Jōdo Shinshū
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Template:Nihongo3, also known as Shin Buddhism or True Pure Land Buddhism, is a Japanese tradition of Pure Land Buddhism founded by Shinran (1173–1263).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Shin Buddhism is the most widely practiced branch of Buddhism in Japan.<ref>Jeff Wilson, Mourning the Unborn Dead: A Buddhist Ritual Comes to America (Oxford University Press, 2009), pp. 21, 34.</ref> The school is based on the Pure Land teachings of Shinran, which are based on those of earlier Pure Land masters Hōnen, Shandao and Tanluan, all of whom emphasized the practice of nembutsu (the recitation of Amida Buddha's name) as the primary means to obtain post-mortem birth in the Pure Land of Sukhavati (and thus, Buddhahood).
Shinran taught that enlightenment cannot be realized through one’s own self-power (jiriki), whether by moral cultivation, meditation, or ritual practice, but only through the other-power (tariki) of Amida Buddha’s compassionate Vow. Therefore, in Shin Buddhism, the nembutsu is not a meritorious deed or practice that produces merit and liberation, but an expression of joyful gratitude for the assurance of rebirth in the Pure Land, which has already been granted by Amida’s inconceivable wisdom and compassion. Doctrinally, Jōdo Shinshū is grounded in Shinran’s magnum opus, the Kyōgyōshinshō (Teaching, Practice, Faith, and Realization), which presents a comprehensive exegesis of Pure Land thought based on Indian and Chinese Mahāyāna sources. Shinran’s synthesis reframes the Pure Land path as the culmination of Mahāyāna Buddhism, emphasizing ideas like true faith (shinjin), other-power, the abandonment of self-power, the nembutsu of gratitude, and the all-embracing compassion of Amida Buddha's Original Vow.
After Shinran's death, his followers organized his teachings into traditions that eventually took institutional form through various temple lineages like the Honganji, which became major religious and social forces in medieval and early modern Japan. Figures like Kakunyo, Zonkaku and Rennyo further developed Shin Buddhist doctrine and practice through their teaching and scholarship, expanding on the foundations laid by Shinran. In the modern era, the tradition also expanded to the West, with Japanese diaspora organizations like Buddhist Churches of America developing unique expressions of Shin Buddhism. Jōdo Shinshū continues today as a central expression of lay-oriented Japanese Buddhism, emphasizing humility, gratitude, and faith in Amida’s boundless vow that carries all devotees to the Pure Land after death.
History
Shinran
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 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 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, a devout disciple of Hōnen rather than a founder establishing his own, distinct Pure Land Buddhist 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.<ref name="honen_rivals">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In 1207, Hōnen's critics at Kōfuku-ji persuaded Emperor Go-Toba to forbid Hōnen and his teachings after two of imperial ladies-in-waiting converted to his practices.<ref name="honen_rivals" /> Hōnen and his followers, among them Shinran, were forced into exile and four of Hōnen's disciples were executed. Shinran was given a lay name, Yoshizane Fujii, by the authorities but called himself Gutoku "Bald Fool" instead and moved to Echigo Province (today Niigata Prefecture).<ref name="Esben">Popular Buddhism in Japan: Shin Buddhist Religion and Culture by Esben Andreasen / University of Hawaii Press 1998, Template:ISBN.</ref>
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, 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 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 Kyōgyōshinshō ("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<ref name="Esben" /> and the writings of the Jōdo Shinshū 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. Shinran's wife Eshinni also wrote many letters which provide critical biographical information on Shinran's 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).<ref name="Esben" />
After Shinran
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Shinran did not establish a temple or an official organization in his lifetime, instead, his followers returned to their communities after learning from him, and created informal groups of Pure Land followers. These groups met in dōjōs, which were usually small private residences turned into meeting spaces. They met on the 25th of each month, recited the nembutsu and listened to sermons or sutras. They used vertical scrolls with the nembutsu as their main object of worship. Often the calligraphy on these scrolls would be from Shinran himself.<ref name=":9">Ducor, 2021, p. 36.</ref>
Shinran kept in touch with his followers through letters, many of which survive.<ref name=":9" /> After his death, his family members and key disciples continued to support and lead local communities through a loose network of groups and temples. Around eighty major disciples are known from the sources. Some of the most important communities include those of Shimbutsu (1209-1258), of his son-in-law Kenchi (1226-1310) in Takada, the congregation founded by Shōshin (1187- 1275) in Yokosone, and Shinkai's in Kashima.
