Honen Shonin
Encyclopedia
is the religious reformer and founder of the first independent branch of Japanese Pure Land Buddhism
called . In the related Jōdo Shinshū
sect, he is considered the Seventh Patriarch
. Hōnen became a monk of the Tendai
sect at an early age, but grew disaffected, and sought an approach to Buddhism that anyone could follow, even during the perceived Age of Dharma Decline
. After discovering the writings of Chinese Buddhist, Shan-tao
, he undertook the teaching of rebirth in the Pure Land
of Amitabha
through reciting the Buddha's name, or nembutsu.
Hōnen gathered a wide array of followers, but also critics. The emperor exiled Hōnen and his followers in 1207, after an incident regarding two of his disciples, in addition to persuasion by certain influential Buddhist communities. Hōnen was eventually pardoned and allowed to return to Kyoto
where he stayed for a short time before his death.
. His father was Uruma no Tokikuni, a province official who headed up policing in the area. His mother was of the Hada clan, whose ancestry could be traced back to the silk merchants of China
. Hōnen was originally named Seishi-maru after the bodhisattva Seishi (Mahāsthāmaprāpta in Sanskrit). In 1141 Hōnen's father was assassinated by Sada-akira, an official sent by Emperor Horikawa
to govern the province. It is believed that Tokikuni's last words to his son were, "Don't hate the enemy but become a monk and pray for me and for your deliverance." Fulfilling his father's wishes for him, Hōnen was initiated into his uncle's monastery at the age of nine. From then on, Hōnen lived his life as a monk, and eventually studied at the primary Tendai
temple at Mount Hiei
, located near Kyoto
. Tendai training at Mt. Hiei was concerned with turning followers into clerics, underpinned by a notion that the clerics were spiritually superior to laypersons. Clerics took the bosatsukai (vows of the Bodhisattva) and then undertook 12 years of training at Mt. Hiei; a system developed by the Tendai sect's founder, Saichō
.
While at Mt. Hiei, he studied under Genkō (源光), Kōen (皇円) and later, with Eikū (叡空). Under Kōen he was officially ordained as a Tendai priest, while under Eikū he received the name Hōnen-bō Genkū (法然房源空). In speaking of himself, Hōnen often referred to himself as Genkū, as did his close disciples.
, and stayed at such temples at Kōfuku-ji
and Tōdai-ji
. Still not satisfied, he returned to the libraries of Mt. Hiei and studied further.
During this period, Hōnen read a Pure Land Buddhist text called the Commentaries on the Contemplation Sutra
, authored by Chinese
Pure Land master Shan-tao
, notably the statement:
This commentary persuaded Hōnen to believe that nembutsu was all one needed to enter Amida
Buddha's Pure Land. Previously, the nembutsu was recited along with other practices, but Shan-tao
was the first to propose that only the nembutsu was necessary. This new appreciation and understanding Hōnen held for nembutsu prompted him to leave Mt. Hiei and the Tendai tradition in 1175.
and Jōkei
among others, who argued against Hōnen's sole reliance on the nembutsu as a means of rebirth in the Pure Land.
Additionally, some disciples interpreted Hōnen's teachings in unexpected ways, leading to disreputable behavior, criticism of other sects, or other forms of antinomianism
.
In 1204, the monks at Mt. Hiei implored the head priest to ban the teachings of exclusive nembutsu and to banish any adherents from their principality.
In 1205 the temple of Kōfuku-ji
, located in Nara
, implored the Emperor Go-Toba
to sanction Hōnen and his followers. The temple provided the emperor with nine charges alleging unappeasable differences with the so-called eight schools. Hōnen's detractors cited examples of Hōnen's followers, such as Gyoku and Kōsai
who committed vandalism against Buddhist temples, intentionally broke the Buddhist precepts, or caused others to intentionally turn away from established Buddhist teachings.
In response, Hōnen censured Kōsai's single-nembutsu teaching, and his followers agreed to sign the , which called for restraint in moral conduct and in interactions with other Buddhist sects.
