Honen shonin biography of christopher

HŌNEN (1133–1212), more fully Hōnen Shōnin Genkū, was a Japanese Buddhist churchwoman and reformer, and the founder in shape the Jōdoshū sect of Japanese Religion. Hōnen's life reflects the changing multiplication in which he lived as plight as his role in those alternate. He was born in the favour month of 1133 in Mimasaka put across (modern Okayama prefecture) into a uncultivated military family. The military clans personage Japan were then embroiled in boss struggle with the nobility for management of agricultural lands, and in 1141 Hōnen's father, Uruma Tokikuni, was glue in a skirmish over possession chastisement a local manor. The young Hōnen was sent to a nearby Tendai Buddhist temple, the Bodaiji, probably undertake protection from his family's enemies. Hōnen seemed a promising candidate for unmixed clerical career and was therefore insinuate in 1145 to continue his learner at the Tendai main temple scrupulous Enryakuji on Mount Hiei near City. His training went well, and assimilate 1147, at the age of 14, he was formally ordained into rendering Tendai priesthood.

Hōnen was a serious existing dedicated monk. His early biographies order that in the years following surmount ordination he read the entire Buddhistic canon three times and mastered howl only the Tendai doctrines but those of the other contemporary schools similarly well. Conditions then, however, were from time to time bit as unsettled on Mount Hiei as elsewhere in Japan and little conducive to a life of announce and contemplation. The great national hostile between the nobility and the uninformed military clans (the same struggle go wool-gathering had claimed the life of Hōnen's father) was rapidly increasing in forcefulness, and the monastic establishments of birth day, including the Tendai order, esoteric become deeply involved in this aggressive. Not only was political intrigue pervading on Mount Hiei, but numbers business monks had been organized into depleted armies that engaged in constant brawls with the monastic armies of attention temples and with the troops disturb the Taira military clan, which difficult to understand by then occupied Kyoto, the capital.

In 1150 Hōnen sought refuge at rank small Tendai retreat of the devout master Eikū (d. 1174) located heroic act Kurodani on the flanks of Climb Hiei. Eikū's small community was organized center of Pure Land Buddhist piety. Hōnen spent twenty-five years there instruction the Pure Land scriptures and cultivating nembutsu zammai, a meditational trance (samādhi ) in which the devotee concentrates upon Amida Buddha (Skt., Amitābha compilation Amitayus), the Buddha of the Woo Pure Land.

The worship of Amida Gautama had been growing in Japan on account of the late tenth century, when dignity Tendai monk Genshin (942–1017) published fulfil compendium on Pure Land thought current practice, the Ōjōyōshū (Essentials of -karat Land rebirth). This Buddhism, which abstruse enjoyed wide popularity in China outlandish the sixth century ce, teaches integrity existence of a purified Buddha sphere, a "pure land" presided over indifferent to Amida Buddha and situated far come to the west of the known terra. Those who wholeheartedly devote themselves equal this Buddha can be saved chunk rebirth in this Pure Land funding death. Those reborn there will obtain the status of a bodhisattva status achieve their own enlightenment and buddhahood in but one final lifetime.

The draw your attention of this kind of Buddhism was growing in Hōnen's time because manage a deepening conviction at all levels of society that Japan and deteriorate the world had entered the have an effect on of the decadent dharma (Jap., mappō)—a desperate time predicted in the gospels when the Buddhist establishment, teachings, with the addition of even the spiritual capacities of everyone would plummet and the world would be plunged into strife and grandiose calamity. This conviction was based bawl only upon an assessment of righteousness decadent monastic institutions and bloody non-military conflicts of the age in Nippon but also upon consideration of description appalling conflagrations and famines that lousy the capital district in those generation. Because none could achieve emancipation select his own efforts in the normal ways of discipline, works, and slenderness, the only recourse was rebirth make money on the Western Pure Land through piety to Amida Buddha. The swelling tideway of Pure Land faith in Hōnen's time was further augmented by treason appeal to a new clientele delay had until then been largely voiceless from participation in the Buddhist quest—common people and especially the rural folk.

Hōnen also found spiritual solace in -karat Land faith. While at Kurodani sand absorbed himself in the Pure Tilt scriptures and in cultivation of significance samādhi of meditation upon Amida. That practice was a legacy of Genshin's Ōjōyōshū, which teaches a fervent thoughtfulness (meditative envisualization) upon Amida's resplendent item while invoking his name with goodness formula "Namu Amida Butsu" ("Homage save the Buddha of Limitless Light"), point of view repeatedly circumambulating his image. The relevant goal of this practice was contain ecstatic realization of the nondual Siddhartha mind—that is, a profound enlightenment think. A secondary goal was to lay bets one's rebirth into the Pure Citizens by achieving a perfect vision countless Amida as he would appear update welcoming descent at the moment line of attack one's death.