After Shinran's death, Kakushinni helped take care of Shinran's mausoleum with her son Kakue. She officially placed the lands of the mausoleum under a community of local Shin followers on the agreement that her descendants would become hereditary caretakers of the mausoleum. During the 14th century, the mausoleum grew to become a major temple and sub-sect of Jōdo Shinshū, the Honganji ("Temple of the Original Vow"). Kakushinni and her son Kakue were instrumental in preserving and promoting Shinran's teachings after his death. A chapel with a statue of Shinran was constructed on the site of the mausoleum, and Shinran's followers gathered at the site every year to commemorate his death, a week long ritual that became known as Hōonkō.<ref name=":13">Ducor, Jérôme: Shinran and Pure Land Buddhism, p. 41. Jodo Shinshu International Office, 2021 (ISBN 0999711822)</ref>
Kakushinni's grandson, Kakunyo, compiled the first biography of Shinran, the Godenshō, and was the third monshu (caretaker) of Shinran's mausoleum.<ref name=":13" /> He was influential in formalizing the Honganji branch of the Jōdo Shinshū school and its doctrinal teaching. Kakunyo's son, Zonkaku, was another influential scholar of the tradition. Zonkaku devoted himself to the expansion of Jōdo Shinshū’s religious community and produced numerous scholarly works like Essentials of the True Pure Land Teaching (Jōdo Shin’yō-shō).
Following Shinran's death, lay Shin monto or congregations spread through the Kantō plain and along the northeastern seaboard of Honshu. Shinran's direct descendants through Kakushinni maintained themselves as caretakers of Shinran's gravesite and as Shin teachers, although they continued to be ordained and educated in the Tendai School until the Shin tradition established their own official education structure and ordination system. Though Shin priests eventually came to be ordained through an official Shin temple system, they do not take traditional Buddhist Vinaya precepts, nor do they take the bodhisattva precepts as required in the Tendai school and other Japanese traditions. Nevertheless, they still underwent tonsure, wore monastic robes and were expected to follow certain codes of conduct agreed upon by their communities.
While the Honganji soon became an influential Shin institution, it was not the only one, and other major Shinshū temples also developed after Shinran's death, like Bukkō-ji, Senju-ji and Zenpuku-ji. Bukkō-ji was particularly influential and rivaled Honganji for some time, having been founded and expanded by the efforts of Ryōgen (1295–1336) and Zonkaku under the name Kōshō-ji. Tensions and disagreements between Kakunyo and Zonkaku led to a break between Honganji and Bukkō-ji which would not be healed until the time of Rennyo.
Rennyo's revival
Shin Buddhism is considered to have undergone a revival and consolidation period under 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.
Despite living in the war torn Sengoku era, Rennyo was able to unite most of the disparate factions of Shinshu under the influence of the Hongan-ji. He also reformed existing liturgy and Shin practices, and broaden support among different classes of society. Through Rennyo's efforts, Jodo Shinshu grew to become the largest, most influential Buddhist sect in Japan. For this he is often called "The Restorer" (Chūkō no sō).
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 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<ref>Moriarty, Elisabeth (1976). Nembutsu Odori, Asian Folklore Studies Vol. 35, No. 1, pp. 7–16.</ref> or "dancing nembutsu" as practiced by the followers of Ippen and the Ji-shū, may have also been adopted by early Shin Buddhists. Rennyo ended these practices by formalizing much of the Jōdo Shinshū ritual and liturgy, and revived the thinning community at the Hongan-ji 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 reviving the Jōdo Shinshū community, and is considered the "Second Founder" of Jōdo Shinshū by the Honganji tradition. His portrait picture, along with Shinran's, are present on the onaijin (altar area) in Honganji school 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. Furthermore, Jōdo Shinshū sects that remained independent of the Honganji school, such as the Senju-ji sect, do not recognize Rennyo's reforms and innovations.
Later developments
During the Sengoku period (mid 15th century to late 16th c.), there were also other popular Shin Buddhist organizations, including the radical Ikkō-shū and the martial Ikkō-ikki (一向一揆; "single-minded leagues"). The Ikkō-ikki were armed bands of Shin followers that formed throughout the Sengoku period, often for self-defense purposes or in opposition to local governors or daimyō. Rennyo tried to negotiate and work with these various factions, while also attempting to mollify the government who feared them. At different times in the history of the Honganji, such as during the time of Jitsunyo, and his grandson Shōnyo, the temple leaders worked with these various leagues and helped them organize.
