Jodo Shu
Encyclopedia
, 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
.
Seishi (Mahasthamaprapta in Sanskrit). 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 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
Buddhist teachings he learned at Mount Hiei
. Influenced by the writings of Shan-tao
, Hōnen devoted himself solely to Amitābha (Amida) Buddha, as expressed through the nembutsu.
In time, Hōnen gathered disciples from all walks of life, and developed 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, who were thought at the time to be unclean. All of this caused concern among the religious and political elite of Kyoto
and eventually the emperor Gotoba issued a decree in 1207 to have Hōnen exiled to a remote part of Japan, and given a criminal's name. Some of Hōnen's followers were executed, while others, including Bencho
, Ryukan and Shinran
, were exiled to other regions of Japan away from Hōnen.
Eventually, Hōnen was pardoned and returned to Kyoto in 1211, but died soon after in 1212, just two days after writing his famous One-Sheet Document
.
on the island of Kyushu
. There, Bencho actively preached Honen's doctrine while refuting what he considered deviations taught by other disciples (particularly Kosai's controversial "once-calling" teaching).
Another monk named Ryōchū became his disciple for a year, and then spread Bencho's and Honen's teachings throughout Japan before reaching the capital at Kamakura
. Ryōchū helped to legitimize the "Chinzei branch" of Jodo Shu as the mainstream one, and is credited as the 3rd Patriarch accordingly. He also referred to Bencho his teacher as the 2nd Patriarch after Honen. Ryōchū also met with Renjaku-bo, whose own teacher Genchi, had been another disciple of Honen. Renjaku-bo felt that Genchi and Bencho had been in complete agreement, so he willingly united his lineage with Ryōchū's, helping to further increase its standing.
Jodo Shu through 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.
or The Age of Dharma Decline. The concept of Mappō is that over time society becomes so corrupt, that people can no longer effectively put the teachings of the Buddha into practice anymore. In medieval thought, signs of Mappō included warfare, natural disasters and corruption of the Sangha
. 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. At the end of the Heian Period
warfare also broke out between competing samurai
clans, while people suffered from earthquakes and series of famine
s.
Hōnen, through Jōdo-shū teachings, sought to provide people a simple Buddhist practice in a degenerate age, that anybody could use toward Enlightenment: Devotion to Amitābha Buddha as expressed in the nembutsu. Through Amitābha's compassion, a being may be reborn in the Pure Land (Sukhavati
in Sanskrit), where they can pursue Enlightenment more readily. Hōnen did not believe that other Buddhist practices were wrong, but rather, they were not practical on a wide-scale, especially during the difficult times of the late Heian Period
.
Repetition of the nembutsu is the most fundamental practice of Jōdo-shū, which derives from the Primal Vow
of Amitābha Buddha. In home practice, or in temple liturgy, the nembutsu may be recited in any number of styles including: - reciting the nembutsu ten times, with the last drawn out. - reciting the nembutsu as many times as possible in a sitting, regardless of number. - a style involving three drawn-out recitations of the nembutsu, follow by a bow. This is repeated twice more for a total of 9 recitations.
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 is left to the individual to decide.
The Larger Sutra of Immeasurable Life is the central Buddhist scripture for Jōdo-shū Buddhism, and the foundation of the belief in the Primal Vow
of Amitābha. In addition to the Larger Sutra, the Contemplation Sutra
and the Amitabha Sutra
(The Smaller Sutra of Immeasurable Life) are important to the Jōdo-shū school. The writings of Hōnen, contained mostly in the Senjaku-hongan-nembutsu-shū (often abbreviated to 'Senchaku-shū'), are another source for Jōdo-shū thought as is his last writing, the . Most of what is known about Honen and his thought is attributed through sayings collected in the follow century, the Senchakushū, and letters to his students and disciples.
Jōdo-shū, like other Buddhist schools, maintains a professional, monastic priesthood, who help to lead the congregation, and also maintain the well-known temples such as Chion-in. The head of the Jōdo-shū school is called the monshu in Japanese, and lives at the head temple in Kyoto, Japan, Chion-in Temple.
Another disciple, Shinran
founded the Jōdo Shinshū
sect of Buddhism, which diverges somewhat doctrinally, but otherwise is heavily influenced by Hōnen and his teachings. In Jōdo Shinshū
, Hōnen is considered the Seventh Patriarch. Depending on the viewpoint, Shinran
and Jōdo Shinshū
are considered another branch of Jodo Shu.
as well as a few temples in the continental United States.
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...
derived from the teachings of the Japanese ex-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 :...
monk Hōnen. It was established in 1175 and is the most widely practiced branch of Buddhism in Japan, along with 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 :...
.
