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84-464: Hōnen (法然) was born in 1133, the son of Uruma no Tokikuni of a local ruling family in Mimasaka Province . Hōnen was originally named Seishimaru after the mahāsattva Seishi (Sanskrit Mahāsthāmaprāpta ). After a rival official assassinated his father in 1141, Hōnen was initiated into his uncle's monastery at the age of 9. From then on, Hōnen lived his life as a monk and eventually studied at

168-457: A kami could be seen as a manifestation of a bodhisattva. It is common even to this day to have Shinto shrines within the grounds of Buddhist temples. By contrast, Shinran had distanced Jōdo Shinshū from Shinto because he believed that many Shinto practices contradicted the notion of reliance on Amitābha. However, Shinran taught that his followers should still continue to worship and express gratitude to kami, other buddhas, and bodhisattvas despite

252-578: A "practiceless practice", for there are no specific acts to be performed such as there are in the "Path of Sages". In Shinran's own words, Shin Buddhism is considered the "Easy Path" because one is not compelled to perform many difficult, and often esoteric, practices in order to attain higher and higher mental states. As in other Pure Land Buddhist schools, Amitābha is a central focus of the Buddhist practice, and Jōdo Shinshū expresses this devotion through

336-581: A 100-day retreat at Rokkaku-dō in Kyoto, where he had a dream on the 95th day. In this dream, Prince Shōtoku appeared to him, espousing a pathway to enlightenment through verse. Following the retreat, in 1201, Shinran left Mount Hiei to study under Hōnen for the next six years. Hōnen (1133–1212) another ex-Tendai monk, left the tradition in 1175 to found his own sect, the Jōdo-shū or "Pure Land School". From that time on, Shinran considered himself, even after exile,

420-514: A chanting practice called nembutsu, or "Mindfulness of the Buddha [Amida]". The nembutsu is simply reciting the phrase Namu Amida Butsu ("I take refuge in Amitābha Buddha"). Jōdo Shinshū is not the first school of Buddhism to practice the nembutsu but it is interpreted in a new way according to Shinran. The nembutsu becomes understood as an act that expresses gratitude to Amitābha; furthermore, it

504-847: A devout disciple of Hōnen rather than a founder establishing his own, distinct Pure Land school. During this period, Hōnen taught the new nembutsu -only practice to many people in Kyoto society and amassed a substantial following but also came under increasing criticism by the Buddhist establishment there. Among his strongest critics was the monk Myōe and the temples of Enryaku-ji and Kōfuku-ji . The latter continued to criticize Hōnen and his followers even after they pledged to behave with good conduct and to not slander other Buddhists. In 1207, Hōnen's critics at Kōfuku-ji persuaded Emperor Toba II to forbid Hōnen and his teachings after two of Imperial ladies-in-waiting converted to his practices. Hōnen and his followers, among them Shinran, were forced into exile and four of Hōnen's disciples were executed. Shinran

588-589: A distinct sect, as people began mixing other Buddhist practices with Shin ritual. One common example was the Mantra of Light popularized by Myōe and Shingon Buddhism . Other Pure Land Buddhist practices, such as the nembutsu odori or "dancing nembutsu" as practiced by the followers of Ippen and the Ji School, may have also been adopted by early Shin Buddhists. Rennyo ended these practices by formalizing much of

672-585: A large following, notably women, who had been excluded from serious Buddhist practice up to this point. This included fishermen, prostitutes and fortune tellers. Hōnen also distinguished himself by not discriminating against women who were menstruating, thought at the time to be unclean. Some followers more strictly followed Buddhist conduct , whereas others assumed they were saved by Amida Buddha and behaved recklessly, earning criticism from established monastic communities such as Enryakuji and Kofukuji . To counter these criticisms, Honen insisted his followers sign

756-648: A refuge for all beings]." Since, according to Honen's line of reasoning, salvation was mostly due to Amida Buddha's power, there was no reason why anyone who sincerely recited the nembutsu couldn't be reborn in the Pure Land. Recitation of the nembutsu , lit. namu amida butsu ( 南無阿弥陀仏 , "Praise to the Buddha Amitabha") , is the most fundamental practice of Jōdo-shū, which derives from the Primal Vow of Amitābha. In home practice, or in temple liturgy,

