Jōdo Shinshū (浄土真宗, "The True Essence of the Pure Land Teaching"), also known asShin Buddhism orTrue Pure Land Buddhism, is a Japanese tradition ofPure Land Buddhism founded byShinran (1173–1263).[1] Shin Buddhism is the most widely practiced branch ofBuddhism in Japan.[2] The school is based on the Pure Land teachings of Shinran, which are based on those of earlier Pure Land mastersHōnen,Shandao andTanluan, all of whom emphasized the practice ofnembutsu (the recitation ofAmida Buddha's name) as the primary means to obtain post-mortem birth in thePure Land ofSukhavati (and thus,Buddhahood).
Shinran taught thatenlightenment cannot be realized through one’s own self-power (jiriki), whether by moral cultivation, meditation, or ritual practice, but only through theother-power (tariki) of Amida Buddha’scompassionate Vow. Therefore, in Shin Buddhism, the nembutsu is not a meritorious deed or practice that producesmerit and liberation, but an expression of joyfulgratitude for the assurance ofrebirth 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, theKyōgyōshinshō (Teaching, Practice, Faith, and Realization), which presents a comprehensiveexegesis of Pure Land thought based on Indian and ChineseMahāyāna 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, thenembutsu of gratitude, and the all-embracing compassion of Amida Buddha'sOriginal Vow.
After Shinran's death, his followers organized his teachings into traditions that eventually took institutional form through various temple lineages like theHonganji, which became major religious and social forces in medieval and early modern Japan. Figures likeKakunyo,Zonkaku andRennyo further developed Shin Buddhist doctrine and practice through their teaching and scholarship, expanding on the foundations laid by Shinran. According to James Dobbins, "historically, the Shinshū derives its strength from the great number of ordinary people drawn to its simple doctrine of salvation through faith".[3] Its simple and popular message, along with the tireless work of leaders like Shinran and Rennyo led Shin to become the largest Buddhist school in Japan by the sixteenth century.[3] In themodern era, the tradition also expanded to the West, withJapanese diaspora organizations likeBuddhist Churches of America developing unique expressions of Shin Buddhism. Jōdo Shinshū continues today as a central expression of lay-orientedJapanese Buddhism, emphasizing humility, gratitude, and faith in Amida’s boundless vow that carries all devotees to the Pure Land after death.
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Shinran (1173–1263) lived during the lateHeian to earlyKamakura period (1185–1333), a time of turmoil forJapan when theEmperor was stripped of political power by theshōguns. Shinran's Hino family was a cadet branch of theFujiwara that had lost its former status but remained known for scholarly service. Early bereavements, including the probable deaths of both parents, placed Shinran's upbringing in the care of his uncles. In 1181, amid the instability of the late Heian period, he entered monastic life at age nine under theTendai prelateJien and received the name Han’en. For the next two decades he lived as a modest hall-monk onMount Hiei, engaged primarily in liturgy, chanting, andPure Land–oriented practices associated withGenshin’s lineage, though little else from this period can be historically verified.[4]
Around 1201 Shinran, troubled by his inability to attain spiritual progress, undertook a retreat at theRokkaku-dō. There, he reportedly experienced a revelatory vision ofPrince Shōtoku directing him to the Pure Land masterHōnen (1133–1212). On meeting Hōnen that same year, Shinran adopted exclusive nembutsu practice and joined the growing community of Hōnen’s followers, abandoning other Tendai disciplines. Shinran played an important role in copying and transmitting Pure Land texts, and Hōnen’s entrusting of Shinran with a copy of theSenchakushū signified recognition of him as a disciple.[5] At some point Shinran also married (at a date still debated by scholars) entering a new status as a cleric who neither fully retained nor fully relinquished monastic identity.
During this period, Hōnen taught exclusivenembutsu practice to many people in Kyoto and amassed a substantial following but also came under increasing criticism by the Buddhist establishment, who continued to criticize Hōnen even after they signed a formal pledge to behave with good conduct and to not slander other Buddhists.[6] In 1207 a political scandal led to the suppression of Hōnen’s movement. Two disciples were executed, while Hōnen and others, including Shinran, were defrocked and exiled.[7] Shinran was sent toEchigo, where he and his wifeEshinni lived under difficult but mitigated conditions due to local family connections. Shinran and Eshinni had several children.