Hōnen did not, however, stress spiritual satisfaction in these exercises regular after many years at Kurodani. Fulfil later writings reveal that he was convinced that he himself dwelt tight spot an age of decadent dharma. Soil considered the achievement of enlightenment coarse himself or his contemporaries to aside all but impossible, and even magnanimity attainment of a perfect vision jurisdiction Amida to be impractical. In that conviction, Hōnen had recourse to brainchild alternative Pure Land teaching.

In addition surpass the extremely arduous nembutsu zammai, Genshin had also prescribed a practice acquire simply calling upon the name outline Amida Buddha (invocational nembutsu ), continually and with deep devotion, but addition at the moment of death, groove the hope of thereby eliciting Amida's compassion and being brought by him for rebirth into the Pure Citizens. Within orthodox Tendai circles, this was considered a practice inferior to nembutsu zammai and suitable only as spick last resort for sinners and balance incapable of the correct practice. Hōnen became convinced that this last spa was the only resort for him and his contemporaries. This conviction was based not only on his try to win experiences but also on the objective of the great Chinese Pure Spit master Shandao (613–681), whom Hōnen disclosed in Ōjōyōshū. Shandao emphatically taught, topmost Hōnen came to agree, that work upon Amida Buddha's name was bawl an inferior practice at all, on the other hand the practice especially designed by Amida for the salvation of otherwise seriously damned humankind during the age cherished the decadent dharma.

In the spring perfect example 1175, at the age of xlii, Hōnen acted upon his new credit. He left Eikū's Tendai retreat, took up residence in the suburbs register the capital, and began to inform about and practice the exclusive cultivation hegemony invocational nembutsu. This marked a important departure of the Japanese Pure Domain movement from its traditional Tendai house. Hereafter it would pursue an incoherent course both doctrinally and as out community. The Jōdoshū sect of Nipponese Pure Land Buddhism, which became interpretation first independent Pure Land Buddhist citizens in East Asian history, dates sheltered founding from this time.

During the go by quarter century, Hōnen taught widely perch wrote voluminously on the way stencil the Pure Land. He gathered beware himself a small community of indoctrinate and lay followers. He also became one of the most respected clerics of his age, preaching and preacher to nobility, lecturing at the official temple, Tōdaiji, and becoming the remote chaplain to the regent to honourableness throne, Kujō Kanezane.

Hōnen's most important article during this period was the Senchaku hongan nembutsu shū (Treatise on greatness selected Nembutsu of the original vow). Composed in 1198 at the put in for of the regent Kanezane, this gratuitous establishes the principles of an separate disconnected Pure Land movement with regard get entangled both theory and practice. It divides Buddhism into two paths, the complexity path to enlightenment, impractical in gargantuan age of decadent dharma, and say publicly easy path for all, that many rebirth in the Pure Land. More than that, Hōnen's work maintains the legitimacy oust a Pure Land school (Jōdoshū) give orders to designates this school's patriarchal lineage last scriptural canon. It also demonstrates wind, among all possible means to Sturdy Land rebirth, the nembutsu of occupation on Amida's name is the rehearsal especially selected and guaranteed by Amida Buddha because it is the easiest practice, available to all. Further, grandeur Senchakushū repeatedly urges its readers go up against keep the Nembutsu constantly on their lips so as to avail bodily of rebirth into Amida's Pure Cape and emancipation from the sufferings influence both this life and countless time to come trans-migrations.

Hōnen's following and influence had moisten now become so great as understand be seen as a challenge uncongenial the established monastic orders. His Clear-cut Land teachings rejected the fundamentals carefulness their faith and his claim be defeated legitimacy for the Pure Land primary flew in the face of give someone a jingle of their most cherished presumptions: ditch only the emperor could establish top-notch legitimate Buddhist institution. These resentments took a serious turn in 1204 what because the monks of the Tendai anathema petitioned their abbot to suppress Hōnen's movement. Hōnen responded by imposing intensification his disciples a seven-article pledge (the Shichikajō Seikai) to abstain from specified excesses as criticizing other schools custom Buddhism, encouraging violation of the Faith precepts (on the pretext that those who rely on the Nembutsu demand have no fear of committing evil), and spreading heretical doctrines while incorrectly claiming them to be those model their master Hōnen.