840-563: A tumultuous period for Japanese Buddhism. The separation of Shinto and Buddhism unintentionally triggered the haibutsu kishaku , a nationwide movement targeting Buddhist institutions, in which temples were demolished, their properties revoked, and their monks forcibly defrocked. Jōdo-shū, having formerly received considerable patronage from the Tokugawa Shogunate , now embarked on a period of internal reform in which several monks emerged as important reformers. Among these reformers

924-812: A two lineages survive today: the Chinzei-ha branch and the Seizan-ha branch (with 3 sub-branches). Other offshoots such as Jodo Shinshu and the Ji-shū sects are considered different enough to be separate from Jodo-shū. The largest branch of Jōdo-shū, the Chinzei-ha ( 鎮西派 , "The Chinzei Branch") , named after the district of Chinzei in Kita-Kyushu , was originally established in the hometown of disciple, Benchō , who had been exiled in 1207, but grew through subsequent disciples. The rival Seizan-ha ( 西山派 , "The Seizan Branch") and Kuhon-ji branches grew around

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1008-409: Is a phrase which means "A record [of the words of Shinran] set down in lamentation over departures from his [Shinran's] teaching". While it is a short text, it is one of the most popular because practitioners see Shinran in a more informal setting. For centuries, the text was almost unknown to the majority of Shin Buddhists. In the 15th century, Rennyo , Shinran's descendant, wrote of it, "This writing

1092-660: Is an important one in our tradition. It should not be indiscriminately shown to anyone who lacks the past karmic good". Rennyo Shonin's personal copy of the Tannishō is the earliest extant copy. Kiyozawa Manshi (1863–1903) revitalized interest in the Tannishō, which indirectly helped to bring about the Ohigashi schism of 1962. Earlier schools of Buddhism that came to Japan, including Tendai and Shingon Buddhism , gained acceptance because of honji suijaku practices. For example,

1176-591: Is evoked in the practitioner through the power of Amida's unobstructed compassion. Therefore, in Shin Buddhism, the nembutsu is not considered a practice, nor does it generate karmic merit. It is simply an affirmation of one's gratitude. Indeed, given that the nembutsu is the Name, when one utters the Name, that is Amitābha calling to the devotee. This is the essence of the Name-that-calls. Note that this

1260-455: Is in contrast to the related Jōdo-shū, which promoted a combination of repetition of the nembutsu and devotion to Amitābha as a means to birth in his pure land of Sukhavati . It also contrasts with other Buddhist schools in China and Japan, where nembutsu recitation was part of a more elaborate ritual. In another departure from more traditional Pure Land schools, Shinran advocated that birth in

1344-658: Is known about Honen and his thought is attributed through sayings collected in the following century, the Senchakushū , and letters to his students and disciples. The One-Sheet Document is also read aloud in daily services as part of Jōdo-shū liturgy. Jōdo-shū, like other Buddhist schools, maintains a professional, monastic priesthood, based on the parent Tendai -sect monastic organization, with two "head temples", one at Chion-in in Kyoto , and one at Zojoji in Tokyo . The head of

1428-417: Is left to the individual to decide. Furthermore, Jōdo-shū practitioners are allowed to worship kami and visit Shinto shrines as long as they do not worship the kami as a means to enter the pure land. Of the entire Buddhist canon, Sutra of Immeasurable Life is the central Buddhist scripture for Jōdo-shū Buddhism, and the foundation of the belief in the Primal Vow of Amida Buddha. In addition to this,

1512-562: Is the most widely practiced branch of Buddhism in Japan . Shinran (1173–1263) lived during the late Heian to early Kamakura period (1185–1333), a time of turmoil for Japan when the emperor was stripped of political power by the shōguns . Shinran's family had a high rank at the Imperial court in Kyoto , but given the times, many aristocratic families were sending sons off to be Buddhist monks instead of having them participate in

1596-805: The Amitāyurdhyāna Sūtra and the Amitabha Sutra are important to the Jōdo-shū school. Collectively, these are known as the Sanbukyō ( 三部経 , "Three Pure Land Sutras") . Further, the writings of Hōnen, contained mostly in the Senchaku-hongan-nembutsu-shū (often abbreviated to Senchakushū ), are another source for Jōdo-shū thought as is his last writing, the Ichimai-Kishōmon ( 一枚起請文 , "One-Sheet Document") . Most of what