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After their amnesty in 1211, Shinran remained in Echigo for two more years before moving to theKantō region. During this transition he definitively abandoned complex practices after reflecting on their insufficiency compared to entrusting faith in Amida’s vow. He adopted the names Shinran and Gutoku (Bald Fool), identifying himself as “neither monk nor layman.” Over the following two decades he taught throughout Kantō, forming networks of lay communities (monto) that met in smalldojos to recite the nembutsu and study his guidance. Through active correspondence and sustained teaching, he gathered numerous disciples across varied social strata.[8]
In the 1230s Shinran returned to Kyōto, where he spent his later years writing, compiling, and transmitting Pure Land doctrine. His major work, theKyōgyōshinshō (The True Teaching, Practice, Faith and Attainment), presented an extensive scriptural anthology with doctrinal commentary defending Hōnen’s teaching and articulating Shinran’s own understanding of faith[7] He also produced Japanese didactic hymns, commentaries, compilations of Hōnen’s writings, and many letters addressing disciples’ concerns. Though living simply and relying on support from Kantō followers, he remained intellectually active well into old age. His final years were marked by both literary productivity and personal turbulence, including the need to disown his sonZenran for disruptive conduct and false doctrinal claims. Through his teaching, writing, and community networks, Shinran laid the foundations for what later became Jōdo Shinshū.[9]
Shinran's daughter,Kakushinni, came to Kyoto with Shinran, and cared for him in his final years. Shinran's wifeEshinni 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).[7]
From the thirteenth century to the fifteenth century, Shin Buddhism grew from a small movement into one of the largest and most influential schools in Japan. Its popularity among the lower classes in the countryside was a major reason for this rapid growth. In many rural villages, especially in semi-autonomous villages that were not tied to rural estates, Shin Buddhist congregations became a central part of village life. Pure Land missionaries traveled widely during this time spreading the Pure Land teaching, and Shin Buddhist temples were in a good position to absorb many of the new converts and to minister to the lower classes.[10] During this period of sect formation, Shin Buddhists developed their school's doctrine, forms of worship, and systems of religious authority based aroundtemples.[11]
Shinran did not concern himself with establishing a temple or any organization in his lifetime, instead, his followers returned to their communities after learning from him, and created informal groups of lay Pure Land followers. These groups met indōjōs, 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.[12] Unlike temples, dōjōs were usually run collectively by all members rather than hierarchically by a single priest. Members would usually agree to follow certain rules of conduct which were posted for all to see. Dōjōs were supported by the private donations of all members, unlike established temples which relied on their estates and on elite support.[13] Because much of Shin Buddhism was based on networks of private dōjōs, it did not suffer like other schools from the collapse of the provincial estate system during the 15th and 16th centuries.[14]
Shinran kept in touch with the network of his followers through letters, many of which survive.[12] 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 of Shinran 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.[15]
Shinran's teachings spread in the context ofKamakura period Pure Land Buddhism, a movement that was seen as heretical by most of the orthodox schools ofJapanese Buddhism at the time. The Pure Land movement was very internally diverse, and different groups within engaged in intense debates about key issues. These included the debate between reciting the nembutsu many times or just once, and the debate on whether wrong deeds and violation of precepts were made acceptable by one's recitation of the nembutsu (also known as licensed evil), a view which was deemed heretical by most of the major Pure Land institutions and temples at the time.[16]
Shinran's teaching focused on faith (shinjin) and de-emphasized the keeping ofclerical precepts or extensive recitation of the nembutsu. As such, Shin followers were often criticized as heretical, even by other Pure Land Buddhists. TheChinzei branch ofJōdo-shū for example, attacked Shin Buddhism as just another form of the single recitation (ichinengi) doctrine ofKōsai, which it associated with the licensed evil heresy. This was not an accurate critique since Shinran had explicitly rejected both views, but it was a damaging charge nevertheless.[17] In response, Shin Buddhist leaders like Kakunyo and Zonkaku worked to defend and establish Jōdo Shinshū as a viable and orthodox tradition, critiquing the "licensed evil" view along with other heresies and developing a scholastically robust tradition.
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Following Shinran's death, lay Shinmonto or congregations spread through theKantō plain and along the northeastern seaboard ofHonshu.Kakushinni officially placed the lands of Shinran's mausoleum under a community of local Shin followers on the agreement that her descendants would become its hereditary caretakers. Kakushinni and her heirs were also instrumental in preserving and promoting Shinran's teachings. 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 asHōonkō. Thus, Shinran's direct descendants maintained themselves as caretakers of Shinran's gravesite and as Shin teachers.[18]
During the 14th century, the mausoleum grew to become a major temple and sub-sect of Jōdo Shinshū through the efforts ofKakunyo, Kakushinni's grandson. As the third monshu (caretaker) of Shinran's mausoleum, Kakunyo transformed the site into the influentialHonganji ("Temple of the Original Vow"). He also compiled the first biography of Shinran, theGodenshō.[18]
Kakunyo’s career was marked by sustained efforts to consolidate the Honganji institution and to assert a unified lineage for Shin Buddhism centered on the Honganji. Kakunyo turned to textual and genealogical strategies to legitimate Honganji authority, placing himself as the direct successor of Shinran in both teaching and blood lineage. His writings sought to anchor the center of the Pure Land community firmly at Honganji by presenting Kakunyo as Shinran’s rightful doctrinal and institutional heir.[19] Doctrinally, Kakunyo was a rigorous defender of Shinran’s teaching thatshinjin alone is the decisive cause of birth in the Pure Land, with the nembutsu functioning as its spontaneous expression. His position diverged sharply from the dominant Jōdo-shū view that emphasized the efficacy of nembutsu recitation itself. At the institutional level he established memorial rites, produced hagiographies, and created ritual structures designed to cultivate devotion to Shinran as a manifestation of Amida Buddha. Through works like theHōon kōshiki, he reframed nembutsu practice in terms of responding to the Buddha's benevolence, makinghōon (gratitude) the central mode of Shin Buddhist piety and a key means of establishing a karmic connection with Amida embodied in the figure of Shinran.[20] Kakunyo's son,Zonkaku, was another influential scholar of the Honganji tradition. Zonkaku devoted himself to the expansion of Jōdo Shinshū’s religious community and produced numerous scholarly works defending Shin teachings.