In the 16th century, the political power of Hongan-ji and the military activities of the Ikkō-ikki led to several conflicts between Shin Buddhists and the warlord Oda Nobunaga (1534–1582), culminating in a ten-year conflict over the location of the Ishiyama Hongan-ji, which Nobunaga coveted because of its strategic value. The temple complex of Ishiyama and the city that had grown around it (Osaka) had grown powerful enough to make Nobunaga feel threatened by its influence. The site was eventually destroyed by Oda and replaced with Osaka castle.
The influence of the Honganji sect also led later Japanese leaders to seek further ways to curb its power. In 1602, through a mandate of shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu, the main temple Hongan-ji in Kyoto was broken off into two sub-sects: the (Western) Nishi Hongan-ji and the (Eastern) Higashi Hongan-ji. They have remained separate institutions to this day.
Furthermore, the military power of the Ikkō-ikki also led to persecutions against Jōdo Shinshū Buddhists in several regions like Satsuma, whose leaders came to see Shin followers as radicals or heretical (igi 異義, literally “different meaning”). This led to the development of secret Shin groups such as the kakure nenbutsu, kakushi nenbutsu and kayakabe.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite journal</ref> These communities would meet in secret places like mountain caves or private homes. Some of these groups also developed esoteric practices in which the true teacher (zenjishiki 善知識) was instrumental.<ref name=":1" /> Some also became influenced by other teachings like local Shinto mountain religions.<ref name=":1" />
Modern era
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 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 Hongan-ji also created an impressive academic tradition, which led to the founding of universities like Ryukoku University and Ōtani University in Kyoto and Musashino University in Tokyo. The modern era also the formalization and modernization of many of the Jōdo Shinshū traditions, especially when it came to education.
Several key figures from this period also worked to modernize and reinterpret Shin Buddhist thought and make it more accessible to the public. Shin modernists were also often influenced by Western thought. Some key modernist Shin authors include Kiyozawa Manshi (1863–1903), Nanjō Bun'yū (1849–1927), Soga Ryōjin (1875–1971), Kaneko Daiei (1881-1976), Kenryō Kanamatsu (1915 – 1986), and Takamaro Shigaraki (1926–2014).
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 Hongan-ji, as with 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.<ref name="Victoria">Zen at War (2nd ed.) by Brian Daizen Victoria / Rowman and Littlefield 2006, Template:ISBN.</ref>
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 the growing materialism of Japanese society.
All ten schools of Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism commemorated the 750th memorial of their founder, Shinran, in 2011 in Kyoto.
Spread to the West
Jōdo Shinshū first took root in the United States at the turn of the twentieth century through the efforts of Nishi Honganji missionaries. The first organized mission on American soil began when Rev. Dr. Shuya Sonoda and Rev. Kakuryō Nishijima arrived in San Francisco in 1899, forming the Bukkyo Seinenkai (Young Men’s Buddhist Association) to unite Japanese Buddhists in the new land. From this nucleus grew temples across the western states—in Sacramento, Fresno, Seattle, Oakland, San Jose, Portland, and Stockton—forming what came to be known as the Jōdo Shinshū Buddhist Mission of North America.
The mainland mission developed alongside, but independently of, the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii, which had been founded in the 1880s. In 1944, the organization was formally incorporated as the Buddhist Churches of America (BCA), now headquartered in San Francisco. Despite early struggles with anti-Japanese prejudice and the forced incarceration of its members during World War II, the BCA community persisted, maintaining Buddhist practice within the internment camps and later aiding in the resettlement of returning Japanese Americans through mutual support and shared temple spaces.
In the decades following the war, the BCA evolved from an immigrant religious association into a stable American Buddhist institution with over sixty affiliated temples and approximately twelve thousand members. The organization expanded its influence through education, founding the Institute of Buddhist Studies in Berkeley in 1949 as the first Buddhist seminary in the United States, now affiliated with the Graduate Theological Union. Through this and other initiatives, the BCA has served as both a custodian of Jōdo Shinshū orthodoxy and a bridge between Japanese and Western religious cultures. It has sought to foster broader engagement with Buddhism in America through public festivals, youth and community programs, and interfaith activities, while also pioneering progressive stances such as the early endorsement of same-sex marriage and LGBTQ rights. Today, under leaders such as its first female president, Terri Omori, the BCA stands as the oldest and most established Buddhist organization in the continental United States.
