, sometimes called , was 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 ...

, founder of the

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 ...

Buddhist sect. Shōkū later succeeded Jōhen, another disciple of Hōnen, as the head of a former Shingon Buddhist temple, Eikandō, established a separate branch of Jōdo-shū called the Seizan branch (after its namesake), and completed the transition of Eikandō from a Shingon temple into a Jōdo shū one.

Biography

According to the temple's biography, Shōkū was born into a noble family, but by 14 years of age took an interest in Buddhism. In one legend, his mother stood before a famous bridge to have his fortune told. At that time, a monk passed by chanting the Lotus Sutra, which convinced her that he should be a priest. It was then that Shōkū studied under Hōnen for 23 years. Later in life, he became a disciple of Jōhen, who had recently converted from the Shingon faith to the

faith, subsequently converting the Eikan-dō as well. Later Shoku took over as head of this temple, and fully converted the temple into a Jōdo shū temple, and began the Seizan branch. After Hōnen had died, Shōkū also studied Tendai and esoteric Shingon Buddhism extensively with a focus on

Pure Land A pure land is the celestial realm of a buddha or bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism. The term "pure land" is particular to East Asian Buddhism () and related traditions; in Sanskrit the equivalent concept is called a buddha-field (Sanskrit ). Th ...

teachings and practices. He wrote an extensive commentary on the

Taima Mandala The Taima Mandala (當麻曼荼羅,綴織当麻曼荼羅図) is an 8th century mandala in Japanese Pure Land Buddhism. It depicts Sukhavati, the western Pure Land, with the Buddha Amitābha (Japanese: Amida) in the center. The original copy was ...

at the invitation of the head priest of

Taima-dera ''Taima-dera'' (當麻寺) is a Buddhist temple in Katsuragi, Nara, Japan. The temple legend says it was built originally in 612 by the Imperial Prince Maroko, the brother of Prince Shotoku. The temple was moved to its present location in 681 by ...

temple. The temple biography mentions that Shōkū was very intense in his study and practice, and would recite the nembutsu up to 60,000 times a day, in addition to other ascetic practices. Shōkū described his practice as , meaning that after studying the Buddhist sutras extensively, and engaging in other Buddhist practices, one should then recite the nembutsu with their whole heart. This echoes the words of Hōnen where one should study Buddhist teachings, but then return to the humble self to be saved by Amida Buddha. This approach to Pure Land Buddhism won favor among the established Tendai sects, and so Shōkū was one of the few of Hōnen's disciples who was not exiled or executed in the year 1227, during the

Karoku Persecution was a after ''Gennin'' and before ''Antei.'' This period spanned the years from April 1225 to December 1227. The reigning emperor was .Titsingh, Isaac. (1834) ''Annales des empereurs du Japon'', pp. 238-240 Varley, H. Paul. (1980). ''Jinnō Sh� ...

References

External links

The Taima Mandala
Image of the Pure Land from a medieval Japanese scroll, based on the descriptions found in the Contemplation Sutra. This site offers explanations in English of the various motifs of the scroll. 1177 births 1247 deaths Jōdo-shū Buddhist priests Jōdo-shū Founders of Buddhist sects Heian period Buddhist clergy Kamakura period Buddhist clergy {{Japan-reli-bio-stub