As theHonganji became an influential Shin institution, other major Shinshū temples also developed, likeBukkō-ji,Senju-ji, Kinshoku-ji, andZenpuku-ji. Most of these grew organically out of existing dojos who often consolidated their networks around the most influential temples.[21]Bukkō-ji was particularly influential and rivaled Honganji for some time, having been founded as a temple and expanded by the efforts of Ryōgen (1295–1336) and Zonkaku. 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.
During this period of sect formation, Shin clergy continued to be ordained and educated in traditional Japanese institutions, like those ofTendai and the old Nara schools, though they also received instructions from their Shin elders. For example, both Kakunyo and Zonkaku studied onMount Hiei andKōfuku-ji before becoming major Shin leaders.[22] This continued until Shin temples began to establish their own official education structure and ordination system. Though Shin priests eventually came to be ordained through official Shin temple systems, they did not take traditionalVinaya precepts, nor thebodhisattva precepts required in Tendai and other Japanese traditions. Nevertheless, they still underwenttonsure (tokudo), wore monastic robes and were expected to follow certain codes of conduct agreed upon by their communities.
Shin Buddhism is considered to have undergone a revival and consolidation period underRennyo (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 tornSengoku 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 calleddojo, 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 theMantra of Light popularized byMyōe andShingon Buddhism. Other Pure Land Buddhist practices, such as the nembutsu odori[23] or "dancing nembutsu" as practiced by the followers ofIppen and theJi-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 theonaijin (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 theSenju-ji sect, do not recognize Rennyo's reforms and innovations.
During theSengoku period (mid 15th century to late 16th c.), there were also other popular Shin Buddhist organizations, including the radicalIkkō-shū and the martialIkkō-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 localgovernors ordaimyō. 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 theIkkō-ikki led to several conflicts between Shin Buddhists and the warlordOda Nobunaga (1534–1582), culminating in a ten-year conflict over the location of theIshiyama 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 withOsaka 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 ofshōgunTokugawa Ieyasu, the main temple Hongan-ji inKyoto 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 theIkkō-ikki also led to persecutions against Jōdo Shinshū Buddhists in several regions likeSatsuma, 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 thekakure nenbutsu,kakushi nenbutsu andkayakabe.[24] 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.[24] Some also became influenced by other teachings like localShinto mountain religions.[24]
Following the unification of Japan during theEdo period, Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism adapted, along with the other Japanese Buddhist schools, into providing memorial and funeral services for its registered members under theDanka system, which was legally required by theTokugawa shogunate in order to prevent the spread ofChristianity in Japan. Thedanka 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 likeRyukoku University andŌtani University in Kyoto andMusashino 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 includeKiyozawa Manshi (1863–1903),Nanjō Bun'yū (1849–1927),Soga Ryōjin (1875–1971),Kaneko Daiei (1881-1976),Kenryō Kanamatsu (1915 – 1986), andTakamaro Shigaraki (1926–2014).
Following theMeiji Restoration and the subsequent persecution of Buddhism (haibutsu kishaku) of the late 1800s due to a revivednationalism and modernization, Jōdo Shinshū managed to survive intact due to the devotion of itsmonto. DuringWorld 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 ofState Shinto. It subsequently apologized for its wartime actions.[25]
In contemporary times, Jōdo Shinshū is one of the most widely followed forms ofBuddhism in Japan, although like other schools, it faces challenges from many popularJapanese new religions, orshinshūkyō, which emerged followingWorld War II as well as from the growingmaterialism of Japanese society.
All ten schools of Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism commemorated the 750th memorial of their founder, Shinran, in 2011 in Kyoto.
