Shōshinge
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Shōshinge
The or ''The Hymn of True Faith'' was written by the founder of Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism, Shinran. It consists of an outline of the Pure Land Buddhism teaching according to Shinran's personal interpretation. The structure is as follows: * Homage to Amida * Adoration to Amida and Shakyamuni Buddhas * Exhortation to take refuge in Amida * Teachings of the Patriarchs: # Nagarjuna # Vasubandhu # Tanluan # Daochuo # Shandao # Genshin # Hōnen * Exhortation The ''Shōshinge'' is followed by six verses from Shinran's Sanjō Wasan. The first six verses of the ''Jōdo Wasan'' (浄土和讃) section of the ''Sanjō Wasan'' (based on Donran's ''San Amida Butsu Ge''), are most frequently used but traditional temples work their way through the whole ''Sanjō Wasan'' on an annual basis. In the past Hongan-ji , also archaically romanized as Hongwanji, is the collective name of the largest school of Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism (which further sub-divides into the Nishi and Higashi branches). 'H ...
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Genshin
, also known as , was a prominent Japanese monk of the Tendai school, recognized for his significant contributions to both Tendai and Pure Land Buddhism. Genshin studied under Ryōgen, a key reformer of the Tendai tradition, and became well known for his intellectual prowess, particularly after his success in a major debate at Mount Hiei in 974. Genshin spent much of his later life at the secluded Eshin-in monastery in Yokawa on Mount Hiei, where he focused on scholarly pursuits and meditation. He is credited with founding the Eshin school of Tendai, which emphasized the idea of inherent awakening (Original enlightenment, hongaku). Although deeply rooted in Tendai teachings, Genshin became a leading figure in the early development of Pure Land Buddhism. His most influential work, ''Ōjōyōshū'' (往生要集, ''Collection of the Essentials for Birth''), outlined a comprehensive approach to attaining Rebirth (Buddhism), rebirth in Amitābha, Amitabha's Pure Land, integrating ...
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Jōdo Shinshū
, also known as Shin Buddhism or True Pure Land Buddhism, is a school of Pure Land Buddhism founded by the former Tendai Japanese monk Shinran. Shin Buddhism is the most widely practiced branch of Buddhism in Japan. History Shinran (founder) Shinran (1173–1263) lived during the late Heian period, Heian to early Kamakura period (1185–1333), a time of turmoil for Japan when the Emperor of Japan, Emperor was stripped of political power by the Shogun, shōguns. Shinran's family had a high rank at the Imperial Court in Kyoto, Imperial Court in Kyoto, but given the times, many aristocratic families were sending sons off to be bhikkhu, Buddhist monks instead of having them participate in the Imperial government. When Shinran was nine years old in 1181, he was sent by his uncle to Mount Hiei, where he was ordained as a śrāmaṇera in the Tendai sect. Over time, Shinran became disillusioned with how Buddhism was practiced, foreseeing a decline in the potency and practicality of the ...
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Shinran
''Popular Buddhism in Japan: Shin Buddhist Religion & Culture'' by Esben Andreasen, pp. 13, 14, 15, 17. University of Hawaiʻi Press 1998, . was a Japanese Buddhist monk, who was born in Hino (now a part of Fushimi, Kyoto) at the turbulent close of the Heian Period and lived during the Kamakura Period. Shinran was a pupil of Hōnen and the founder of what ultimately became the sect of Japanese Buddhism. Names Shinran's birthname was Matsuwakamaro. In accordance with Japanese customs, he has also gone by other names, including Hanen, Shakku and Zenshin, and then finally Shinran, which was derived by combining the names of Seshin (Vasubandhu in Japanese) and Donran ( Tanluan’s name in Japanese). His posthumous title was Kenshin Daishi. For a while, Shinran also went by the name Fujii Yoshizane. After he was disrobed, he called himself Gutoku Shinran, in a self-deprecating manner which means "Bald Fool," to denote his status as "neither a monk, nor a layperson". Biography A ...