The clamour surrounding Hōnen's teachings dissipated for a time until 1207 when Go-Toba implemented a ban against exclusive nembutsu, stemming form an incident where two of his ladies in waiting converted to Jōdo Shū while the emperor was away. As part of the ban, Hōnen and some of his disciples were exiled, while the priests responsible for the conversion, Juren and Anrakubo, were executed. Hōnen is said to have responded:
, but the movement in Kyoto had not thoroughly gone away. While in exile, Hōnen spread the teachings to the people he met - fishermen, prostitutes, and the peasantry. In 1211 the nembutsu ban was ultimately lifted, and Hōnen was premitted to return to Kyoto. In 1212, the following year, Hōnen died in Kyoto, but was able to compose the One-Sheet Document
(Ichimai-Kishomon) a few days before he died.
On the latter point Hōnen expressed unusual concern over the spiritual welfare of women. In teaching to them, regardless of social status (from aristocracy to prostitutes), he particularly rejected the significance of menstruation
; which wider Japanese religious culture considered to cause spiritual defilement. As a consequence the role of women in the Jōdo Shū sects has often been greater than in some other Japanese Buddhist traditions.
About himself Hōnen reportedly said:
written in 1198 at the request of his patron Lord Kujō Kanezane (1148–1207). The document was not widely distributed by Hōnen's request until after his death. The only other document from Hōnen is his last testament, the Ichimai Kishomon (一枚起請文) or "One-Sheet Document
". Most of Hōnen's teachings are recorded by his disciples, or recorded later by Buddhist historians in the 14th century.
):
Hōnen's practical advice on practicing the nembutsu can be summed up in these two statements:
A number of disciples went on to establish branches of Pure Land Buddhism, based on their interpretations of Honen's teachings.
Pure Land Buddhism
Pure Land Buddhism , also referred to as Amidism in English, is a broad branch of Mahāyāna Buddhism and currently one of the most popular traditions of Buddhism in East Asia. Pure Land is a branch of Buddhism focused on Amitābha Buddha...
called . In the related Jōdo Shinshū
Jodo Shinshu
, also known as Shin Buddhism, is a school of Pure Land Buddhism. It was founded by the former Tendai Japanese monk Shinran. Today, Shin Buddhism is considered the most widely practiced branch of Buddhism in Japan.-Shinran :...
sect, he is considered the Seventh Patriarch
Jodo Shinshu Patriarchs
The Seven Patriarchs of Jodo Shinshu were seven Buddhist monks who helped develop Pure Land Buddhism. Shinran, founder of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, established a lineage for Pure Land Buddhist thought that traced to the time of Shakyamuni Buddha...
. Hōnen became a monk of the Tendai
Tendai
is a Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism, a descendant of the Chinese Tiantai or Lotus Sutra school.Chappell frames the relevance of Tendai for a universal Buddhism:- History :...
sect at an early age, but grew disaffected, and sought an approach to Buddhism that anyone could follow, even during the perceived Age of Dharma Decline
Mappo
The Latter Day of the Law, is one of the Three Ages of Buddhism. Mappō or Mofa , which is also translated as the Age of Dharma Decline, is the "degenerate" Third Age of Buddhism.- Tradition :...
. After discovering the writings of Chinese Buddhist, Shan-tao
Shan-tao
Shan-tao was an influential writer for the Pure Land school of Buddhism, prominent in China, Korea, Vietnam and Japan. His writings had a strong influence on later Pure Land masters including Hōnen and Shinran in Japan....
, he undertook the teaching of rebirth in the Pure Land
Pure land
A pure land, in Mahayana Buddhism, is the celestial realm or pure abode of a Buddha or Bodhisattva. The various traditions that focus on Pure Lands have been given the nomenclature Pure Land Buddhism. Pure lands are also evident in the literature and traditions of Taoism and Bön.The notion of 'pure...
of Amitabha
Amitabha
Amitābha is a celestial buddha described in the scriptures of the Mahāyāna school of Buddhism...
through reciting the Buddha's name, or nembutsu.