1680-627: The Edo period and beyond. Zōjō-ji in Edo , previously a Shingon sect temple converted to a Jōdo-shū temple, became the family temple of the Tokugawa clan during the same year, receiving considerable patronage. Several shoguns of the Tokugawa family are still interred in mausoleums at Zōjō-ji, though Ieyasu himself is interred at the Nikkō Tōshō-gū shrine. The Meiji Restoration of 1868 marked

1764-996: The Muromachi period , the Ashikaga clan took over the former Hōjō holdings. No central powerful local clan ever rose to prominence and the province changed hands frequently between warring factions in the Sengoku period . Control shifted between the Yamana clan , the Akamatsu clan , the Amago clan , the Urakami clan , and the Ukita clan . After the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, it became united again with Bizen Province under Kobayakawa Hideaki . After his death without heir only two years later,

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1848-464: The Senchakushu were relocated thanks to advance warning, but other writings of Honen's were destroyed, and more disciples were exiled. Many, though not all, of the disciples of Honen were exiled to remote provinces in either 1207 by order of Emperor Go-toba , or later in 1227. Each established a local community in their respective provinces and with nuances in the teachings (" gi ", 義), but only

1932-661: The Seven Article Pledge , or shichikajō seikai ( 七箇条制戒 ) in 1204, pledging not to disparage other sects, and to uphold the Buddha-Dharma. One-hundred and sixty-three followers, including Honen's chief disciples, signed the pledge. The monastic communities were satisfied for a time, until in 1207, when Kofukuji temple made another petition to the Emperor. Meanwhile, two of Honen's disciples, Jūren (住蓮) and Anraku-bō (安楽房), were caught proselytizing to some of

2016-680: The Tokugawa shogunate assigned most of the province to the Mori clan as Tsuyama Domain . The Mori moved the capital of the province from the Innoshō area , to their newly built jōkamachi at Tsuyama . In 1697, the Mori clan were replaced by a cadet branch of the Echizen- Matsudaira clan . The size of the domain was reduced to only 100,000 koku , and later to 50,000 koku . In 1767, another domain, Katsuyama Domain , with 23,000 koku ,

2100-595: The United Kingdom , such as Three Wheels Temple . During Taiwan's Japanese colonial era (1895–1945), Jōdo Shinshū built a temple complex in downtown Taipei. The "Seven Patriarchs of Jōdo Shinshū" are seven Buddhist monks venerated in the development of Pure Land Buddhism as summarized in the Jōdo Shinshū hymn Shoshinge . Shinran quoted the writings and commentaries of the Patriarchs in his major work,

2184-578: The capitol collected Honen's writings and erected a mausoleum, while doctrinal disagreements between Honen's disciples Ryūkan, Chōsai and Shōkú escalated. When Hōnen's work, the Senchakushu, began to circulate in 1227, this enraged the monastic community on Enryakuji , and a force of sōhei warriors were sent to raid the tomb of Hōnen. This is known as the Karoku Persecution ( karoku no hōgan 嘉禄の法難) of 1227. Honen's body and copies of

2268-558: The Bodhisattva ideal were contrived and rooted in selfish ignorance; for humans of this age are so deeply rooted in karmic evil as to be incapable of developing the truly altruistic compassion that is requisite to becoming a Bodhisattva. Due to his awareness of human limitations, Shinran advocated reliance on tariki , or other power (他力)—the power of Amitābha (Japanese Amida ) made manifest in his Primal Vow —in order to attain liberation. Shin Buddhism can therefore be understood as

2352-533: The Chinzei lineage continued to develop until the 8th Patriarch, Shōgei (聖冏, 1341-1420) who formalized the training of priests (rather than training under Tendai or Shingon lineages), thus formally establishing it as an independent sect. In 1590, during the Azuchi–Momoyama period , Jōdo-shū was officially patronized by Tokugawa Ieyasu , leading to an era of great prosperity for the sect that lasted throughout

2436-518: The Imperial government. When Shinran was nine years old in 1181, he was sent by his uncle to Mount Hiei , where he was ordained as a śrāmaṇera in the Tendai sect. Over time, Shinran became disillusioned with how Buddhism was practiced, foreseeing a decline in the potency and practicality of the teachings espoused. Shinran left his role as a dosō ("practice-hall monk") at Mount Hiei and undertook

