Tannisho
Encyclopedia
The , also known as the Lamentations of Divergences, is a late 13th century short Buddhist text generally thought to have been written by Yuien, a disciple of Shinran
. In the Tannishō, Yuien is concerned about the rising doctrinal divergences that emerged in Jōdo Shinshū
Buddhism
after the death of their founder, so he wrote down dialogues between himself and Shinran
that he could recall when his master was alive.
According to Yuien's own writing in the preface:
Many of the conversations found in the Tannishō are very candid when compared to more formal religious texts, and this may explain some of the popularity of the Tannishō among Shin Buddhists. The Tannishō allows Jōdo Shinshū Buddhists to peer into the mind of Shinran and see how he felt about practicing Jōdo Shinshū. The Tannishō was also a major impetus for the start of The Dobokai Movement among the Higashi Hongwanji branch of Jōdo Shinshū.
Sections 1 through 10 focus on Shinran's thoughts with regard to Jōdo Shinshū, the nembutsu and Amida
Buddha, while sections 11 through 18 deal with heretical ideas that Yuien wanted to dispel or correct on the basis of what Shinran had taught him.
Unlocking Tannisho: Shinran's Words on the Pure Land Path, by Kentetsu Takamori, translated by Juliet Winters Carpenter, Ichimannendo Publishing, 2011
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...
. In the Tannishō, Yuien is concerned about the rising doctrinal divergences that emerged 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 :...
Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
after the death of their founder, so he wrote down dialogues between himself 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...
that he could recall when his master was alive.
According to Yuien's own writing in the preface:
Many of the conversations found in the Tannishō are very candid when compared to more formal religious texts, and this may explain some of the popularity of the Tannishō among Shin Buddhists. The Tannishō allows Jōdo Shinshū Buddhists to peer into the mind of Shinran and see how he felt about practicing Jōdo Shinshū. The Tannishō was also a major impetus for the start of The Dobokai Movement among the Higashi Hongwanji branch of Jōdo Shinshū.
Format
The Tannishō is divided into 18 sections (sometimes called chapters), though many of these sections are very short. Some are no longer than a couple sentences. However, each section deals with a separate doctrinal issue.Sections 1 through 10 focus on Shinran's thoughts with regard to Jōdo Shinshū, the nembutsu and Amida
Amitabha
Amitābha is a celestial buddha described in the scriptures of the Mahāyāna school of Buddhism...
Buddha, while sections 11 through 18 deal with heretical ideas that Yuien wanted to dispel or correct on the basis of what Shinran had taught him.
Additional Links
The Tannisho - translated by Dr. Taitetsu UnnoTaitetsu Unno
Rev Taitetsu Unno is a scholar, lecturer, and author on the subject of Pure Land Buddhism. His work as a translator has been responsible for making many important Buddhist texts available to the English-speaking world and he is considered one of the leading authorities in the United States on Shin...
Unlocking Tannisho: Shinran's Words on the Pure Land Path, by Kentetsu Takamori, translated by Juliet Winters Carpenter, Ichimannendo Publishing, 2011