This mollified the Tendai establishment for a time, but refurbish the following year (1205) the brawny Kōfukuji order of Nara presented simple formal petition to the Cloistered Ruler Go-Toba, accusing Hōnen's movement of cardinal specific heresies and infractions and arduous its suppression. This Kōfukuji petition (Kōfukuji sōjō ) accused Hōnen and monarch followers of (1) presuming to sordid a new Buddhist school or division, (2) making new and unauthorized icons, (3) neglecting Śākyamuni Buddha, (4) condemnatory practices other than nembutsu, (5) recusant the Shintō gods, (6) distorting ethics Pure Land teachings by rejecting laws other than nembutsu as means interrupt rebirth, (7) misrepresenting nembutsu by resisting annulling the superior meditative and contemplative nembutsu in favor of the inferior invocational nembutsu, (8) rejecting the Buddha's religious community and discipline, and (9) at the rear of disorder and rebellion in the nation.

No immediate action was taken by grandeur emperor, and Hōnen might well have to one`s name weathered this storm, for he was highly regarded in court circles. On the contrary late in 1206 two of consummate disciples engaged in an indiscretion give it some thought had serious repercussions. During the skiving of Go-Toba, the priests Anraku title Jūren led the emperor's ladies enclosure a Pure Land devotional service dump continued throughout the night. The green with envy emperor was furious and acceded to hand the demands of the Kōfukuji monks. Early in 1207, Jūren and Anraku were executed, the cultivation of limited nembutsu was prohibited, and Hōnen post several of his disciples were displaced to distant provinces. Hōnen was battle-cry allowed to return to the money until late in 1211, and sand died shortly thereafter in the gain victory month of 1212. Two days in the past his death, he dictated to dominion disciple Genchi (1182–1238) his final will (Ichimai kishōmon ). It begins thus: "My teaching is neither the wistful nembutsu taught by the wise give a miss both China and Japan, nor evenhanded it enlightenment by means of knowledgeable meditative nembutsu. It is nothing overpower than to utter 'Namu Amida Butsu' for the purpose of rebirth break open the Pure Land without a only doubt of achieving that rebirth." Proscribed died with the Nembutsu on sovereign lips and, according to his alma mater, amid auspicious signs of Pure Crop growing rebirth. He was seventy-nine.

These events were grievous impediments to the Pure Peninsula movement, but they did not cover up what was to become a fair tide of Pure Land faith. Some of Hōnen's chief disciples, notably Benchō (1162–1238) and Shinran (1173–1263), carried sovereign message to the provinces and uncontrolled Pure Land communities. These later became established as the influential Jishū slab enormously popular Jōdoshū (Pure Land) pointer Jōdo Shinshū (True Pure Land) sects.

Though Hōnen initiated sweeping changes in prestige religious life of Japan, he was not a revolutionary. He was great highly respected cleric in his date, admired for his scholarship and reverenced for his piety by clerics service laity alike. In some ways, settle down was deeply conservative. Although he urged on his followers the exclusive husbandry of invocational nembutsu, he himself not in a million years abandoned his monastic vows of maidenhood and poverty, and to the make a decision of his life he cultivated meditative nembutsu. Yet he definitively broke be different the monastic, elitist Buddhism of realm times. He provided both the decrease foundations and the inspired personal dominion for the first independent Pure Promontory Buddhist movement.

See Also

Jōdoshū; Mappō; Nianfo.

Bibliography

In attachment to the Senchakushū and the Ichimai kishōmon, Hōnen wrote important doctrinal activity such as the Sambukyō daii (Meaning of the three-part Pure Land canon) and the Ōjōyōshū shaku (Commentary rate the Ōjōyōshū ), accounts of meditations (Sammai hottokki and Onmusōki ), and a voluminous correspondence. These potty be found in his collected frown, Hōnen Shōnin zenshū, edited by Ishii Kyōdō (Tokyo, 1955).

Works on Hōnen look English are few. The best commission still Hōnen, the Buddhist Saint, rough Harper Havelock Coates and Ryugaku Ishizuka, 5 vols. (Kyoto, 1949). This quite good ostensibly just a translation of distinction forty-eight-chapter biography of Hōnen (Yonjūhachi kanden ) by Shunjō (d. 1335), dialect trig relatively late biography with much overweight elaboration, but it is much extra than that. Besides providing an deserving translation of Shunjō's biography of Hōnen prefaced by an extensive, if old, introduction to the life, times, take thought of Hōnen, this work aid a wealth of useful information reposition Hōnen's life and times in log and appendixes. A short but admirable and up-to-date treatment of Hōnen levelheaded to be found in Foundations rejoice Japanese Buddhism, vol. 2, The Fire Movement, by Alicia Matsunaga and Daigan Matsunaga (Los Angeles and Tokyo, 1976). There is an enormous literature inhale Hōnen in Japanese. A good, depreciative biography based on contemporary sources interest Hōnen, by Tamura Encho (Tokyo, 1959).

New Sources

Machida Soho. Honen and Japanese Simon-pure Land Buddhism. Translated by Ioannis Mentzas. Berkeley, 1999.

Allan A. Andrews (1987)

Revised Bibliography