Rennyo

Rennyo(Liên như,1415–1499) was the 8thMonshu(head priest) of theHongan-jiTemple of theJōdo Shinshūsect ofBuddhism,and descendant of founderShinran.Jodo Shinshu Buddhists often referred to him as the restorer of the sect (Chūkō no so(Trung hưng の tổ)in Japanese). He was also known asShinshō-in( tín chứng viện ), and posthumouslyEtō Daishi( tuệ đăng đại sư ). During the conflict and welter of theŌnin Warand the subsequent warfare (Sengoku era) that spread throughout Japan, Rennyo was able to unite most of the disparate factions of the Jodo Shinshu sect under the Hongan-ji, reform existing liturgy and practices, and broaden support among different classes of society. Through Rennyo's efforts, Jodo Shinshu grew to become the largest, most influential Buddhist sect in Japan.

Rennyo ( liên như )
Portrait of Rennyo, painted during theMuromachi Period
Title	Restorer ofJodo ShinshuBuddhism, 8thmonshuof theHonganji
Personal
Born	Hoteimaru ( bố đại hoàn ) 1415 Kyoto,Japan
Died	1499 Osaka,Japan
Religion	Buddhism
Nationality	Japanese
School	Jodo ShinshuBuddhism
Other names	Kenju ( kiêm thọ )
Senior posting
Predecessor	Zonnyō

Rennyo is venerated along with Shinran, and liturgical reforms he implemented are still in use today in Jodo Shinshu temples. Further, Rennyo's letters were compiled and are still recited in Jodo Shinshu liturgy.

Rennyo maintained a complex relationship with theIkkō-ikkipeasant revolts, which were frequently by Shinshu followers, restraining them at times while also teaching and attending to their religious needs.

Biography

Early life

Born as Hoteimaru (Bố đại hoàn), later Kenju (Kiêm thọ), Rennyo was the son of Zonnyō (Tồn như,1396–1457, who later became the 7th Abbot orMonshuof theHongan-ji.Rennyo was born out of wedlock when his father was 18. His mother, a servant whose name is now unknown, was sent away when Rennyo was only six years old. Several times throughout his life he attempted to find her, with no result.

Rennyo frequently quarreled with his stepmother,Nyoen(d. 1460), and she attempted to have her own son, Ogen (1433–1503), installed as the successor to the abbacy of Hongan-ji. However, Rennyo's influential uncle, Nyojo (1402–1460), dismissed the idea and Rennyo ultimately succeeded as 8thMonshu.

Early Ministry

Following his installation as 8th head priest atHongan-jiin 1457, Rennyo focused his efforts in proselytizing inŌmi Province,an area dominated by theBukkō-jiandKinshoku-jibranches of Shinshū. Due to timely support from theKatadacongregation, Rennyo was able to expand the Honganji's presence. These congregations in Omi Province were frequently composed of artisan-class followers, who were able to provide crucial funds and protection.During his early ministry, Rennyo would frequently distribute religious texts to congregations as well as inscriptions of thenenbutsu(recitation ofAmitābhaBuddha's name). These inscriptions frequently used the so-called "10-character nembutsu" orJūjimyōgō(Thập tự danh hào):

Kimyō Jin Jippō Mugekō Nyorai
Quy mệnh tẫn thập phương vô ngại quang như lai

"I take refuge in theTathāgataof Unobstructed Light Suffusing the Ten Directions ".

Soon Rennyo's influence spread intoMikawa Province,an area traditionally dominated by theSenju-jibranch of Shinshū. He did this by making many appearances in these areas and presenting groups with his own commentaries and interpretations on Shinran's works.

The monks of theEnryaku-ji(the head temple of theTendaiSchool located onMt. Hiei) noticed Rennyo's successes in the provinces around Kyoto. In 1465,Mt. Hiei sent a band ofsōhei(warrior monks) to the Hongan-ji and destroyed most of the temple complex. The attacks were justified by claims that the Jōdo Shinshū movement was heretical. The actual motivation for these attacks was likely financial.Mt. Hiei had significant interests in Ōmi Province that included properties and businesses, and felt they needed to prevent Jōdo Shinshū's growth before they felt the economic effects. However, due to the wealth of the congregations Rennyo had converted in the area, enough money was raised to bribe the Mt. Hiei warriors in exchange for peace. The contingency to this was that Hongan-ji must become a member of Mt. Hiei's temples, thus entering them into yearly dues they had to pay Mt. Hiei. Rennyo was very nervous during this period, for just when Hongan-ji was at the pinnacle of uniting the disbanded factions ofShinran,Mt. Hiei reduced the Ōmi temple to rubble.