Hōnen gathered a wide array of followers, but also critics. The emperor exiled Hōnen and his followers in 1207, after an incident regarding two of his disciples, in addition to persuasion by certain influential Buddhist communities. Hōnen was eventually pardoned and allowed to return to Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
where he stayed for a short time before his death.
Early life
Hōnen was born to a prominent family in city of Kume, in Mimasaka provinceMimasaka Province
or was a province of Japan in the part of Honshū that is today northeastern Okayama Prefecture. Mimasaka bordered Bitchū, Bizen, Harima, Hōki, and Inaba Provinces....
. His father was Uruma no Tokikuni, a province official who headed up policing in the area. His mother was of the Hada clan, whose ancestry could be traced back to the silk merchants of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Hōnen was originally named Seishi-maru after the bodhisattva Seishi (Mahāsthāmaprāpta in Sanskrit). In 1141 Hōnen's father was assassinated by Sada-akira, an official sent by Emperor Horikawa
Emperor Horikawa
was the 73rd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Horikawa's reign spanned the years from 1087 through 1107.-Traditional narrative:...
to govern the province. It is believed that Tokikuni's last words to his son were, "Don't hate the enemy but become a monk and pray for me and for your deliverance." Fulfilling his father's wishes for him, Hōnen was initiated into his uncle's monastery at the age of nine. From then on, Hōnen lived his life as a monk, and eventually studied at the primary Tendai
Tendai
is a Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism, a descendant of the Chinese Tiantai or Lotus Sutra school.Chappell frames the relevance of Tendai for a universal Buddhism:- History :...
temple at Mount Hiei
Mount Hiei
is a mountain to the northeast of Kyoto, lying on the border between the Kyoto and Shiga prefectures, Japan.The temple of Enryaku-ji, the first outpost of the Japanese Tiantai sect of Buddhism, was founded atop Mount Hiei by Saichō in 788. Both Nichiren and Honen studied at the temple before...
, located near Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
. Tendai training at Mt. Hiei was concerned with turning followers into clerics, underpinned by a notion that the clerics were spiritually superior to laypersons. Clerics took the bosatsukai (vows of the Bodhisattva) and then undertook 12 years of training at Mt. Hiei; a system developed by the Tendai sect's founder, Saichō
Saicho
was a Japanese Buddhist monk credited with founding the Tendai school in Japan, based around the Chinese Tiantai tradition he was exposed to during his trip to China beginning in 804. He founded the temple and headquarters of Tendai at Enryaku-ji on Mt. Hiei near Kyoto. He is also said to have...
.
While at Mt. Hiei, he studied under Genkō (源光), Kōen (皇円) and later, with Eikū (叡空). Under Kōen he was officially ordained as a Tendai priest, while under Eikū he received the name Hōnen-bō Genkū (法然房源空). In speaking of himself, Hōnen often referred to himself as Genkū, as did his close disciples.
Departure from Mt. Hiei
While studying on Mt. Hiei, Hōnen devoted his time to finding a way to bring salvation to all beings through Buddhism, but was not satisfied with what he found at Mt. Hiei. At the age of 24, Hōnen then went to study at the city of Saga, then NaraNara, Nara
is the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. The city occupies the northern part of Nara Prefecture, directly bordering Kyoto Prefecture...
, and stayed at such temples at Kōfuku-ji
Kofuku-ji
is a Buddhist temple in the city of Nara, Nara Prefecture, Japan. The temple is the national headquarters of the Hossō school and is one of the eight Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.-History:...
and Tōdai-ji
Todai-ji
, is a Buddhist temple complex located in the city of Nara, Japan. Its Great Buddha Hall , the largest wooden building in the world, houses the world's largest bronze statue of the Buddha Vairocana, known in Japanese simply as Daibutsu . The temple also serves as the Japanese headquarters of the ...
. Still not satisfied, he returned to the libraries of Mt. Hiei and studied further.
