciple （shōden正伝） with 18 questions and answers. The dominant theory is that the original draft version of the Bendōwa is that owned by Shoboji Temple in Iwate Prefecture 岩手県正法寺, and that one question-and-answer combination was deleted in the compilation of Manzan Dōhaku 卍山道白（1636-1715）. In recent years, Noriaki Hakamaya suggested that the conventional view should be reversed, because the subordinates of Keizan Jōkin 瑩山紹瑾（1268-1325） expanded on the deleted questions and answers. It is not possible, based on the examination carried out in this paper, to conclude that the relationship between the establishment of one version and that of the other is reversed, and the author concludes that the dominant theory is, after all, valid.