2520-488: The Jōdo Shinshū ritual and liturgy, and revived the thinning community at the Honganji temple while asserting newfound political power. Rennyo also proselytized widely among other Pure Land sects and consolidated most of the smaller Shin sects. Today, there are still ten distinct sects of Jōdo Shinshū with Nishi Hongan-ji and Higashi Hongan-ji being the two largest. Rennyo is generally credited by Shin Buddhists for reversing

2604-663: The Jōdo [浄土, Pure Land] sect was that I might show the ordinary man how to be born into the Buddha’s real land of recompense [e.g. the Pure Land]. According to the Tendai sect, the ordinary man may be born into the so-called Pure Land, but that land is conceived of as a very inferior place. Although the Hossō [Yogacara] sect conceives of it as indeed a very fine superior place, they do not allow that

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2688-652: The Jōdo-shū school is called the monshu in Japanese, and lives at the head temple of Chion-in. For the Seizan branch, there are three sub-branches, each with their own head temple. Mimasaka Province Mimasaka Province ( 美作国 , Mimasaka-no kuni ) was a province of Japan in the area that is northern Okayama Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of western Japan. Mimasaka bordered Bitchū , Bizen , Harima , Hōki , and Inaba Provinces. Its abbreviated form name

2772-546: The Original Vow". Kakushinni was instrumental in preserving Shinran's teachings after his death, and the letters she received and saved from her mother, Eshinni, provide critical biographical information regarding Shinran's earlier life. These letters are currently preserved in the Nishi Hongan temple in Kyoto. Shinran died at the age of 90 in 1263 (technically age 89 by Western reckoning). Following Shinran's death,

2856-479: The Pure Land was settled in the midst of life. At the moment one entrusts oneself to Amitābha, one becomes "established in the stage of the truly settled". This is equivalent to the stage of non-retrogression along the bodhisattva path. Many Pure Land Buddhist schools in the time of Shinran felt that birth in the Pure Land was a literal rebirth that occurred only upon death, and only after certain preliminary rituals. Elaborate rituals were used to guarantee rebirth in

2940-500: The Pure Land was through reciting the nembutsu . In particular, Honen argued that it was through Amida Buddha's merit and compassion that one achieved rebirth, and since the nembutsu was explicitly called out in the Immeasurable Life Sutra in the 18th Vow (also known as the Primal Vow ), it was the only practice that would work, especially in the latter age of Mappō , when people could no longer effectively put

3024-473: The Pure Land, including a common practice wherein the fingers were tied by strings to a painting or image of Amida Buddha. From the perspective of Jōdo Shinshū such rituals actually betray a lack of trust in Amida Buddha, relying on jiriki ("self-power"), rather than the tariki or "other-power" of Amida Buddha. Such rituals also favor those who could afford the time and energy to practice them or possess

3108-554: The actions of Imperial Japan and its policy of State Shintō . Despite the protests of certain members of the sect, the Jōdo-shū organization nevertheless complied with the policy of State Shintō. This included building several temples within Japan’s overseas colonies (all of which would later be destroyed in the years following the war) and providing memorial services to deceased soldiers as well as relief for their families. The school subsequently apologized for its wartime actions alongside

3192-535: The capitol of Kyoto , as Shōkū and Chōsai were among the few major disciples who were not exiled. Finally, Shinran, another disciple established communities in Echigo Province , but the sect gradually differed enough from others to be considered a separate sect, Jodo Shinshu . Other disciples of note: A generation later, Bencho's disciple, Ryōchū, became his disciple for a year, and then spread Benchō's and Hōnen's teachings throughout Japan before reaching

3276-418: The common man can be born there at all. And all the sects, though differing in many points, all agree in not allowing that the common man can be born into the Buddha’s land of real compensation....Unless I start a separate sect, the truth that the common man may be born into the Buddha’s land of compensation will be obscured, and it will be hard to realize the deep meaning Amida [Buddha]’s Original Vow [to provide

3360-473: The deeply rooted karmic evil of countless rebirths into good karma. It is of note that such evil karma is not destroyed but rather transformed: Shin stays within the Mahayana tradition's understanding of śūnyatā and understands that samsara and nirvana are not separate. Once the practitioner's mind is united with Amitābha and Buddha-nature gifted to the practitioner through shinjin, the practitioner attains

3444-407: The fact that Amitābha should be the primary buddha that Pure Land believers focus on. Furthermore, under the influence of Rennyo and other priests, Jōdo Shinshū later fully accepted honji suijaku beliefs and the concept of kami as manifestations of Amida Buddha and other buddhas and bodhisattvas. Jōdo Shinshū traditionally had an uneasy relationship with other Buddhist schools because it discouraged

