Shinran

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Shinran Shonin (親鸞聖人) (1173-1262) 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.

1 Biography
2 Doctrine
3 See also
4 Reference
5 External links

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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, in order for Shinran to climb the ranks of society through the religious hierarchy, rather than through marriage.

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 was low-rank monk, and later in life, he wrote how he felt very disillusioned by the convoluted, difficult practices at Mt. Hiei. According to his own account, he had a dream that told him to meet another disillusioned Tendai monk 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 and disrobed as monks, for causing a religious and political controversy. They never met each other again.

Shinran was ashamed of his exile, and his disrobing. He would often refer to himself as Gutoku or "foolish, bald-headed" one. Nevertheless, confronting the religious hegemony of his time, Shinran worked to re-interprete the 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.

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.

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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.

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.

Another aspect of Shinran's doctrine was the emphasis on gratitude and humility. Shinran believed that people exist because of the countless deeds of others. Thus, 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.

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