The Founder: Hōnen
Hōnen was born in 1133, the son of a prominent family in Japan whose ancestry could be traced back to silk merchants from China. Hōnen was originally named Seishi-maru after the bodhisattvaBodhisattva
In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is either an enlightened existence or an enlightenment-being or, given the variant Sanskrit spelling satva rather than sattva, "heroic-minded one for enlightenment ." The Pali term has sometimes been translated as "wisdom-being," although in modern publications, and...
Seishi (Mahasthamaprapta in Sanskrit). 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 the famous monastery of 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...
.
Hōnen was well respected for his knowledge and for his adherence to the Five Precepts, but in time, Hōnen became dissatisfied with 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 :...
Buddhist teachings he learned 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...
. Influenced by the writings of 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....
, Hōnen devoted himself solely to Amitābha (Amida) Buddha, as expressed through the nembutsu.
In time, Hōnen gathered disciples from all walks of life, and developed 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, who were thought at the time to be unclean. All of this caused concern among the religious and political elite of 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:...
and eventually the emperor Gotoba issued a decree in 1207 to have Hōnen exiled to a remote part of Japan, and given a criminal's name. Some of Hōnen's followers were executed, while others, including Bencho
Bencho
, 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...
, Ryukan and Shinran
Shinran
was a Japanese Buddhist monk, who was born in Hino at the turbulent close of the Heian Period and lived during the Kamakura Period...
, were exiled to other regions of Japan away from Hōnen.
Eventually, Hōnen was pardoned and returned to Kyoto in 1211, but died soon after in 1212, just two days after writing his famous 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...
.
After Honen
Because Honen and his disciples were largely exiled to remote provinces, and due to differences in background and monastic training, the teachings began to take on regional differences. Some sub-sects died out quickly, while others survive through the modern era. The main branch of Jodo Shu started under Honen's disciple Benchō who was exiled to ChinzeiChinzei, Saga
was a town located in Higashimatsuura District, Saga, Japan.On January 1, 2005 Chinzei, along with the towns of Hamatama, Hizen, Kyūragi, Ōchi and Yobuko, and the village of Kitahata, all from Higashimatsuura District, was merged into the expanded city of Karatsu....
on the island of Kyushu
Kyushu
is 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....
. There, Bencho actively preached Honen's doctrine while refuting what he considered deviations taught by other disciples (particularly Kosai's controversial "once-calling" teaching).
Another monk named Ryōchū became his disciple for a year, and then spread Bencho's and Honen's teachings throughout Japan before reaching the capital at Kamakura
Kamakura
Kamakura can refer to:*Japanese name*Kamakura, Kanagawa, a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan*Kamakura shogunate*Kamakura period, a history of Japan*Kamakura , a fictional character in the G.I...
. Ryōchū helped to legitimize the "Chinzei branch" of Jodo Shu as the mainstream one, and is credited as the 3rd Patriarch accordingly. He also referred to Bencho his teacher as the 2nd Patriarch after Honen. Ryōchū also met with Renjaku-bo, whose own teacher Genchi, had been another disciple of Honen. Renjaku-bo felt that Genchi and Bencho had been in complete agreement, so he willingly united his lineage with Ryōchū's, helping to further increase its standing.
Jodo Shu through 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
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 :...
or Shingon lineages), thus formally establishing it as an independent sect.
Doctrine
Jōdo-shū is heavily influenced by the idea of MappōMappo
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 :...
or The Age of Dharma Decline. The concept of Mappō is that over time society becomes so corrupt, that people can no longer effectively put the teachings of the Buddha into practice anymore. In medieval thought, signs of Mappō included warfare, natural disasters and corruption of the Sangha
Sangha
Sangha is a word in Pali or Sanskrit that can be translated roughly as "association" or "assembly," "company" or "community" with common goal, vision or purpose...
. The Jōdo-shū school was founded near the end of the Heian Period
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
when Buddhism in Japan had become deeply involved in political schemes, and some in Japan saw monks flaunting wealth and power. At the end of the Heian Period
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
warfare also broke out between competing samurai
Samurai
is 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...
clans, while people suffered from earthquakes and series of famine
Famine
A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including crop failure, overpopulation, or government policies. This phenomenon is usually accompanied or followed by regional malnutrition, starvation, epidemic, and increased mortality. Every continent in the world has...
s.
Hōnen, through Jōdo-shū teachings, sought to provide people a simple Buddhist practice in a degenerate age, that anybody could use toward Enlightenment: Devotion to Amitābha Buddha as expressed in the nembutsu. Through Amitābha's compassion, a being may be reborn in the Pure Land (Sukhavati
Sukhavati
Sukhāvatī refers to the western Pure Land of the Buddha Amitābha in Mahāyāna Buddhism. Sukhāvatī translates to "Land of Bliss."-In other languages:In traditional Mahayana Buddhist countries, there are a number of translations for Sukhāvatī....
in Sanskrit), where they can pursue Enlightenment more readily. Hōnen did not believe that other Buddhist practices were wrong, but rather, they were not practical on a wide-scale, especially during the difficult times of the late Heian Period
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
.