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3528-490: The famous monastery of Mount Hiei . Hōnen was well respected for his knowledge and for his adherence to the Five Precepts , but in time, Hōnen became dissatisfied with the Tendai teachings he learned at Mount Hiei. Influenced by the writings of Shandao , Hōnen devoted himself solely to Amitābha as expressed through the practice of nembutsu . In time, Hōnen gathered disciples from all walks of life, and developed

3612-485: The founding of Ryukoku University in Kyoto and formalized many of the Jōdo Shinshū traditions which are still followed today. Following the Meiji Restoration and the subsequent persecution of Buddhism ( haibutsu kishaku ) of the late 1800s due to a revived nationalism and modernization, Jōdo Shinshū managed to survive intact due to the devotion of its monto . During World War II , the Honganji, as with

3696-534: The future, the Buddhist scriptures and teachings will perish." But, out of pity and compassion, I will especially preserve this sutra and maintain it in the world for a hundred years more. Those beings who encounter it will attain deliverance in accord with their aspirations. Since the Jōdo-shū school was founded near the end of the Heian period , when Buddhism in Japan had become deeply involved in political schemes, and some in Japan saw monks flaunting wealth and power, it

3780-493: The growing secularization and materialism of Japanese society. All ten schools of Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism commemorated the 750th memorial of their founder, Shinran, in 2011 in Kyoto. Shinran's thought was strongly influenced by the doctrine of Mappō , a largely Mahayana eschatology which claims humanity's ability to listen to and practice the Buddhist teachings deteriorates over time and loses effectiveness in bringing individual practitioners closer to Buddhahood. This belief

3864-530: The history of Japanese American and Japanese-Canadian internment during World War II , which caused many Shin temples to focus on rebuilding the Japanese-American Shin sangha rather than encourage outreach to non-Japanese. Today, many Shinshū temples outside Japan continue to have predominantly ethnic Japanese members, although interest in Buddhism and intermarriage contribute to a more diverse community. There are active Jōdo Shinshū sanghas in

3948-501: The ladies in waiting of Emperor Go-toba , who had then decided to take tonsure and leave the service of the Emperor. In anger, the Emperor decreed that Honen and several followers be defrocked and sent into exile, while Jūren and Anraku-bō were executed. This is recorded in the Tannisho of Shinran 's disciple, Yuien-bō, as follows: Master Honen and seven of his disciples were exiled, and four other disciples were executed. The Master

4032-583: The lay Shin monto slowly spread through the Kantō and the northeastern seaboard. Shinran's descendants maintained themselves as caretakers of Shinran's gravesite and as Shin teachers, although they continued to be ordained in the Tendai School. Some of Shinran's disciples founded their own schools of Shin Buddhism, such as the Bukko-ji and Kosho-ji, in Kyoto. Early Shin Buddhism did not truly flourish until

4116-466: The majority of traditional Buddhist practices except for the nembutsu. Relations were particularly hostile between the Jōdo Shinshū and Nichiren Buddhism . On the other hand, newer Buddhist schools in Japan, such as Zen , tended to have a more positive relationship and occasionally shared practices, although this is still controversial. In popular lore, Rennyo, the 8th Head Priest of the Hongan-ji sect,

4200-518: The nation's resources, the province had 766 villages, with a total kokudaka of 263,477 koku . [REDACTED] Media related to Mimasaka Province at Wikimedia Commons Jodo Shinshu Jōdo Shinshū ( 浄土真宗 , "The True Essence of the Pure Land Teaching" ) , also known as Shin Buddhism or True Pure Land Buddhism , is a school of Pure Land Buddhism founded by the former Tendai Japanese monk Shinran . Shin Buddhism

4284-569: The necessary ritual objects—another obstacle for lower-class individuals. For Shinran Shonin, who closely followed the thought of the Chinese monk Tan-luan , the Pure Land is synonymous with nirvana . The goal of the Shin path, or at least the practicer's present life, is the attainment of shinjin in the Other Power of Amida. Shinjin is sometimes translated as "faith", but this does not capture

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4368-445: The nembutsu may be recited in any number of styles including: However, in addition to this, practitioners are encouraged to engage in "auxiliary" practices, such as observing the five precepts , meditation , the chanting of sutras, and other good conduct. There is no strict rule on this however, as Jōdo-shū stresses that the compassion of Amitābha is extended to all beings who recite the nembutsu, so how one observes auxiliary practices

