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Shinran Shonin (親鸞聖人) (1173-1263) was a pupil of Honen and the founder of the Jodo Shinshu (or True Pure Land) sect in Japan. He was born at the close of the Heian period, when political power was passing from the imperial court into the hands of warrior clans. It was during this era when the old order was crumbling, however, that Japanese Buddhism, which had been declining into formalism for several centuries, underwent intense renewal, giving birth to new paths to enlightenment and spreading to every level of society. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Buddhism (Pāli Buddhadhamma or Sanskrit Buddhadharma) is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, who lived in the 5th century BCE. Buddhism spread throughout the ancient Indian sub-continent in the five centuries following his death, and propagated into Central, Southeast, and... The cultural elements of Buddhism vary by region and include: Buddhist cuisine Buddhist art Buddharupa Art and architecture of Japan Greco-Buddhism Tibetan Buddhist sacred art Buddhist music Buddhist chant Shomyo Categories: Buddhism-related stubs ... The history of Buddhism spans from the 6th century BCE to the present, starting with the birth of the Buddha Siddharta Gautama. ... Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z The following is a List of Buddhist topics: A Abhidharma Ahimsa Ajahn Ajahn Chah Ajanta Aksobhya Alexandra David-Néel... Buddhist beliefs and practices vary according to region. ... The percentage of Buddhist population of each country was taken from the US State Departments International Religious Freedom Report 2004 [1]. Other sources used were CIA Factbook [2] and adherents. ... There are many divisions and subdivisions of the schools of Buddhism. ... The Buddhist temple Wat Chiang Man, in Chiang Mai, Thailand, which dates from the late 13th century Buddhist temples and monasteries, sorted by location. ... Several Buddhist terms and concepts lack direct translations into English that cover the breadth of the original term. ... There are a great variety of Buddhist texts. ... 563 BCE: Siddhārtha Gautama, Buddha-to-be, is born in Lumbini, Ancient India. ... Events Canonization of Saint Thomas a Becket, buried at Canterbury August 9th - Construction starts on the Leaning tower of Pisa Castle at Abergavenny was seized by the Welsh. ... Events Detmold, Germany was founded. ... Honen Shonin (法然; 1133-1212) is credited with the establishment of Pure Land Buddhism as an independent sect in Japan. ... Jōdo ShinshÅ« (淨土眞宗 True Pure Land School), also known as Shin Buddhism, is a branch of Pure Land Buddhism derived from the teachings of the Japanese ex-Tendai preacher Shinran. ... The Heian period (Japanese: 平安時代, Heian-jidai) is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. ... Japanese Buddhist priest c. ... Bodhi (Pali and Sanskrit. ...

Biography

Shinran had been born as part of aristocratic elite in Kyoto during end of the Heian Period. His family was a low-rank at the Heian Court, so his father entered him into the monastic life at age 9, so that Shinran could climb the ranks of society that way, rather than through marriage. This page is about the city Kyoto. ... The Heian period (Japanese: 平安時代, Heian-jidai) is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. ...

Like many famous Japanese Buddhists at the time, including Honen, Dogen, and Nichiren, Shinran had been a monk of the Tendai school of Buddhism at Mt. Hiei. Shinran had only achieved a low-rank during his time as a monk, and felt very discouraged. According to his own account, he had a dream that told him to meet another disillusioned discipled named Honen. Shinran soon met Honen and became his disciple. Together, they and other disciples of Honen spread a new doctrine based on singular faith in Amida Buddha in the streets of Kyoto. Later, Honen and Shinran were exiled for causing a religious and political controversy, and never met each other again. Honen Shonin (法然; 1133-1212) is credited with the establishment of Pure Land Buddhism as an independent sect in Japan. ... Dōgen Zenji Dōgen Zenji (道元禅師; January 19, 1200 - September 22, 1253) was a Japanese Zen Buddhist teacher and founder of the Soto school of Zen in Japan. ... Nichiren (日蓮) (February 16, 1222 – October 13, 1282), born Zennichimaro (善日麿), later Zeshō-bō Renchō (是生房蓮長), and finally Nichiren (日蓮), was a Buddhist monk of 13th century Japan. ... Tendai (Japanese: 天台宗, Tendai-shÅ«) is a Japanese school of Vajrayana Buddhism, a descendant of the Chinese Tiantai or Lotus Sutra school. ... Mount Hiei (Jp. ... Honen Shonin (法然; 1133-1212) is credited with the establishment of Pure Land Buddhism as an independent sect in Japan. ... Honen Shonin (法然; 1133-1212) is credited with the establishment of Pure Land Buddhism as an independent sect in Japan. ... Honen Shonin (法然; 1133-1212) is credited with the establishment of Pure Land Buddhism as an independent sect in Japan. ... Amida can mean: Amida is the Japanese name of a popular Buddhist deity. ... This page is about the city Kyoto. ... Honen Shonin (法然; 1133-1212) is credited with the establishment of Pure Land Buddhism as an independent sect in Japan. ...