Repetition of the nembutsu is the most fundamental practice of Jōdo-shū, which derives from the Primal Vow
Primal Vow
The Primal Vow , also known as the 18th Vow is part of a series of 48 vows that Amitabha Buddha made in the Larger Sutra of Immeasurable Life...
of Amitābha Buddha. In home practice, or in temple liturgy, the nembutsu may be recited in any number of styles including: - reciting the nembutsu ten times, with the last drawn out. - reciting the nembutsu as many times as possible in a sitting, regardless of number. - a style involving three drawn-out recitations of the nembutsu, follow by a bow. This is repeated twice more for a total of 9 recitations.
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 is left to the individual to decide.
Primal Vow
The Primal Vow , also known as the 18th Vow is part of a series of 48 vows that Amitabha Buddha made in the Larger Sutra of Immeasurable Life...
of Amitābha. In addition to the Larger Sutra, 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...
and the Amitabha Sutra
Amitabha Sutra
The Amitābha Sūtra is a popular colloquial name for the Shorter Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra. The Amitābha Sūtra is a Mahāyāna Buddhist text, and it is one of the primary sūtras recited and upheld in the Pure Land Buddhist schools.-History:...
(The Smaller Sutra of Immeasurable Life) are important to the Jōdo-shū school. The writings of Hōnen, contained mostly in the Senjaku-hongan-nembutsu-shū (often abbreviated to 'Senchaku-shū'), are another source for Jōdo-shū thought as is his last writing, the . Most of what is known about Honen and his thought is attributed through sayings collected in the follow century, the Senchakushū, and letters to his students and disciples.
Jōdo-shū, like other Buddhist schools, maintains a professional, monastic priesthood, who help to lead the congregation, and also maintain the well-known temples such as Chion-in. The head of the Jōdo-shū school is called the monshu in Japanese, and lives at the head temple in Kyoto, Japan, Chion-in Temple.
Sub-sects
The main 'Chinzei' branch of Jodo Shu was maintained by the so-called "Second Patriarch" and disciple of Honen, Shoko, also known as ’’Benchō. However, other disciples of Hōnen branched off into a number of other sects and interpretations of Jodo Shu thought, particularly after they were exiled in 1207:- ShokuShoku, 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...
founded 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 Jodo Shu, which structured the Buddhist teachings into a hierarchy with the nembutsu at the top. Because Shoku's teachings were compatible with the dominant TendaiTendaiis 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, Shoku was not exiled. - Ryukan, one of Honen's more elderly disciples, emphasized the efficacy of the nembutsu as practice, and encouraged its frequent recitation, leading to his teachings being called the "many callings school" or tanen-gi (多念義). He was exiled to eastern Japan where he died en route.
- 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...
taught the idea that a single recitation of the nembutsu was all that was necessary. His doctrine of "once-calling" or ichinen-gi (一念義) provided considerable controversy, and Honen eventually disavowed Kōsai and his teachings. He was later exiled to the island of ShikokuShikokuis the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshū and east of the island of Kyūshū. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima...
. - Chosai, the last of Hōnen's direct disciples, felt that all practices in Buddhism would lead to birth in the Pure LandPure landA 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...
. - Awanosuke, the fortune-teller. He is credited with the double-stranded rosary, or juzu used in Jodo Shu sects, though he did not establish a branch of his own.
Another disciple, Shinran
Shinran
was a Japanese Buddhist monk, who was born in Hino at the turbulent close of the Heian Period and lived during the Kamakura Period...
founded the 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 of Buddhism, which diverges somewhat doctrinally, but otherwise is heavily influenced by Hōnen and his teachings. In 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 :...
, Hōnen is considered the Seventh Patriarch. Depending on the viewpoint, Shinran
Shinran
was a Japanese Buddhist monk, who was born in Hino at the turbulent close of the Heian Period and lived during the Kamakura Period...
and 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 :...
are considered another branch of Jodo Shu.
Geographic distribution
Although Jōdo-shū is mainly found in Japan, a sizable Jōdo-shū community exists in HawaiiHawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
as well as a few temples in the continental United States.
External links
- English Language Site for Jodo Shu - The official website for Jodo Shu. Also contains information on Pure Land Buddhism in general.
- The Jodo Shu Research Institute - Responsible for providing research and English-language resources on Jodo Shu, as well as publications.