4452-411: The nembutsu. For Jōdo Shinshū practitioners, shinjin develops over time through "deep hearing" ( monpo ) of Amitābha's call of the nembutsu. According to Shinran, "to hear" means "that sentient beings, having heard how the Buddha's Vow arose—its origin and fulfillment—are altogether free of doubt." Jinen also describes the way of naturalness whereby Amitābha's infinite light illumines and transforms

4536-517: The new capital at Kamakura . Ryōchū helped to legitimize the "Chinzei branch" of Jōdo Shū as the mainstream one, and is credited as the 3rd Patriarch accordingly. He also referred to Benchō, his teacher, as the 2nd Patriarch after Hōnen. Ryōchū also met with Renjaku-bo, whose own teacher Genchi, had been another disciple of Hōnen. Renjaku-bo felt that Genchi and Benchō had been in complete agreement, so he willingly united his lineage with Ryōchū's, helping to further increase its standing. Jōdo Shū through

4620-463: The nuances of the term and it is more often simply left untranslated. The receipt of shinjin comes about through the renunciation of self-effort in attaining enlightenment through tariki . Shinjin arises from jinen (自然 naturalness, spontaneous working of the Vow) and cannot be achieved solely through conscious effort. One is letting go of conscious effort in a sense, and simply trusting Amida Buddha, and

4704-534: The other Buddhist sects of Japan. After the Second World War, during the 1940s and early 1950s, several temples broke off from the main Chinzei Branch of Jōdo-shū, forming their own independent sects. However, this period of fragmentation proved to be relatively short-lived. In January 1961, on the 750th anniversary of Hōnen’s death, the majority of the breakaway sects of Jōdo-shū merged back into

4788-454: The other Japanese Buddhist schools, was compelled to support the policies of the military government and the cult of State Shinto . It subsequently apologized for its wartime actions. In contemporary times, Jōdo Shinshū is one of the most widely followed forms of Buddhism in Japan , although like other schools, it faces challenges from many popular Japanese new religions , or shinshūkyō , which emerged following World War II as well as from

4872-613: The primary Chinzei branch, which remains the largest branch of Jōdo-shū in the modern day. Although Jōdo-shū is mainly found in Japan, a sizable Jōdo-shū community exists in Hawaii as well as a few temples in the continental United States and Brazil . The first Jōdo-shū temple built in Hawai'i was the Hāmākua Bukkyo Kaido, constructed in 1896 under the supervision of Reverend Gakuo Okabe. The Jodo Shu North America Buddhist Missions

4956-566: The reform movement was Fukuda Gyōkai (福田行誡), a Buddhist scholar, poet, and the head priest of Chion-in from 1887 to 1888. He promoted both the preservation of Buddhist traditions and the modernization of social welfare systems based on Buddhist philosophy . He also promoted the creation of the League of United Buddhist Sects (諸宗同徳会盟), which united several Buddhist sects to follow the goals of modernization and preventing Christian influences on Japan. Before and during World War II , Jōdo-shū, along with other Buddhist sects, faced pressure to endorse

5040-399: The ruins of the Mimasaka Kokubun-niji as located nearby, The ichinomiya of the province is the Nakayama Shrine , also located in Tsuyama. During the Heian period , the area was part of the holdings of the Heike clan . In the Kamakura period , Kajiwara no Kagetoki followed by Wada Yoshimori served as shugo before the province came under the direct control of the Hōjō clan . In

5124-525: The sect become that in 1602, through mandate of Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu , the main temple Hongan-ji in Kyoto was broken off into two sects to curb its power. These two sects, the Nishi (Western) Honganji and the Higashi (Eastern) Honganji, exist separately to this day. During the time of Shinran, followers would gather in informal meeting houses called dojo , and had an informal liturgical structure. However, as time went on, this lack of cohesion and structure caused Jōdo Shinshū to gradually lose its identity as

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5208-415: The stagnation of the early Jōdo Shinshū community, and is considered the "Second Founder" of Jōdo Shinshū. His portrait picture, along with Shinran's, are present on the onaijin (altar area) of most Jōdo Shinshū temples. However, Rennyo has also been criticized by some Shin scholars for his engagement in medieval politics and his alleged divergences from Shinran's original thought. After Rennyo, Shin Buddhism