Teaching
Shinran's teaching is closely based on the works of Chinese Pure Land Buddhist masters like Tanluan and Shandao, as well as on the teachings of Japanese Pure Land master Hōnen. For both Hōnen and Shinran, all conscious efforts towards achieving enlightenment through one's own efforts were defiled and deluded. Only the power of Amida Buddha, channeled in the nembutsu (a praise of Amida's name), could lead beings to Buddhahood in the Pure Land. Due to his awareness of human limitations, Shinran advocated reliance on {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, or other power ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}})—the power of Amitābha (Japanese Amida) made manifest in his Original Vow—in order to attain liberation. Shin Buddhism can therefore be understood as 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 enlightenment through birth in the Pure Land. All that is needed to rely completely on the power of Amida's Original Vow (hongan).
The key worldview and creed of Shin Buddhism is often explained through a short text by Rennyo known as the Template:Nihongo. This work states:<ref name="dobbins2">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The Ryōgemon is still recited in modern-day Shinshu liturgy as summary of the Jōdo Shinshū teaching.
Nembutsu
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} As in other Pure Land Buddhist schools, Amitābha is a central focus of the Buddhist practice, and Jōdo Shinshū expresses this devotion through 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 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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Note that this 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.
The Pure Land
In another departure from more traditional Pure Land schools, Shinran advocated that birth in 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.Template:Citation needed Elaborate rituals were used to guarantee rebirth in 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 or "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 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.Template:Citation needed
Shinjin
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 Buddha. Shinjin is sometimes translated as "faith", but this does not capture the nuances of the term and it is more often simply left untranslated.<ref>Hisao Inagaki (2008). ”Questions and Answers on Shinjin", Takatsuki, Japan. See Question 1: What is Shinjin?</ref> The receipt of shinjin comes about through the renunciation of self-effort in attaining enlightenment through tariki. Shinjin arises from Template:Nihongo3 and cannot be achieved solely through conscious effort. One is letting go of conscious effort in a sense, and simply trusting Amida Buddha, and the nembutsu.
For Jōdo Shinshū practitioners, shinjin develops over time through "deep hearing" (Template:Transliteration) 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."<ref>Collected Works of Shinran, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, p. 112.</ref> Jinen also describes the way of naturalness whereby Amitābha's infinite light illumines and transforms 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 saṃsāra and nirvāṇa are not separate. Once the practitioner's mind is united with Amitābha through shinjin, the practitioner attains 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.
Mappō
Shinran's thought was influenced by the doctrine of mappō (Age of Dharma Decline), a Mahayana doctrine 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 was particularly widespread in early medieval China and in Japan at the end of the Heian and is reflected in earlier works like Saichō's Candle of the Latter Dharma. 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 Template:Nihongo.
Scriptures
The main sacred scriptures studied in Jōdo Shinshū are collected in the Jōdo Shinshū Seiten. The key works are the following:<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- The Sutra of Immeasurable Life
- The Amida Sutra
- The Contemplation Sutra
- Nāgārjuna's Commentary on the Ten Stages Sūtra (Daśabhūmivibhāṣā-śāstra)
- Nāgārjuna's Twelve Adorations (Jūnirai)
- Vasubandhu's Discourse on the Pure Land (Jōdo Ron)
- Tanluan's Commentary on Discourse on the Pure Land
- Tanluan's Gathā in Praise of Amida (San Amida Butsu Ge)
- Daochuo's Collection on Peace and Bliss (Anraku-shū)
- Shandao's Commentary on the Contemplation Sūtra (Kangyōsho) along with his other works
- Genshin's Essentials of Birth in the Pure Land (Ōjōyōshū)
- Hōnen's Passages on the Selection of the Nembutsu in the Original Vow (Senchakushū)
- Hōnen's General Meaning of the Three Pure Land Sūtras (Sanbukkyō Taii)
- Hōnen's Letters
- Shinran's Complete Works (especially the Kyōgyōshinshō)
- Letters of Eshinni (Eshinni Shōsoku)
- Yuien's Tannishō
- Anjin Ketsujō Shō
- Seikaku's Essentials of Faith Alone (Yuishinshō)
- Ryūkan's On Once Calling and Many Calling (Ichinen Tanen Funbetsu no Koto)
- Ryūkan's On Self-power and Other-power (Jiriki Tariki no Koto)
The Honganji sect also maintains collections of specifically Honganji Shin masters, such as:<ref name=":0" />
- Kakunyo's writings, such as Record of the Transmission of the Master’s Life (Godenshō) and Treatise on Upholding and Maintaining [the Teaching] (Shūji-shō)
- Zonkaku's works, such as Essentials of the True Pure Land Teaching (Jōdo Shin’yō-shō) and Treatise on the Recitation of the Name (Jimyō-shō)
- Rennyō's writings, including his letters, commentaries on the Shōshinge, poems, etc.