During this period, Hōnen read a Pure Land Buddhist text called the Commentaries on the Contemplation Sutra
Contemplation Sutra
The Amitāyurdhyāna Sūtra , is one of the three major Buddhist sūtras found within the Pure Land branch of Mahāyāna Buddhism. Amitāyus is another name for the buddha Amitābha, the preeminent figure in Pure Land Buddhism, and this sūtra focuses mainly on meditations involving complex visualization...
, authored by Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
Pure Land master Shan-tao
Shan-tao
Shan-tao was an influential writer for the Pure Land school of Buddhism, prominent in China, Korea, Vietnam and Japan. His writings had a strong influence on later Pure Land masters including Hōnen and Shinran in Japan....
, notably the statement:
This commentary persuaded Hōnen to believe that nembutsu was all one needed to enter Amida
Amida
Amida can mean:* Amitabha, an important Buddha in East Asian Buddhism* Amida , a beetle genus* Amida Buddha* Amidah, the central prayer of the Jewish services* Amidakuji, a way of drawing lots* Amitabh Bachchan, an actor...
Buddha's Pure Land. Previously, the nembutsu was recited along with other practices, but Shan-tao
Shan-tao
Shan-tao was an influential writer for the Pure Land school of Buddhism, prominent in China, Korea, Vietnam and Japan. His writings had a strong influence on later Pure Land masters including Hōnen and Shinran in Japan....
was the first to propose that only the nembutsu was necessary. This new appreciation and understanding Hōnen held for nembutsu prompted him to leave Mt. Hiei and the Tendai tradition in 1175.
Beginnings of a New Sect
Hōnen relocated to the district of Ōtani in Kyoto where he started addressing crowds of men and women, establishing a considerable following. Hōnen attracted fortune-tellers, ex-robbers, samurai and other elements of society normally excluded from Buddhist practice. Hōnen was a man of recognition in Kyoto, and many priests and nobleman allied with him, and visited him for spiritual advice. Among them was an imperial regent named Kujō Kanezane (1149–1207). The increasing popularity of his teachings drew criticism from noted contemporaries as MyōeMyoe
Myōe was a Japanese Buddhist monk active during the Kamakura period who also went by the name Kōben , and contemporary of Jōkei and Honen. Born into the Yuasa family , allegedly descended from a branch of the Fujiwara clan, he came to be ordained in both the Shingon school of Buddhism and the...
and Jōkei
Jōkei (monk)
was an influential Buddhist, scholar-monk and reformer of the Hosso sect in Japan, posthumously known as .Jokei was a prolific author, asserting and compiling the Hosso/Yogacara doctrine, while simultaneously refuting newer Buddhist movements, particularly the Pure Land movement begun by Honen...
among others, who argued against Hōnen's sole reliance on the nembutsu as a means of rebirth in the Pure Land.
Additionally, some disciples interpreted Hōnen's teachings in unexpected ways, leading to disreputable behavior, criticism of other sects, or other forms of antinomianism
Antinomianism
Antinomianism is defined as holding that, under the gospel dispensation of grace, moral law is of no use or obligation because faith alone is necessary to salvation....
.
In 1204, the monks at Mt. Hiei implored the head priest to ban the teachings of exclusive nembutsu and to banish any adherents from their principality.
In 1205 the temple of Kōfuku-ji
Kofuku-ji
is a Buddhist temple in the city of Nara, Nara Prefecture, Japan. The temple is the national headquarters of the Hossō school and is one of the eight Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.-History:...
, located in Nara
Nara, Nara
is the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. The city occupies the northern part of Nara Prefecture, directly bordering Kyoto Prefecture...
, implored the Emperor Go-Toba
Emperor Go-Toba
was the 82nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1183 through 1198....
to sanction Hōnen and his followers. The temple provided the emperor with nine charges alleging unappeasable differences with the so-called eight schools. Hōnen's detractors cited examples of Hōnen's followers, such as Gyoku and Kōsai
Kōsai
was a former monk of the Tendai Buddhist sect and controversial disciple of Hōnen who advocated the that led to his public censure, his later expulsion by Hōnen and eventual exile to Shikoku...
who committed vandalism against Buddhist temples, intentionally broke the Buddhist precepts, or caused others to intentionally turn away from established Buddhist teachings.