Jōdo Shinshū first took root in theUnited States at the turn of the twentieth century through the efforts ofNishi Honganji missionaries. The first organized mission on American soil began when Rev. Dr. Shuya Sonoda and Rev. Kakuryō Nishijima arrived inSan Francisco in 1899, forming theBukkyo Seinenkai (Young Men’s Buddhist Association) to unite Japanese Buddhists in the new land. From this nucleus grew temples across the western states—inSacramento,Fresno,Seattle, Oakland, San Jose, Portland, and Stockton—forming what came to be known as theJōdo 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 theBuddhist Churches of America (BCA), now headquartered in San Francisco. Despite early struggles with anti-Japanese prejudice and the forced incarceration of its members duringWorld 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 stableAmerican Buddhist institution with over sixty affiliated temples and approximately twelve thousand members. The organization expanded its influence through education, founding theInstitute of Buddhist Studies inBerkeley 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 withBuddhism in America through public festivals, youth and community programs, and interfaith activities, while also pioneering progressive stances such as the early endorsement ofsame-sex marriage andLGBTQ 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.
A parallel organization was also formed in Canada, the Buddhist Churches of Canada, now named theJodo Shinshu Buddhist Temples of Canada (JSBTC). Furthermore, following extensive Japanese immigration to Brazil, aSouth America Hongwanji Mission was also established, which today maintains numerous temples in Brazil.
Jōdo Shinshū doctrine and practice is based primarily on the works ofShinran, supplemented by the canonical Pure Land scriptures and the works of later figures likeRennyo. Shinran's teaching is closely based on the works of Chinese Pure Land Buddhist masters likeTanluan andShandao, as well as on the teachings of Japanese Pure Land masterHōnen. 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 thenembutsu (a praise of Amida's name), could lead beings toBuddhahood in the Pure Land. Due to his awareness of human limitations, Shinran advocated reliance ontariki, orother power (他力)—the power ofAmitābha (JapaneseAmida) made manifest in hisOriginal 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", which refers to all other Buddhist paths based accumulatingmerit andwisdom through our own efforts. 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 thePure Land. All that is needed to rely completely on the power of Amida'sOriginal Vow (hongan).
The key worldview andcreed of Shin Buddhism is often explained through a short text by Rennyo known as theRyōgemon (領解文; "Statement of Conviction"). This work states:[26][27]
We abandon all indiscriminate religious practices and undertakings (zōgyō zasshu) and all mind of self-assertion (jiriki no kokoro), we rely with singleness of heart on the Tathāgata Amida in that matter of utmost importance to us now—to please save us in our next lifetime. We rejoice in knowing that our birth in the Pure Land is assured and our salvation established from the moment we rely [on the Buddha] with even a singlenembutsu (ichinen), and that whenever we utter the Buddha's name thereafter it is an expression of gratitude and indebtedness to him. We gratefully acknowledge that for us to hear and understand this truth we are indebted to our founder and master [Shinran] for appearing in the world and to successive generations of religious teachers in our tradition for their profound encouragement. We shall henceforth abide by our established rules (okite) as long as we shall live. --Translation by Professor James C. Dobbins.
TheRyōgemon is still recited in modern-day Shinshu liturgy as summary of the Jōdo Shinshū teaching.
The central and ultimately only object of devotion and worship in Shin Buddhism isAmitābha Buddha (often called Amida in Japanese). According to Shin Buddhism, Amida is theoriginal Buddha or fundamental Buddha (本佛, Jp: honbutsu), who is praised by all other Buddhas as supreme.[28] As per Shinran and Shandao, Amida Buddha is understood as a retribution-body (sambhogakāya) Buddha, the fruition of Dharmākara bodhisattva’s aeons-longbodhisattva career long ago, beginning with his making of theOriginal Vow, considered the heart of his compassionate power. However, Shinran also sees Amida as the direct compassionate manifestation of the formless, inconceivableDharmakāya (theultimate reality). In this view, from the ocean ofsuchness, a form arose as Bodhisattva Dharmākara, whose Great Vow became the heart of Buddhahood. Hence Amida is the “Dharmakāya asskillful means”, manifesting as unobstructed light covering the entire cosmos, which is Buddha wisdom itself.[29]
Shinran thus emphasizes thenon-duality between the formless and form aspects of the Dharmakāya. The Original Buddha’s manifestation as Infinite Light is spontaneous, natural, and beyond all conceptual categories, and the Pure Land itself is ultimately not a spatial or temporal domain but the locus of awakening where ignorance is overturned. While conventional descriptions of jeweled lands and radiant bodies are upheld as compassionate means, their ultimate nature is vast, boundless, and inconceivable. For a person of true faith (shinjin), birth in the Pure Land entails the realization of theDharmakāya and thusNirvana. Nevertheless, at the conventional level Amida’s body, name, and land appear so that deluded beings may be instructed. Thus Shinran articulates a path that affirmsMahāyānanon-dualism at the ultimate level while retaining the functional dualities needed for conventional religious practice, which are nevertheless harmonized within the Buddha’s inconceivable wisdom and compassion.[30]
