The branch, also called the , of
Jōdo-shū
, also known as Jōdo Buddhism, is a branch of Pure Land Buddhism derived from the teachings of the Japanese ex-Tendai monk Hōnen. It was established in 1175 and is the most widely practiced branch of Buddhism in Japan, along with Jōdo Shi ...
Buddhism is the main branch that exists today, and was first established by
Benchō
, was a Japanese Buddhist monk and second patriarch of the main Chinzei branch of the Jōdo-shū sect of Japanese Buddhism, after Hōnen. In Jodo Shu Buddhism, he is often called by adherents as or . According to biographies, he first ordained as ...
a disciple of
Hōnen
was the religious reformer and founder of the first independent branch of Japanese Pure Land Buddhism called . He is also considered the Seventh Jōdo Shinshū Patriarch.
Hōnen became a Tendai initiate at an early age, but grew disaffected and ...
, but formalized into a separate branch by Benchō's disciple
Ryōchū.
Originally based in
Kyushu
is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surroun ...
where Benchō had been exiled, the sect contended with other disciples of Hōnen until it emerged into the dominant branch today. Its origins in Kyushu are also the reason for the sect's name, as ''Chinzei'' was an older name for Kyushu and was adopted by
Benchō
, was a Japanese Buddhist monk and second patriarch of the main Chinzei branch of the Jōdo-shū sect of Japanese Buddhism, after Hōnen. In Jodo Shu Buddhism, he is often called by adherents as or . According to biographies, he first ordained as ...
.
The famous temple of
Chion-in
in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Japan is the headquarters of the Jōdo-shū (Pure Land Sect) founded by Hōnen (1133–1212), who proclaimed that sentient beings are reborn in Amida Buddha's Western Paradise (Pure Land) by reciting the ''nembutsu'', A ...
, Hōnen's gravesite, and the temple of
Zōjō-ji
is a Jōdo-shū Buddhist temple in Tokyo, Japan. It is the main temple of the Jōdo-shū ("Pure Land") Chinzei sect of Buddhism in the Kantō region,. Its mountain name is San'en-zan (三縁山).
Zōjō-ji is notable for its relationship wit ...
in Tokyo are all administered by the Chinzei branch.
References
{{Japan-reli-stub
Jōdo-shū