Tannishō
The Tannishō (Record in Lament of Divergences) is a 13th-century book of recorded sayings attributed to Shinran, transcribed with commentary by Yuien-bo, a disciple of Shinran. While it is a short text, it is very 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 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.<ref name="Esben" />
In Japanese culture
Template:JapaneseBuddhism Earlier schools of Buddhism that came to Japan, including Tendai and Shingon Buddhism, gained acceptance because of honji suijaku practices. For example, 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 the fact that Amitābha should be the primary buddha that Pure Land believers focus on.<ref>Lee, Kenneth Doo. (2007). The Prince and the Monk: Shotoku Worship in Shinran's Buddhism. Albany, New York: State University of New York Press. Template:ISBN.</ref> 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.<ref>Dobbins, James C. (1989). Jodo Shinshu: Shin Buddhism in Medieval Japan. Bloomington, Illinois: Indiana University Press. Template:ISBN. See especially pp. 142–143.</ref>
Jōdo Shinshū traditionally had an uneasy relationship with other Buddhist schools because it discouraged 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, 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.
Outside Japan
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 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 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 the United Kingdom, such as Three Wheels Temple.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
During Taiwan's Japanese colonial era (1895–1945), Jōdo Shinshū built a temple complex in downtown Taipei.
Shin Patriarchs
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 Shōshinge. Shinran quoted the writings and commentaries of the Patriarchs in his major work, the Kyōgyōshinshō, to bolster his teachings.
The Seven Patriarchs, in chronological order, and their contributions are:<ref name="jsri">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
| Name | Dates | Japanese name | Country of origin | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nagarjuna | 150–250 | Template:Nihongo | India | First one to advocate the Pure Land as a valid Buddhist path. |
| Vasubandhu | c. 4th century | Template:Nihongo or Template:Nihongo | India | Expanded on Nagarjuna's Pure Land teachings, commentaries on Pure Land sutras. |
| Tan-luan | 476–542(?) | Template:Nihongo | China | Developed the six-syllable nembutsu chant commonly recited, emphasized the role of Amitabha Buddha's vow to rescue all beings. |
| Daochuo | 562–645 | Template:Nihongo | China | Promoted the concept of "easy path" of the Pure Land in comparison to the tradition "path of the sages". Taught the efficacy of the Pure Land path in the latter age of the Dharma. |
| Shandao | 613–681 | Template:Nihongo | China | Stressed the importance of verbal recitation of Amitabha Buddha's name. |
| Genshin | 942–1017 | Template:Nihongo | Japan | Popularized Pure Land practices for the common people, with emphasis on salvation. |
| Hōnen | 1133–1212 | Template:Nihongo | Japan | Developed a specific school of Buddhism devoted solely to rebirth in the Pure Land, further popularised recitation of name of Amitabha Buddha in order to attain rebirth in the Pure Land. |
In Jodo Shinshu temples, the seven masters are usually collectively enshrined on the far left.
Branch lineages
- Jōdo Shinshū Hongwanji School (Nishi Hongwan-ji)
- Jōdo Shinshū Higashi Honganji School (Higashi Hongan-ji)
- Shinshū Ōtani School
- Shinshū Chōsei School (Chōsei-ji)
- Shinshū Takada School (Senju-ji)
- Shinshū Kita Honganji School (Kitahongan-ji)
- Shinshū Bukkōji School (Bukkō-ji)
- Shinshū Kōshō School (Kōshō-ji)
- Shinshū Kibe School (Kinshoku-ji)
- Shinshū Izumoji School (Izumo-ji)
- Shinshū Jōkōji School (Jōshō-ji)
- Shinshū Jōshōji School (Jōshō-ji)
- Shinshū Sanmonto School (Senjō-ji)
- Montoshūichimi School (Kitami-ji)
- Kayakabe Teaching (Kayakabe-kyō) - An esoteric branch of Jōdo Shinshū
Major holidays
The following holidays are typically observed in Jōdo Shinshū temples:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