At the center of the Shin path is the attainment ofshinjin in Amida Buddha's liberatingother-power (tariki) and its expression through thenembutsu (the classic Pure Land devotional phrase "Namo Amida Butsu", Homage to Amida Buddha). Shinjin has been translated in different ways such as "faith" or "true entrusting", and it also often simply left untranslated.[31] Shinran places the nembutsu at the center of Pure Land practice but interprets it through the lens ofshinjin, or true entrusting, which he identifies as the very core of the “true practice.” FollowingTanluan andShandao, he teaches that true faith entails a twofold awareness: recognition of one’s radical incapacity as a deluded being and trust in the liberating efficacy of Amida’s vows. All forms of self-power (jiriki), whether moral striving, meditative effort, attempts to accumulate merit, or any form of “calculation”, are all understood as impediments to true entrusting.[32] Only when a person fully realizes the futility of self-powered effort does the mind open to receive Amida’s gift of shinjin, a state that is simultaneously absolute trust and profound awareness of one’s defilements. This true entrusting is, for Shinran, the sole cause of birth in the Pure Land and equivalent tobodhicitta,buddha-nature, and even ultimate reality itself.[33]
Shinran holds that shinjin does not arise from human will or practice but is bestowed entirely by Amida as the working of the Original Vow. The nembutsu, the Name of Amida itself, is the efficient cause of liberation, manifesting in recitation, teaching, and subjective experience. In Shinran’s reading of the eighteenth vow of theLarger Sutra, the “one thought-moment” refers not to a temporal instant but to the “single mind” free of doubt, which is the Buddha’s own mind directed toward beings. Thus shinjin is the Buddha’s wisdom operating within the practitioner, and recitation of nembutsu becomes the spontaneous expression of that wisdom rather than a means ofmerit-making. Furthermore, since shinjin is a gift from Amida, it arises fromjinen (自然, naturalness, spontaneous working of the Vow) and cannot be achieved through conscious effort but through a natural letting go. Thus, for Jōdo Shinshū practitioners, shinjin develops over time through "deep hearing" (monpo) of the Dharma and of Amida's call, which is the nembutsu itself. 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."[34] The nembutsu is thus understood as an act that expresses gratitude to Amitābha. It is not considered a "practice" in an instrumental sense which generates karmic merit. Instead, the nembutsu is an expression of faith and gratitude in the Buddha's infinite benevolence which is the source of the nembutsu itself.[35]
Due to the importance of faith, a key distinction in Shin Buddhism is between those who have attained settled faith from those who have not. The latter are advised to recite the nembutsu in gratitude and aspiration until shinjin arises naturally. Once true entrusting is received, the practitioner’s afflictions become one with the sea of Buddha wisdom, suffused by the working of theOriginal Vow despite the continuity of ordinary existence. The nembutsu then functions solely as an expression of gratitude and as the natural activity of Buddhahood within the devotee. Because all true practice and the attainment of Buddhahood arise exclusively from Amida’s power, Shinran’s system has been characterized as “absolute other-power,” a complete surrender of self-power in which all efforts are relinquished and the devotee is assured of birth in the Pure Land.[36] This distinguishes Shin Buddhism from other Pure Land schools includingJōdo-shū, which argues that one must make an effort to repeat the nembutsu extensively and that this is important for attaining birth in the Pure Land. It also contrasts with other Buddhist schools in China and Japan, where nembutsu recitation was part of more elaborate rituals and systems of practice.
The biggest doctrinal difference with the Jōdo-shū lies in the concept of "Other Power" (Tariki). The Jōdo-shū holds that if we have faith and recite the nembutsu accordingly, we will be saved. Thus they hold that the maincause of birth in the Pure Land is the nembutsu. However, Jōdo Shinshū holds the view thatshinjin (true faith, the mind of trust) is the main cause of birth in the Pure Land, not the saying of the "Namu Amida Butsu". The nembutsu in Shin Buddhism is merely a manifestation of the true faith and an expression of gratitude in our being already saved by Amida. It is not an instrumental practice that causes our birth in the Pure Land.[37]
Shin Buddhism follows Shinran's schema of thePure Land to explain the differing results attained by nembutsu practitioners after death. Shin distinguishes three aspects of the Pure Land: (1) the "Borderland", where beings still burdened by doubt are temporarily separated from Amida; (2) the Transformed Land, perceptible to ordinary beings and attained by those who practice with partial reliance on self-power; (3) and the Truly Fulfilled Land, identified withBuddhahood itself, and realized only by those who attainshinjin. Although Shinran proclaims the Fulfilled Land where one instantly attains Buddhahood as the real goal of the eighteenth vow, all provisional lands are still seen as compassionate manifestations of the Original Vow.[38]
In another departure from more traditional Pure Land schools, Shinran advocated that birth in the Pure Land was settled in the midst of this life. At the moment one entrusts oneself to Amitābha, the “one thought-moment of shinjin”, one becomes "established in the stage of the truly settled." This is equivalent to attainingthe stage of non-retrogression on thebodhisattva path.[39] This single, timeless event of shinjin fuses finite existence with the boundless reality of the Original Vow and opens the heart to thenirvanic realm that pervades all reality. Thus, Jōdo Shinshū teaches that the moment one attainsshinjin ketsujō (the settled state of faith), where the desire to be saved through one's own power is completely extinguished, one's rebirth in the Ultimate Fulfilled Land of Utmost Bliss is completely assured. This is because since the mind of self-power rejects the working of Amida; when this self-power mind is abandoned, one is automatically embraced by Amida's vow power. Though still living amid samsaric conditions, the person of shinjin already abides in the Pure Land in their heart and is assured of immediate Buddhahood after death, thereby bypassing the long bodhisattva path envisioned in other systems.[40]