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Pure Land Buddhism
Pure Land Buddhism or the Pure Land School ( zh, c=淨土宗, p=Jìngtǔzōng) is a broad branch of Mahayana, Mahayana Buddhism focused on achieving rebirth in a Pure land, Pure Land. It is one of the most widely practiced traditions of East Asian Buddhism, Buddhism in East Asia. It is also known as the "Lotus School" (Chinese language, Chinese: 蓮宗; pinyin: ''Liánzōng'') in China or the "Nianfo, Nembutsu school" in Japan. East Asian Pure Land mainly relies on three main Mahayana sutras, Mahayana scriptures: the ''Longer Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra, Sutra of Amitayus'', the ''Amitāyus Contemplation Sūtra, Contemplation Sutra'' and the ''Shorter Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra, Amitabha Sutra''. The Pure Land tradition is primarily focused on achieving rebirth in a Buddhahood, Buddha's "pure land", a superior place to spiritually train for full Buddhahood, where one can meet a Buddha face to face and study under them without any of the distractions or fears of our world.Williams, Pau ...
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Amitābha
Amitābha (, "Measureless" or "Limitless" Light), also known as Amituofo in Chinese language, Chinese, Amida in Japanese language, Japanese and Öpakmé in Tibetan script, Tibetan, is one of the main Buddhahood, Buddhas of Mahayana, Mahayana Buddhism and the most widely venerated Buddhist deities, Buddhist figure in East Asian Buddhism.阿彌陀 Amitâbha
Digital Dictionary of Buddhism
Amitābha is also known by the name Amitāyus ("Measureless Life"). Amitābha is the main figure in two influential Indian Buddhist Mahayana sutras, Mahayana Scriptures: the ''The Amitāyus Sutra, Sutra of Measureless Life'' and the ''Amitābha Sūtra''. According to the ''Sutra of Measureless Life'', Amitābha established a Pure Land, pure land of perfect peace and happiness, called Sukhavati, Sukh ...
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The Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist legends, he was born in Lumbini, in what is now Nepal, to royal parents of the Shakya clan, but Great Renunciation, renounced his Householder (Buddhism), home life to live as a wandering ascetic. After leading a life of mendicancy, asceticism, and meditation, he attained Nirvana (Buddhism), nirvana at Bodh Gaya, Bodh Gayā in what is now India. The Buddha then wandered through the lower Indo-Gangetic Plain, teaching and building a Sangha, monastic order. Buddhist tradition holds he died in Kushinagar and reached ''parinirvana'' ("final release from conditioned existence"). According to Buddhist tradition, the Buddha taught a Middle Way between sensual indulgence and severe asceticism, leading to Vimutti, freedom from Avidyā (Buddhism), ignora ...
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Nagarjuna
Nāgārjuna (Sanskrit: नागार्जुन, ''Nāgārjuna''; ) was an Indian monk and Mahayana, Mahāyāna Buddhist Philosophy, philosopher of the Madhyamaka (Centrism, Middle Way) school. He is widely considered one of the most important Buddhist philosophers.Garfield, Jay L. (1995), ''The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way'', Oxford: Oxford University Press. Nāgārjuna is widely considered to be the founder of the Madhyamaka school of Buddhist philosophy and a defender of the Mahāyāna movement. His ''Mūlamadhyamakakārikā'' (''Root Verses on Madhyamaka'', MMK) is the most important text on the Madhyamaka philosophy of Śūnyatā, emptiness. The MMK inspired a large number of commentaries in Sanskrit, Chinese, Tibetan, Korean and Japanese and continues to be studied today. History Background India in the first and second centuries CE was politically divided into various states, including the Kushan Empire and the Satavahana dynasty, Satavahana Kingdom. At ...
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Vasubandhu
Vasubandhu (; Tibetan: དབྱིག་གཉེན་ ; floruit, fl. 4th to 5th century CE) was an influential Indian bhikkhu, Buddhist monk and scholar. He was a philosopher who wrote commentary on the Abhidharma, from the perspectives of the Sarvastivada and Sautrāntika schools. After his conversion to Mahayana, Mahayana Buddhism, along with his brother, Asanga, he was also one of the main founders of the Yogacara school. Vasubandhu's ''Abhidharmakośakārikā'' ("Commentary on the Treasury of the Abhidharma") is widely used in Tibetan and East Asian Buddhism, as the major source for non-Mahayana Abhidharma philosophy. His philosophical verse works set forth the standard for the Indian Yogacara metaphysics of "appearance only" (''vijñapti-mātra''), which has been described as a form of "epistemological idealism", Phenomenology (philosophy), phenomenology and close to Immanuel Kant's transcendental idealism. Apart from this, he wrote several commentaries, works on logic, ...