In response, Hōnen censured Kōsai's single-nembutsu teaching, and his followers agreed to sign the , which called for restraint in moral conduct and in interactions with other Buddhist sects.
The clamour surrounding Hōnen's teachings dissipated for a time until 1207 when Go-Toba implemented a ban against exclusive nembutsu, stemming form an incident where two of his ladies in waiting converted to Jōdo Shū while the emperor was away. As part of the ban, Hōnen and some of his disciples were exiled, while the priests responsible for the conversion, Juren and Anrakubo, were executed. Hōnen is said to have responded:
Exile and the Final Years
Hōnen was exiled to TosaTosa Province
is the name of a former province of Japan in the area that is today Kōchi Prefecture on Shikoku. Tosa was bordered by Iyo and Awa Provinces. It was sometimes called .-History:The ancient capital was near modern Nankoku...
, but the movement in Kyoto had not thoroughly gone away. While in exile, Hōnen spread the teachings to the people he met - fishermen, prostitutes, and the peasantry. In 1211 the nembutsu ban was ultimately lifted, and Hōnen was premitted to return to Kyoto. In 1212, the following year, Hōnen died in Kyoto, but was able to compose the One-Sheet Document
One-Sheet Document
The is a document written by the founder of the Japanese Pure Land Buddhism school, Hōnen, two days before his death. The document is meant to summarize Hōnen's teachings for future generations, and serves as his final testament...
(Ichimai-Kishomon) a few days before he died.
Character
Analysis of various historical documents by the Jodo Shu Research Institute suggests several obvious characteristics of Hōnen's personality:- a strict master
- introspective and self-critical
- a bold innovator
- a critic of scholasticism
- a man more concerned with solving the problems of daily life rather than worrying about doctrinal matters
On the latter point Hōnen expressed unusual concern over the spiritual welfare of women. In teaching to them, regardless of social status (from aristocracy to prostitutes), he particularly rejected the significance of menstruation
Menstruation
Menstruation is the shedding of the uterine lining . It occurs on a regular basis in sexually reproductive-age females of certain mammal species. This article focuses on human menstruation.-Overview:...
; which wider Japanese religious culture considered to cause spiritual defilement. As a consequence the role of women in the Jōdo Shū sects has often been greater than in some other Japanese Buddhist traditions.
About himself Hōnen reportedly said:
Writings
Hōnen's main document expounding his Pure Land doctrine is the Senchaku Hongan NenbutsushūSenchakushu
The , abbreviated to Senchakushū, is the magnum opus of Hōnen, founder of the Jōdo-shū school of Japanese Pure Land Buddhism. The title means "Passages on the Selection of the Nembutsu in the Original Vow" and draws upon past Pure Land Buddhist sources, sutras and especially from the writings of...
written in 1198 at the request of his patron Lord Kujō Kanezane (1148–1207). The document was not widely distributed by Hōnen's request until after his death. The only other document from Hōnen is his last testament, the Ichimai Kishomon (一枚起請文) or "One-Sheet Document
One-Sheet Document
The is a document written by the founder of the Japanese Pure Land Buddhism school, Hōnen, two days before his death. The document is meant to summarize Hōnen's teachings for future generations, and serves as his final testament...
". Most of Hōnen's teachings are recorded by his disciples, or recorded later by Buddhist historians in the 14th century.
Quotation
Hōnen's teachings are briefly summarized in his final work, the Ichimai Kishomon (One-Sheet DocumentOne-Sheet Document
The is a document written by the founder of the Japanese Pure Land Buddhism school, Hōnen, two days before his death. The document is meant to summarize Hōnen's teachings for future generations, and serves as his final testament...