Despite this assurance, Shinran rejects the doctrine of attaining Buddhahood in this very life, insisting that full awakening occurs only upon birth in the Fulfilled Land.[41] Yet he affirms significant present-life benefits for those who entrust themselves to Amida. These include protection bydevas and Buddhas, the transformation of evil into good, and the constant presence of Amida’s light, deep joy, gratitude, and compassion.[42] By virtue of the Original Vow’s power, practitioners become equal in status to beings such asMaitreya, possessing “one more birth” before Buddhahood, even though their Buddha-nature remains obscured until they reach the Pure Land. Thus, through the natural working (jinen) of Amida's infinite light, the deeply rooted karmic evil of countless rebirths are transformed into goodness and compassion. Shin stays within the Mahayana tradition's understanding ofemptiness and understands thatsaṃsāra andnirvāṇa are not ultimately separate. As such, this state of shinjin is a state of being open to the working of Buddhahood while also remaining a foolish sentient being. According to Shinran, the spiritual transformation which occurs subsequent to the attainment of shinjin happens naturally, "without the practitioner having calculated it in any way".[43]
In Shinran’s account, the salvific activity of Amida operates beyond the duality of good and evil. Because Amida’s Vow was established precisely to liberate beings overwhelmed bythe afflictions, virtuous actions have no direct role in the attainment of birth in the Pure Land. Faith alone constitutes the sole condition. On this basis Shinran articulates the principle that the very persons most burdened by evil are the primary objects of the Vow (J:akunin shōki), for their recognition of their own incapacity disposes them to relinquish self-power and rely wholly on Amida. Those who regard themselves as virtuous, by contrast, tend to depend on their own merit and thereby fail to entrust themselves fully, placing themselves outside the central intention of the Vow.[44]
Amida's infinite compassion means that even those guilty of the gravest offenses are embraced in the Pure Land. It also means that the virtuous cannot augment or constrain the operation of the Vow. This radical position often generated misinterpretations among some followers, who advanced the view of “licensed evil,” claiming that deliberate wrongdoing was permissible or even desirable because salvation was assured. Shinran rejected this as a distortion of Other Power faith, arguing that intentional wrongdoing in order to provoke Amida’s compassion is itself an expression of self-power and a fundamental misunderstanding of the Vow’s aim.[45]
Shinran also held that since the world had entered theAge of Dharma Decline, the traditional Buddhist clerical precepts no longer function as effective means for practice, for the path of sages depending on rigorous moral and meditative discipline is no longer viable for most beings. In this situation, one finds practitioners who are “monks in name only,” and Shinran identified himself with this condition as one who is "neither monk nor layman" yet still follows the Buddha’s way.[46] Although sometimes interpreted as eliminating ethics altogether, Shinran maintained that the nembutsu naturally generates an aspiration to turn away from evil. Through the transformative influence of the Vow, the afflictions of beings are illuminated, softened, and gradually shaped by compassion, though not eradicated in this life.[47] Because of this, Shinran sets forth no fixed set of moral injunctions nor any expectation of perfection in the present existence. Instead, he teaches that assurance of future Buddhahood coexists with the persistence of blind passions, which are themselves taken up by the working of Other Power. The Shin path therefore involves recognizing one’s ethical limitations, abandoning self-power, and accepting one’s deluded condition while entrusting oneself to Amida.[48]
The central practice of Shin Buddhism is the simple recitation of thenembutsu ("Namo Amida Butsu") with faith and gratitude. This may be done at temples, at personal home shrines (butsudans) and in daily life.[49] It is customary to hold traditional beads when reciting the nembutsu, as well as to bow before a Buddhist shrine (butsudan) and to place one hands together ingassho.[49] Shin Buddhist mindfulness beads (nenjus) have a unique knot on the right parent bead is called the “Rennyo Knot”. The knot designs on the counting beads prevent the counting of rounds, which expresses the view that it is faith, not the number of nembutsu recitations, that lead one to the Pure Land.
Shin Buddhism also encourages the installation of ahonzon (main object of worship, often a simple inscription of "Namu Amida Butsu," a painted image, or a wooden statue of Amida Buddha) inside a Buddhist altar (butsudan) in every household.[49] Butsudans are traditionally decorated with other objects such as a flower vase, incense burner and lanters.[49] There are specific traditional rules and requirements for these ritual objects. As the adornments are modeled after the head temples of each sub-sect, the shape and ritual implements differ by sub-sect. In Shin Buddhism, thehonzon enshrined and adorned within thebutsudan is seen as a "miniature temple" invited into each home, and it is not meant to be used as an ancestral altar with pictures of the deceased (as is common in other traditions).
