In contrast to tanka poetry as art, doka refers to tanka (31 syllables' poem) or waka (Japanese poem) that includes Buddhist teachings or that Zen monks composed to make study and spiritual enlightenment easier to understand.
道歌（どうか）は、芸術である短歌とは違って、仏教の教えや禅僧が悟りや修業の要点をわかりやすく詠み込んだ短歌や和歌をのこと。