In any case, the Hongan-ji was almost entirely destroyed before armed men from theTakadacongregation were able to chase away the attackers. According to one account, Rennyo was able to fleet at the last minute due to timely assistance from acooperwho saw the attackers coming, and led Rennyo out through the back.

The years immediately following the attack of 1465 forced Rennyo to live a nomadic or errant life. Shortly after he settled among the Katada community, Mt. Hiei threatened to attack again and he fled again until he took refuge underMii-dera,a powerful rival temple to Mt. Hiei (ironically, bothTendaisect). However, this protection was not enough, and Mt. Hiei attacked the Takada congregation, forcing Rennyo to move further. Due to theŌnin Warin Japan, the central government of shogunate was unable to restrain Mt. Hiei and its monastic army.He could not depend on any outside forces to protect him and his cohorts. None of this stopped Rennyo's mission, as he continued to amass more converts in new areas such asSettsu ProvinceandYoshino Province.In 1469 he would make a trip to theKantō region,where he found the Shinshu orders there open to his new and refreshing teachings. This was despite the fact that Senjuji dominated the region.

Flight to Hokuriku and Recovery

When pondering where to rebuild Hongan-ji, Rennyo made a pivotal move and decided to build it as far away from the influence of Mt. Hiei as possible, by rebuilding the Hongan-ji inEchizen Province(present-dayFukui Prefecture), at a village called Yoshizaki ( cát kỳ ). This was a remote area conveniently located near a coastal route, with a number of Jodo Shinshu congregations from other sects already present. Rennyo initially proselytized to these congregations in the form of speaking tours, but eventually shifted toward pastoral letters. Many of the letters later compiled by Rennyo's followers date from this period of time. These letters proved effective because they were written in clear, comprehensible Japanese, could be read before a congregation, and were effective in clarifying the meaning of Shinran's original teachings.

When Rennyo did visit congregations, he would often sit among the congregation rather than on the raised dais, earning him further respect.

Meanwhile, Rennyo sought to curb some of the more egregious behavior of Shinshu followers in order to improve their standing in the larger Buddhist community. He institutedokite(掟,"Rules governing the community" )which included such items as:

• Not to slander the teachings of other schools (rule No. 2)
• Not to proclaim Jodo Shinshu teachings while adding other teachings outside the tradition (rule No. 5)
• Not to denigrate the provincial governor or constable (rule No. 6)
• Not to eat fish or fowl during services. (rule No. 9)
• Not to indulge in gambling. (rule No. 11)

Once established Yoshizaki, known today asYoshizaki Gobō(Cát kỳ ngự phường,"Yoshizaki Hermitage" ),flourished and adherents from surrounding provinces came to hear Rennyo speak. The congregation became so big that along the way to the new Hongan-ji there were hundreds of lodges set up and run by Shinshū priests to lodge the travelers.

However, as Rennyo drew more followers, including lower-ranking samurai, he became embroiled in a power-struggle inKaga Provincebetween two brothers of the Togashi family. These followers, who banded together to form theIkkō-ikkimovement, sided with Togashi Masachika in 1473, though they eventually turned on him by 1488. Rennyo kept a delicate balance by maintaining positive relationships with the rulingAshikaga shogunateinKyotoand exhorting followers to follow proper conduct in civil society, while at the same time, ministering to the congregation and protecting them from governmental wrath when they rebelled against the authorities.

Return to Kyoto

By 1475, Rennyo returned to the Kyoto provinces with such a following that Mt. Hiei could no longer pose a credible threat to Jōdo Shinshū again. Rennyo had secured such status in the Jōdo Shinshū ranks that he had to begin issuing pastoral letters (or,ofumi) in place of appearances to congregations.