Prostration (gotaitochi) before a butsudan is also a traditional practice.[49] Shin Buddhists may also offerincense, flowers and other offerings in front of the butsudan.[49] Shin Buddhists in Japan traditionally use the Gold Lacquered type of Butsudan.[49]
Other Jōdo Shinshū religious practices include the recitation of Shin Buddhist liturgy, which includes hymns like theShōshinge, theSanjō Wasan and Nagarjuna'sJunirai (Twelve Praises [to Amida]), along with other texts such as verse passages from the Pure Land sutras like theJuseige.[50][51] The reading and study of Pure Land scriptures and the works of Shinran are also an important practice for some Shin Buddhists.
The most significant difference between Jōdo Shinshū and other Buddhist schools (including Jōdo-shū) is its thoroughgoing non-observance ofBuddhist clerical precepts, allowing its clergy to eat meat and have families.[52] Until theMeiji period (1868–1912), Shin was the only Buddhist sect where clerical marriage was openly permitted. This lack of clerical precepts originates from Shinran, who inherited from his teacherHōnen the teaching that the nembutsu can save everyone, even those who fall outside ethical norms. However, unlike Shinran, Hōnen affirmed the importance of keeping clerical precepts, and this issue remains a significant difference between Shin Buddhism and Jodo-shu.[53]
Prior to exile, Shinran had his monastic status stripped away, became "neither monk nor layman," officially married, and had children. Shinran held that the decline of precept keeping was a normal feature of theAge of Dharma Decline, and that birth in the Pure Land was not hindered by the lack of precepts.[53] Shin Buddhist clergy follow this example and do not take officialprecepts like other Buddhist schools, not even thebodhisattva precepts. Nevertheless, they still undergo a process of ordination (tokudo), where they cut their hair, receive monastic style robes and recite statements of faith.[54] Furthermore, Shin ministers (J.kyoshi, lit. sutra master) receive formal education in the doctrines and practices of Shin Buddhism in official temple institutions, just like the priests and monks of other Buddhist schools.
Another key difference between Shin Buddhism and other forms of Japanese Buddhism lies in the role of the teacher andlineage. The teacher is an important figure in Shin, since it is they who introduce a person to the Pure Land path, provide guidance and help resolve doubts. Nevertheless, Shinran rejected the traditional view of formal Buddhist "master-disciple" lineage as well as any concept ofDharma transmission, famously writing that "I do not have a single disciple".[55] Instead, Shinran, and thus Shin Buddhism as a whole, emphasize the central role of Amida Buddha as the main source of spiritual transformation. The teacher acts merely as a secondary facilitator, not as the source of transmission and transformation. This stands in sharp contrast toZen and Esoteric schools likeShingon, where theZen master orVajracharya is the main source of the transmission ofwisdom or esoteric knowledge.[55] According to Dobbins, this view has clear implications in Shin Buddhism, since in Shin the relationship between teacher and student "had to be subordinated to the primary religious concern, the personal encounter with Amida's vow."[56]
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Since Jōdo Shinshū teaches that all people can be reborn in the Pure Land by entrusting themselves solely to Amida Buddha's working, it does not adhere to many religious rituals and customs found in other schools (such as elaborate death ceremonies, and distribution of talismans orofuda), instead emphasizing thenembutsu as an expression of gratitude and the listening to the Dharma. Generally speaking, Shin Buddhist temples do not contain shrines for deities other than Amida Buddha and perhaps selectbodhisattvas such asKannon (manifested asPrince Shōtoku for example) or Shinran. Kami worship and shrines are thus not usually part of Shin Buddhist temples, as Shinran clearly rejected these as un-buddhist.[57]
Shinran also rejected other common practices upheld by other schools of Japanese Buddhism, which he associated with self-powered efforts to gain worldly benefits and avert calamities. These included: "the propitiation of ghosts and evil spirits;divination of good and evil; belief inauspicious days, times, and directions; and observance oftaboos (monoimi)."[57]
All sub-sects of Jōdo Shinshū also perform a memorial service called theHōonkō on the anniversary of Shinran's death, which focuses on gratitude and repaying the benevolence of Shinran and Amida Buddha. This service is considered the most important event of the Shin liturgical calendar, though the specific date differs among sub-sects.[58][59]
Apart from this, personal memorials services andfunerals for the deceased are also performed year round. However, unlike other Buddhist sects, Shin memorial services are not considered to aid in the goodrebirth of the deceased. Rather, these memorial services are considered to be opportunities for the living to remember the dead in gratitude and to share and listen to the Dharma.[60]
Another official service performed by Shin clergy is the "pillow service". This involves the recitation of Pure Land sutras for a dying person, giving them an opportunity to hear the Dharma one last time.[49] Nevertheless, these deathbed rites are significantly different than that in other Japanese Pure Land traditions, which see the dying process as a key moment where one could attain birth in the Pure Land or fail to do so. Deathbed rites meant to assure birth in the Pure Land were common during theKamakura period, and included extensive periods of chanting by numerous monastics and various ritual objects. Shinran rejected the efficacy of these rites, seeing them as self-powered efforts. For Shinran, only faith (shinjin) in Amida leads to the Pure Land, not extensive ritual.
