Hōnen

Hōnen (1133 – 1212) founded Jodo Shu, or the Pure Land Denomination of Buddhism, and the first patriarch of Jodo Shu. The center of his teaching was where Chion-in, the Head Temple of Jodo Shu, now stands.

Early life

Hōnen was born in Mimasaka province, present day Okayama Prefecture. His father was a province official in charge of policing. His birth was predicted by a strange dream his mother had – that she had swallowed a razor.  (Your author would not have made that prediction, but I am not well versed in interpreting dreams.) In 1411, Hōnen’s father was assassinated. Legend has it that on his deathbed, he instructed Hōnen not to hate his enemies but to become a monk and pray for their deliverance.

Hōnen was sent to his uncle’s temple. After a short time there, his uncle realized Hōnen’s potential and sent him to Mt. Hiei. In 1145, Hōnen was officially ordained a Tendai priest, receiving the name Hōnen-bō Genkū.

Departure from Mt. Hiei

Eventually Hōnen became disaffected by his practice on Mt. Hiei. He sought a universally accessible approach to Buddhism. In 1156, Hōnen left Mt. Hiei to study at Seiryo-ji in Saga, a western suburb of Kyoto. This was followed by time in Nara. However, it was to no avail and he returned to Mt. Hiei for further study.

His diligence paid off when he discovered the writings of Shandoa, a Chinese Buddhist. It was this passage that answered his question: “Only repeat the name of Amitābha with all your heart. Whether walking or standing, sitting or lying, never cease the practice of it even for a moment. This is the very work which unfailingly issues in salvation, for it is in accordance with the Original Vow of that Buddha.” This was known as nembutsu in Japanese. It meant that all that was needed to enter the Pure Land (salvation) was the recitation of the nembutsu. This discovery prompted Hōnen to leave Mt. Hiei and the Tendai tradition in 1175.

Beginnings of a New Sect

Hōnen relocated to Ōtani district of Kyoto, where he started addressing crowds of men and women, establishing a considerable following. Hōnen attracted fortune-tellers, ex-robbers, samurai, fishermen, prostitutes, and others normally excluded from Buddhist practice. Hōnen also had many priests and nobleman who allied with him and visited him for spiritual advice.

Among the nobles was Kujō Kanezane (1149 – 1207) also known as Fujiwara no Kanezane, who was a descendant of Fujiwara no Michinaga.  Hōnen conducted the ceremony of taking the Buddhist precepts for three emperors: Go-Shirakawa, Takakura and Go-Toba. Masako, the wife of Minamoto no Yoritomo, who founded the Kamakura government, was also a follower of Hōnen. Amongst the warriors was Kumagai Naozane (1141–1208), who feared going to hell after death because he had killed many people, including the Heike leader Taira no Atsumori in the Battle of Ichi-no-Tani. When he heard Hōnen’s sermon that even a sinful man could attain salvation through the nembutsu, he was moved to tears, took the Buddhist name of Rensei, and became Hōnen’s disciple preaching nembutsu for the rest of his life.

Among the priests attracted to Hōnen’s teaching, Shōku, Shōkō, and Shinran are important, because they later developed denominations of Pure Land Buddhism. Shōku (1147 – 1247) founded the Seizan branch, whose main temple is Eikandō. Shōkō (1162 – 1238)also known as Benchō, founded the Chinzei branch. He is considered the second patriarch of Jodo Shu. Shinran (1173 – 1263) founded the Jōdo Shinshū (True Pure Land) sect.

Criticism

The increasing popularity of his teachings drew criticism. The main criticisms were that Hōnen’s sole emphasis on nembutsu denied the usefulness of all other Buddhist practices and discouraged the traditional worship of the kami (Shinto gods). Secondly, Hōnen placed the lowliest layperson on equal footing with the wisest monk. Furthermore, some disciples interpreted Hōnen’s teachings in ways that led to disreputable behavior, criticism of other sects, or other forms of antinomianism. His disciple Kōsai (1163 – 1247) even preached that one and only one recitation of the nembutsu is sufficient for salvation.

 In response, Hōnen censured Kōsai’s single-nembutsu teaching and made his followers sign the Shichikajō-kishōmon (“Seven Article Pledge”), which called for restraint in moral conduct and in interactions with other Buddhist sects.

Exile and the Final Years

The clamor surrounding Hōnen’s teachings dissipated for a time. The strongest attack against Hōnen was made in February, 1207. This stemmed from an incident in 1206, when the Cloistered Emperor Go-Toba made a pilgrimage to the Kumano shrines. During his absence, two of his ladies in waiting, without his knowledge, attended a nembutsu service conducted by Hōnen’s disciples Juren and Anraku and were moved to become nuns. Juren and Anraku were accused of using nembutsu practice as a cover-up for sexual liaisons. As a result, Juren and Anraku were executed and Hōnen and some of his disciples, including Shinran, were exiled to Tosa on the island of Shikoku.

While in exile, Hōnen embraced the situation explaining that it was fortunate in that he was able to reach people he would not have otherwise been able to meet. He continued spreading his teachings to whomever he met – fishermen, prostitutes, and peasants. In 1211, Hōnen was allowed to return to Kyoto and shortly before he died in 1212, at the request of Genchi, his closest disciple, composed the One-Sheet Document that set forth his belief that the nembutsu is the way of universal salvation.