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Tan-luan
Tánluán (, 476–554) was a Chinese Buddhist monk who wrote on Pure Land Buddhism.Shinkō Mochizuki (2000), p. 151 Tanluan was the first Asian Buddhist to stress the importance of the Buddha's Other Power as a liberating force. He held that through the practice of nianfo (buddha recollection), the Buddha's power would take them to the pure land after death. This doctrine would become very important in later Pure Land Buddhism. Tanluan's main work is his ''Jingtu lun zhu'' (浄土論註; T. 1819), a Commentary to Vasubandhu's '' Discourse on the Pure Land''. Tanluan is considered to be the Third Patriarch of Pure land Buddhism by the Japanese Pure Land sects like Jōdo-shu and Jōdo Shinshū. He was a significant influence on later Pure Land masters like Shandao and Shinran.Corless, Roger"The Enduring Significance of T’an-luan" ''Pacific World Journal,'' Third Series Number 2 Fall 2000 Life Tanluan was born in Shanxi, in an area near Wu-t’ai shan. As a young boy he ...
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Daochuo
Traditional portrait of Patriarch Daochuo Daochuo ( zh , t=道綽, s=道綽, p=Dàochuò, w=Tao-ch'o, first=p; J. Dōshaku, c. 562–645) was an eminent Chinese Buddhist master of Pure Land Buddhism. He was also known as Chan Master Xihe (Meditation Master of the West River).Buswell, Robert E; Lopez, Donald S. ''The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism'', p. 213. Princeton University Press, 24 November 2013. Daochuo was the first Pure Land teacher to discuss the framework of the two gates of Mahayana practice: the easy path of birth in the pure land of Amitabha, and the difficult path of sages. He taught that only the Pure Land path was truly effective. This was because the Pure Land path relied on the power of the Buddha's vows, while the path of sages relied on one's own effort over the course of thousands of eons of transmigration. Furthermore, Daochuo held that the world had entered into the Age of Dharma Decline, a time in which the path of self-effort was even less eff ...
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Shandao
Shandao (; ; 613–681) was a Chinese Buddhist scholar monk and an influential figure of East Asian Pure Land Buddhism.Jones (2019), pp. 20-21 Shandao was one of the first Pure Land authors to argue that all Pṛthagjana, ordinary people, and even the most evil person, can be reborn in the Pure land, Pure Land by relying on the Other power, karmic power of Amitābha Buddha's Primal Vow, past vows. Shandao was also one of the earliest Pure Land authors to teach the primacy of faithfully reciting Amitābha's name (Ch: nianfo). Shandao saw this practice as sufficient for birth in the Pure Land, and as the supreme practice (even more important than Buddhist meditation, meditation). This, along with Shandao's efforts to teach common laypeople in various ways, like disseminating paintings of the Pure Land, made Pure Land Buddhism much more accessible and popular among the common people. Several modern scholars consider Shandao to be the central figure of the Chinese Pure Land traditi ...
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Hōnen
, also known as Genkū, was the founding figure of the , the first independent branch of Japanese Pure Land Buddhism. Hōnen became a Tendai initiate at an early age, but grew disaffected and sought an approach to Buddhism that all people of all classes and genders could follow, even during the current Three Ages of Buddhism, Age of Dharma Decline. After reading Shandao's Commentary on the ''Amitāyus Contemplation Sūtra'', Hōnen devoted himself to attaining birth in the pure land of Amitābha Buddha (Amida) through the practice of "recitation of the Buddha's name" (Jp: Nianfo, nembutsu) and to spreading this teaching among all people. Hōnen gathered a wide array of followers and attracted numerous critics. He taught them all the simple practice of reciting "Namo Amida Butsu" while entrusting oneself to Amida's universal Other power, vow power.Hirota, Dennis,Japanese Pure Land Philosophy, ''The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' (Fall 2022 Edition), Edward N. Zalta & Uri N ...
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