):
Hōnen's practical advice on practicing the nembutsu can be summed up in these two statements:
Disciples
By 1204 Hōnen had a group of disciples numbering around 190,. This number is derived from the number of signatures found on , a guideline for rules of conduct in the Jōdo Shū community to assuage concerns by other groups. Key disciples who signed the pledge include:- BenchōBencho, is considered the second patriarch of the main Chinzei branch of the Jōdo shū sect of Japanese Buddhism, after Hōnen. He is often called by another name: Shōkōbō Benchō or just Shōkō. According to biographies, he first ordained as a priest of the Tendai sect at the age of fourteen, and entered...
(1162–1238), founder of the main ChinzeiChinzeiThe branch of Jodo Shu Buddhism is the main branch that exists today, and was first established by Bencho a disciple of Honen, but formalized into a separate branch by Bencho's disciple Ryōchū. Originally based in Kyushu where Bencho had been exiled, the sect contended with other disciples of...
branch of Jōdo ShūJodo Shu, also known as Jōdo Buddhism, is a branch of Pure Land Buddhism derived from the teachings of the Japanese ex-Tendai monk Hōnen. It was established in 1175 and is the most widely practiced branch of Buddhism in Japan, along with Jōdo Shinshū....
. Often called Shōkō. Exiled in 1207 to the island of KyūshūKyushuis the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
. - Genchi (1183–1238), Hōnen's personal attendant, and close friend of Benchō.
- ShōkūShoku, sometimes called was a disciple of Hōnen, founder of the Jōdo shū Buddhist sect. Shoku later succeeded another disciple of Hōnen, Jōhen as the head of a former Shingon Buddhist temple, Eikandō, established a separate branch of Jōdo shū called the Seizan branch , and completed the transition of...
(1147–1247), founder of the SeizanSeizanSeizan is the name of the branch of Jōdo shū Buddhism that was founded by Hōnen's disciple, Shōkū. Shōkū often went by the name Seizan as well, however the name derives from the western mountains of Kyoto where Shōkū often dwelt. The main temple of this branch of Buddhism is at the temple of...
branch of Jōdo Shū. Not exiled. - ShinranShinranwas a Japanese Buddhist monk, who was born in Hino at the turbulent close of the Heian Period and lived during the Kamakura Period...
(1173–1263), founder of the Jōdo ShinshūJodo Shinshu, also known as Shin Buddhism, is a school of Pure Land Buddhism. It was founded by the former Tendai Japanese monk Shinran. Today, Shin Buddhism is considered the most widely practiced branch of Buddhism in Japan.-Shinran :...
branch of Pure Land Buddhism. Exiled to Echigo Province in 1207. - Ryūkan (1148–1227), founder of the many-recitation, or tanengi branch of Jōdo Shū.
- KōsaiKōsaiwas a former monk of the Tendai Buddhist sect and controversial disciple of Hōnen who advocated the that led to his public censure, his later expulsion by Hōnen and eventual exile to Shikoku...
(1163–1247), promoted the controversial ichinengi, or "single-recitation" teaching of Jōdo Shū. Expelled from Honen's community before the exile of 1207. - Gyōkō (?), another proponent of ichinengi doctrine. Exiled to Sado Island in 1207.
- RenseiKumagai Naozanewas a famous soldier who served the Genji Clan during the Heian period of Japanese history. Kumagai is particularly known for his exploits during the Genpei War, specifically for killing the young warrior Taira no Atsumori at the battle of Ichi-no-tani in 1184...
(1141–1208), formerly a samuraiSamuraiis the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
named Kumagai no Jirō NaozaneKumagai Naozanewas a famous soldier who served the Genji Clan during the Heian period of Japanese history. Kumagai is particularly known for his exploits during the Genpei War, specifically for killing the young warrior Taira no Atsumori at the battle of Ichi-no-tani in 1184...
. - Kansai (1148–1200).
- Shinkū (1146–1228).
- Anrakubō (? -1207), executed during the purge of 1207.
- Jūren (?), executed along with Anrakubo in 1207.
A number of disciples went on to establish branches of Pure Land Buddhism, based on their interpretations of Honen's teachings.