5292-408: The state of non-retrogression, whereupon after his death it is claimed he will achieve instantaneous and effortless enlightenment. He will then return to the world as a Bodhisattva , that he may work towards the salvation of all beings. The Tannishō is a 13th-century book of recorded sayings attributed to Shinran, transcribed with commentary by Yuien-bo , a disciple of Shinran. The word Tannishō

5376-440: The teachings of the Buddha into practice anymore. Other practices would neither add nor detract from Amida Buddha's power. Toward the end of the Immeasurable Life Sutra is the following passage: The Buddha further said, "I have expounded this teaching for the sake of sentient beings and enabled you to see Amitāyus and all in his land. Strive to do what you should. After I have passed into Nirvāṇa, do not allow doubt to arise. In

5460-484: The time of Rennyo (1415–1499), who was 8th in descent from Shinran. Through his charisma and proselytizing, Shin Buddhism was able to amass a greater following and grow in strength. In the 16th-century, during the Sengoku period the political power of Honganji led to several conflicts between it and the warlord Oda Nobunaga , culminating in a ten-year conflict over the location of the Ishiyama Hongan-ji , which Nobunaga coveted because of its strategic value. So strong did

5544-545: The writings of the Jodo Shinshu Patriarchs Shinran drew inspiration from. In 1234, at the age of sixty, Shinran left Kantō for Kyoto (Eshinni stayed in Echigo and she may have outlived Shinran by several years), where he dedicated the rest of his years to writing. It was during this time he wrote the Wasan, a collection of verses summarizing his teachings for his followers to recite. Shinran's daughter, Kakushinni , came to Kyoto with Shinran, and cared for him in his final years and his mausoleum later became Hongan-ji , "Temple of

5628-431: The year of Hōnen's death, Shinran set out for the Kantō region , where he established a substantial following and began committing his ideas to writing. In 1224 he wrote his most significant book, the Kyogyoshinsho ("The True Teaching, Practice, Faith and Attainment of the Pure Land"), which contained excerpts from the Three Pure Land sutras and the Mahāyāna Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra along with his own commentaries and

5712-419: Was Sakushū ( 作州 ) . In terms of the Gokishichidō system, Mimasaka was one of the provinces of the San'in circuit. Under the Engishiki classification system, Mimasaka was ranked as one of the 35 "superior countries" (上国) in terms of importance, and one of the "near countries" (近国) in terms of distance from the capital. The provincial capital was located in what is now the city of Tsuyama . Mimasaka

5796-445: Was Tetsujō Ukai (養鸕徹定), a Buddhist historian and the head priest of Chion-in from 1885 to 1887. He became a staunch defender of Buddhism during this period, opposing both the attempts to eradicate Buddhism in Japan and the rise of Western criticism aimed at the religion. He also emphasized the importance of Buddhism in Japanese history and culture, underscoring its contributions to the nation's history. Another important figure within

5880-446: Was a landlocked province on the southern side of the Chugoku Mountains . The area is very mountainous, and is divided into three major river basins. In the east is the Asahi River which flows through the Maniwa Basin. In the center is the Yoshii River, which flows through the Tsuyama Basin. To the west is the Mimasaka area, which contains three smaller river basins. Due to this geography, the main transportation method in pre-modern times

5964-464: Was alleged to have started a heretical sect of Pure Land Buddhism through claims that he received special teachings from his father. Zenran demanded control of local monto (lay follower groups), but after writing a stern letter of warning, Shinran disowned him in 1256, effectively ending Zenran's legitimacy. In 1211 the nembutsu ban was lifted and Shinran was pardoned, but by 1212, Hōnen had died in Kyoto. Shinran never saw Hōnen following their exile. In

6048-499: Was also determined that Kosai Jokaku-bo and Zenne-bo both receive banishment, but the former abbot of Mudo-ji temple took them under his custody. Jūren and Anraku-bō were executed along with a few other disciples. Eventually, Hōnen was pardoned and returned to Kyoto in 1211, but died soon after in 1212, just two days after giving his final testament, the One-Sheet Document to disciple Genchi. The remaining disciples in

6132-468: Was banished to a place called Hata in Tosa province and, stripped of ordination, given a secular name: the male Fujii no Motohiko; he was seventy-six years old. Shinran was exiled to Echigo province. His secular name was Fujii no Yoshizane, he was thirty-five. [Among the others exiled:] Jomon-bo, to Bingo province; Chosai Zenko-bo, to Hoki province; Kokaku-bo, to Izu province; Gyoku Hohon-bo, to Sado province. It