Shinran was ashamed of his exile, and his disrobing as a monk. He would often refer to himself as Gutoku or "foolish, bald-headed" one. Nevertheless, confronting the religious hegemony of his time, Shinran re-interpreted Pure Land teaching as the supreme expression and representation of the truth of Buddhism. He re-wrote commentaries by other Buddhists at the time using simple Japanese, rather than Classical Chinese, so that the peasant class could read these texts. He composed a number of hymns in simple Japanese as well. The Buddha Amitabha, 13th century, Kamakura, Japan. ...

Shinran married and had a number of children, who helped to maintain the new Jodo Shinshu faith. He died in the year 1263 at the age of 80. Jōdo Shinshū (淨土眞宗 True Pure Land School), also known as Shin Buddhism, is a branch of Pure Land Buddhism derived from the teachings of the Japanese ex-Tendai preacher Shinran. ...

Doctrine

Essentially Shinran said that since we are all defiled by greed, hatred and delusion, we have no chance of gaining enlightenment by ourselves. Many Buddhists at that time felt that the Dharma of the Buddha had declined to such a point that people could not do it themselves anymore, a concept called mappo in Japanese. Instead the Pure Land School of Buddhism encouraged its practitioners to rely on the vow of the Buddha Amitabha (Sanskrit, Amida in Japanese) to save all beings from suffering. According to three particular sutras Amitabha vowed to ensure that anyone who chanted his name would be reborn in his Pure Land of Sukhavati (Sanskrit, lit. Happy Land) and once there would easily be able to gain enlightenmnent, because they would not be hindered by all the problems of day to day life. Bodhi (Pāli and Sanskrit. ... Dharma - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Mappo, 末法 Jp. ... The Buddha Amitabha, 13th century, Kamakura, Japan. ... The Big Buddha or Daibatsu in Kamakura, an image of Amitabha Amitābha is a celestial Buddha described in the scriptures of Mahāyāna Buddhism. ... Sanskrit ( संस्कृतम्) is an Indo-European classical language of India and a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. ... Sutra (सूत्र) in Sanskrit is derived from the verb √siv, meaning to sew. ... Sanskrit ( संस्कृतम्) is an Indo-European classical language of India and a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. ...

Shinran's innovation in Pure Land Buddhism was to take this teaching to its logical extreme. He taught that awakening to the saving grace of Amida Buddha is the central matter. Continuous chanting of the nembutsu “Namu Amida Butsu” (Japanese, 南無阿弥陀仏), is not necessary, as Honen, his mentor, had believed. Instead, Shinran taught his followers that the nembutsu should be said as a form of gratitude rather than a way of achieving rebirth in the Pure Land. Faith in the Amida Buddha leads to a deep spiritual awakening, called shinjin, which severs the practitioner forever from birth and death. The advantage of the Path can be experienced here and now. The arising of shinjin also assures the devotee of birth in the Pure Land, and the attainment of enlightenment there. Nianfo (念佛. ... Honen Shonin (法然; 1133-1212) is credited with the establishment of Pure Land Buddhism as an independent sect in Japan. ... Nianfo (念佛. ... The Buddha Amitabha, 13th century, Kamakura, Japan. ... A spiritual awakening is a religious experience involving a realization or opening to a sacred dimension of reality. ... Devotion in Christianity can mean time spent alone or in a small group of people reading and studying the Bible in a way as it relates to ones spiritual health and well being. ...

Another aspect of Shinran's doctrine was the emphasis on gratitude and humility. Shinran believed that we exist as we do because of the many deeds of others, and that we could not adequately repay such kindness to all these beings. As such, Shinran taught that it was important to be humble and thankful for one's life. This gratitude could be expressed through the nembutsu, but also through a general sense of appreciation. Nianfo (念佛. ...

See also

• Faith in Buddhism

Faith (saddha/ sraddha) is an important constituent element of the teachings of the Buddha - both in the Theravada tradition as in the Mahayana. ...

Reference

• Shinran: an Introduction to His Thought - by Yoshifumi Ueda & Dennis Hirota (1989, Hongwanji International Center, Kyoto)

External links

• Works by Shinran at Project Gutenberg
• The Collected Works of Shinran