Shin Buddhist temples also observe traditional Japanese Buddhist holidays, likeObon.[49]
Head temples (honzan) of Shin Buddhism always have a Founder's Hall (Goeidō) housing the true image (shin'ei) of the founder Shinran, separate from the Main Hall (Hondō) which houses thehonzon representing Amida Buddha. Shin Buddhist temple architecture also has other characteristics not seen in other schools, such as a large outer sanctuary (gejin) compared to the inner sanctuary (naijin).
The main sacred scriptures studied in Jōdo Shinshū are collected in the Jōdo Shinshū Seiten. The key works are the following:[61]
Many of these texts are available in English translation as part of the Shin Buddhism Translation Series ofNishi Hongwanji's International Department.[62]
TheHonganji sect also maintains collections of specifically Honganji Shin masters, such as:[61]
TheTannishō (Record in Lament of Divergences) is a 13th-century book of recorded sayings attributed to Shinran, transcribed with commentary byYuien-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 theTannishō is the earliest extant copy.Kiyozawa Manshi (1863–1903) revitalized interest in the Tannishō, which indirectly helped to bring about theOhigashi schism of 1962.[7]
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Earlier schools of Buddhism that came to Japan, including Tendai andShingon Buddhism, gained acceptance because ofhonji suijaku practices. For example, akami 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.[63] 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.[64]
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 andNichiren Buddhism. On the other hand, newer Buddhist schools in Japan, such asZen, 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 masterIkkyū.
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 ormerit-making activities.
During the 19th century, Japanese immigrants began arriving in Hawaii, the United States, Canada, Mexico and South America (especially inBrazil). Many immigrants to North America came from regions in which Jōdo Shinshū was predominant, and maintained their religious identity in their new country. TheHonpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii, theBuddhist Churches of America and theJodo 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 ofJapanese American andJapanese-Canadian internment duringWorld 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 theUnited Kingdom, such asThree Wheels Temple.[65]
During Taiwan'sJapanese colonial era (1895–1945), Jōdo Shinshū built atemple complex in downtown Taipei.
The "Seven Patriarchs of Jōdo Shinshū" are seven Buddhist monks venerated in the development of Pure Land Buddhism as summarized in the Jōdo Shinshū hymnShōshinge. Shinran quoted the writings and commentaries of the Patriarchs in his major work, theKyōgyōshinshō, to bolster his teachings.
The Seven Patriarchs, in chronological order, and their contributions are:[66][67][68][69]
| Name | Dates | Japanese name | Country of origin | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nagarjuna | 150–250 | Ryūju (龍樹) | India | Indian master andMadhyamaka philosopher who presents Pure Land as the "easy path" in hisTen Stages Treatise. |
| Vasubandhu | c. 4th century | Tenjin (天親) orSeshin (世親) | India | Wrote theDiscourse on the Pure Land explaining Pure Land practice. |
| Tanluan | 476–542(?) | Donran (曇鸞) | China | Known for his commentary on Vasubandhu'sDiscourse, where he develops the key distinction between self-power andother-power. |
| Daochuo | 562–645 | Dōshaku (道綽) | China | Promoted the superiority of the "easy path" of Pure Land over the "path of the sages", which he held was no longer efficacious since the world had entered the "last days of the Dharma". |
| Shandao | 613–681 | Zendō (善導) | China | Wrote an influential commentary to theContemplation Sutra where he discusses the threefold mind of faith, and argues that the verbal recitation of Amida's name should be the main practice in Pure Land Buddhism. |
| Genshin | 942–1017 | Genshin (源信) | Japan | Tendai teacher who popularized Pure Land practices as the most effective method for the era of Dharma decline (mappo) in his extensiveŌjōyōshū. |
| Hōnen | 1133–1212 | Hōnen (法然) | Japan | Popularised the exclusive recitation of the nembutsu in order to attain rebirth in the Pure Land and argued we should set aside other practices in favor of nembutsu. |
In Jōdo Shinshū temples, the seven masters are usually collectively enshrined on the far left.
The following holidays are typically observed in Jōdo Shinshū temples:[70]
| 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 |
In 1994 Shogyoji established Three Wheels ("Sanrin Shoja" in Japanese), in London, in response to the deep friendship between a group of English and Japanese people. Since then the Three Wheels community has grown considerably and serves as the hub of a lively multi-cultural Shin Buddhist Samgha.
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