6216-450: Was by boat. In 713, at the suggestion of Bizen-no-kami Nanten - and Bizen-no-suke Kamitsukeno-no-Kenji the Eita, Katsuta, Tomata, Kume, Mashima, and Oba districts of Bizen Province were separated into a new province, and, and Kamitsukeno-no-Kenji was appointed as the first governor of Mimasaka. This separation was the final stage of the disintegration of the former Kingdom of Kibi , and

6300-533: Was created for the Miura clan . Mimasaka was the home of the samurai Miyamoto Musashi , the author of The Book of Five Rings . In 1871, following the abolition of the han system , Mimasaka was divided into Tsuyama, Mashima, Kurashiki, Tsuruta, Koromo, Koga, Ikuno, Akashi, Numata, and Tatsuno prefectures, which were merged with Okayama Prefecture inI 1876. Per the early Meiji period Kyudaka kyuryo Torishirabe-chō ( 旧高旧領取調帳 ) , an official government assessment of

6384-475: Was felt that society had already reached the era of latter days of the Dharma, and that, based on the passage above, all other practices had ceased to have any efficacy. Further, Hōnen sought to provide people a simple Buddhist practice that anybody could use toward enlightenment , no matter how degenerate the times because he was concerned that many people were excluded from existing sects: "The reason I founded

6468-447: Was given a lay name , Yoshizane Fujii , by the authorities but called himself Gutoku "Stubble-headed One" instead and moved to Echigo Province (today Niigata Prefecture ). It was during this exile that Shinran cultivated a deeper understanding of his own beliefs based on Hōnen's Pure Land teachings. In 1210 he married Eshinni , the daughter of an Echigo aristocrat. Shinran and Eshinni had several children. His eldest son, Zenran ,

6552-629: Was good friends with the famous Zen master Ikkyū . Jōdo Shinshū drew much of its support from lower social classes in Japan who could not devote the time or education to other esoteric Buddhist practices or merit-making activities. During the 19th century, Japanese immigrants began arriving in Hawaii, the United States, Canada, Mexico and South America (especially in Brazil ). Many immigrants to North America came from regions in which Jōdo Shinshū

6636-563: Was intended to further weaken the Kibi clan by putting its iron resources directly under the control of the imperial government . In Mimasaka, there are many place names that are directly linked to people or places in Yamato. The ruins of the kokufu have been located within what is now the city of Tsuyama. The site is now located under the Tsuyama Sōja shrine . The Mimasaka Kokubun-ji and

6720-409: Was legally required by the Tokugawa shogunate in order to prevent the spread of Christianity in Japan . The danka seido system continues to exist today, although not as strictly as in the premodern period, causing Japanese Buddhism to also be labeled as "Funeral Buddhism" since it became the primary function of Buddhist temples. The Honganji also created an impressive academic tradition, which led to

6804-465: Was particularly widespread in early medieval China and in Japan at the end of the Heian. Shinran, like his mentor Hōnen, saw the age he was living in as being a degenerate one where beings cannot hope to be able to extricate themselves from the cycle of birth and death through their own power, or jiriki (自力). For both Hōnen and Shinran, all conscious efforts towards achieving enlightenment and realizing

6888-551: Was predominant, and maintained their religious identity in their new country. The Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii , the Buddhist Churches of America and the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Temples of Canada (formerly Buddhist Churches of Canada) are several of the oldest Buddhist organizations outside of Asia. Jōdo Shinshū continues to remain relatively unknown outside the ethnic community because of

6972-453: Was still persecuted in some regions. Secret Shin groups called kakure nenbutsu would meet in mountain caves to perform chanting and traditional rituals. Following the unification of Japan during the Edo period , Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism adapted, along with the other Japanese Buddhist schools, into providing memorial and funeral services for its registered members under the Danka system , which

7056-466: Was the first Jōdo-shū temple to be built in mainland America in 1936 in Los Angeles, California . Pure Land Buddhist teachings had been prevalent in Japan for centuries, particularly in the Tendai sect through Ennin , Genshin , and others, but what distinguished Honen's teaching was the notion senju nembutsu ( 専修念仏 , "exclusive nembutsu") , whereby the only true means of achieving rebirth in

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