The individual items comprising the text are undated, but the collection as a whole spans most of Hakuinʼs teaching career. Fascicle one consists of sermons and instruction to disciples 示衆. Fascicle two contains general talks 普說, verse comments on old cases 頌古, and lectures on old cases 擧古. Fascicle three is a treatise on the Five Ranks 五位, instruction for practice intended for individual students 法語, and notes for anniversary and funeral services 小佛事. Fascicle four contains various essays 辯. Fascicle five brief notes 記, and explanations 說 of obscure points; fascicle six letters 書; fascicle seven prefaces 序, epilogues 跋, and inscriptions 銘; fascicle eight laudatory verses 贊; and fascicle nine religious poems 偈頌.

A supplementary fascicle entitled Keisō dokuzui shui 荊叢毒蘂拾遺, also compiled by Zenjo, was published in 1759. It comprises Hakuinʼs famous Dokugo shingyō 毒語心經, prose and verse commentary on the Heart Sutra together with miscellaneous writings, teachings, laudatory verses, and religious poems.

An epilogue by Kida Ganshō 木田元照 (n. d.), a lay disciple of Hakuin sheds light on the circumstances leading to the publication of the text. According to Kida in the winter of 1756, he visited Hakuin at Shoinji 松蔭寺 (Shizuoka prefecture), where he had a chance to look through the manuscript of the Keiso dokuzui. Kida was much impressed with the work and urged its early publication; however, Hakuin objected strenuously. Kida, therefore, hid the manuscript in a bag and secretly carried it back to Osaka, where he had it published.