| Holiday | Japanese name | Date |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day Service | Gantan'e | January 1 |
| Memorial Service for Shinran | Hōonkō | November 28, or January 9–16 |
| Spring Equinox | Higan | March 17–23 |
| Buddha's Birthday | Hanamatsuri | April 8 |
| Birthday of Shinran | Gotan'e | May 20–21 |
| Bon Festival | Urabon'e | around August 15, based on solar calendar |
| Autumnal Equinox | Higan | September 20–26 |
| Bodhi Day | Jōdō'e | December 8 |
| New Year's Eve Service | Joya'e | December 31 |
Major modern Shin figures
- Nanjō Bun'yū (1848–1927)
- Saichi Asahara (1850–1932)
- Kasahara Kenju (1852–1883)
- Kiyozawa Manshi (1863–1903)
- Jokan Chikazumi (1870–1941)
- Eikichi Ikeyama (1873–1938)
- Soga Ryōjin (1875–1971)
- Ōtani Kōzui (1876–1948)
- Akegarasu Haya (1877–1954)
- Kaneko Daiei (1881–1976)
- Zuiken Saizo Inagaki (1885–1981)
- Takeko Kujō (1887–1928)
- William Montgomery McGovern (1897–1964)
- Rijin Yasuda (1900–1982)
- Gyomay Kubose (1905–2000)
- Shuichi Maida (1906–1967)
- Harold Stewart (1916–1995)
- Kenryu Takashi Tsuji (1919–2004)
- Alfred Bloom (1926–2017)
- Zuio Hisao Inagaki (1929–present)
- Shojun Bando (1932–2004)
- Taitetsu Unno (1935–2014)
- Eiken Kobai (1941–present)
- Dennis Hirota (1946–present)
- Kenneth K. Tanaka (1947–present)
- Marvin Harada (1953–present)
See also
References
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Literature
- Bandō, Shojun; Stewart, Harold; Rogers, Ann T. and Minor L.; trans. (1996) : Tannishō: Passages Deploring Deviations of Faith and Rennyo Shōnin Ofumi: The Letters of Rennyo, Berkeley: Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research. Template:ISBN
- Bloom, Alfred (1989). Introduction to Jodo Shinshu, Pacific World Journal, New Series Number 5, 33–39
- Dessi, Ugo (2010), Social Behavior and Religious Consciousness among Shin Buddhist Practitioners, Japanese Journal of Religious Siudies, 37 (2), 335–366
- Dobbins, James C. (1989). Jodo Shinshu: Shin Buddhism in Medieval Japan. Bloomington, Illinois: Indiana University Press. Template:ISBN; OCLC 470742039
- Ducor, Jerome (2021): Shinran and Pure Land Buddhism; San Francisco, Jodo Shinshu International Office; 188 pp., bibliography (Template:ISBN).
- Inagaki Hisao, trans., Stewart, Harold (2003). The Three Pure Land Sutras, 2nd ed., Berkeley, Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research. Template:ISBN
- Lee, Kenneth Doo (2007). The Prince and the Monk: Shotoku Worship in Shinran's Buddhism. Albany, New York: State University of New York Press. Template:ISBN.
- Matsunaga, Daigan, Matsunaga, Alicia (1996), Foundation of Japanese Buddhism, Vol. 2: The Mass Movement (Kamakura and Muromachi Periods), Los Angeles; Tokyo: Buddhist Books International, 1996. Template:ISBN
- Takamori/Ito/Akehashi (2006). "You Were Born For A Reason: The Real Purpose of Life," Ichimannendo Publishing Inc; Template:ISBN
- S. Yamabe and L. Adams Beck (trans.): Buddhist Psalms of Shinran Shonin, John Murray, London 1921. e-book
- Galen Amstutz, Review of Fumiaki, Iwata, Kindai Bukkyō to seinen: Chikazumi Jōkan to sono jidai and Ōmi Toshihiro, Kindai Bukkyō no naka no Shinshū: Chikazumi Jōkan to kyūdōshatachi, in H-Japan, H-Net Reviews July, 2017.
External links
- Jodo Shinshu Faith
- List of Jodo Shinshu Organisations with Links
- Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, Dharma for the Modern Age Template:Webarchive A basic portal with links.
- Homepage for Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha Hongwanji International Center - English
- Buddhist Churches of America Includes basic information, shopping for Shin Buddhist ritual implements, and links to various Shin churches in America.
- Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Temples of Canada National website, includes links and addresses of Shin temples throughout Canada.
- Institute of Buddhist Studies: Seminary and Graduate School
- Jodo Shinshu Honganji-ha. Shinran Works The collected works of Shinran, including the Kyōgōshinshō.
- nembutsu.info: Journal of Shin Buddhism
- The Way of Jodo Shinshu: Reflections on the Hymns of Shinran Shonin