During this time, Rennyo established a new form ofliturgy(gongyō), incorporating elements that would eventually become the core of Honganji Jōdo ShinshūBuddhism.He also rewrote many Buddhist texts intokana,the simple, phoneticJapanesecharacters, making the texts more accessible for the common person. In 1496, Rennyo sought solitude and retired to a rural area at the mouth of theYodo River,where he built a small hermitage. The area was known for its "long slope," or "Ō-saka" ( đại phản ) in Japanese. Contemporary documents about Rennyo's life and his hermitage were thus the first to refer to this place by the nameOsaka.Rennyo's isolation did not last long, however; his hermitage grew quickly into a temple and surrounding temple town (jinaimachi) as devotees gathered to pay him homage and to hear his teachings. By the time of Rennyo's death three years later (in 1499), the complex had come to be known as theIshiyama Hongan-ji,and was close to the final shape which would prove to be the greatest fortified temple in Japanese history.

Teachings

Rennyo believed he was restoring his ancestorShinran'soriginal teachings, which he summed up in a short creed known as theRyōgemon(Lĩnh giải văn,"Statement of Conviction" ):

We abandon all indiscriminate religious practices and undertakings (zōgyō zasshu) and all mind of self-assertion (jiriki no kokoro), we rely with singleness of heart on the Tathāgata Amida in that matter of utmost importance to us now—to please save us in our next lifetime. We rejoice in knowing that our birth in the Pure Land is assured and our salvation established from the moment we rely [on the Buddha] with even a singlenembutsu(ichinen), and that whenever we utter the Buddha's name thereafter it is an expression of gratitude and indebtedness to him. We gratefully acknowledge that for us to hear and understand this truth we are indebted to our founder and master [Shinran] for appearing in the world and to successive generations of religious teachers in our tradition for their profound encouragement. We shall henceforth abide by our established rules (okite) as long as we shall live. --Translation by Professor James C. Dobbins.

The Ryogemon is still recited in modern-day Shinshu liturgy as a summation of Jodo Shinshu beliefs.

However, Rennyo's teaching also differed from Shinran's in subtle ways:

• Rennyo frequently used the termanjin(An tâm,"peace of mind" )alongside the termshinjin(Tín tâm,"true-entrusting" )that Shinran used.
• Rennyo de-emphasized the prohibition against veneration ofShintokami, and taught they were manifestations of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in keeping with medieval Japanese viewpoints.
• Rennyo further elaborated on the notion ofkihō ittai( cơ pháp nhất thể ), whereby the deluded person is united with Amida Buddha through thenembutsu.
• Rennyo emphasized the notion of "gratitude", such that every invocation of thenembutsuafter the first one expressed gratitude at being assured rebirth in the Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha. In his letters, he described this asgo-on hōsha(Ngự ân báo tạ,"Indebtedness to the Buddha Amitabha" )

Writings and Liturgy

As part of Rennyo's reforms, he elevated the status of Shinran's hymn, theShōshinge(Chính tín kệ,"Hymn of the True Faith" ),which was originally printed in Shinran's magnum opus, theKyogyoshinsho.The Shoshinge is the primary liturgy used in Jodo Shinshu services, apart from Buddhist sutras, and is recited every morning at 6:00 at theNishi Honganjitemple services.

Further, Rennyo Shonin was the author of several works relating toJōdo Shinshūdoctrine. His most influential work is his collection of letters to various Shinshumonto(lay groups), popularly known asGobunshō(Ngự văn chương,"Compositions" )in the Nishi Hongan-ji tradition, andOfumi(Ngự văn,"Compositions" )in the Higashi Hongan-ji tradition. These letters have the status of scriptural texts and are traditionally used in Shinshu daily liturgy; the most well-known letter is theHakkotsu no Sho(Bạch cốt の thư,"Letter on White Ashes" )which is a reflection on the impermanence of life and the importance of relying on Amida Buddha's Vow. This letter is frequently read aloud during Jōdo Shinshū funeral services.

Rennyo's disciples also recorded things he said in a collection called theGoichidai Kikigaku(Ngự nhất đại ký văn thư,"A Record of Things Heard" ),which provides later followers with some insight into his personality and beliefs.

Legacy

Such was Rennyo's importance in reviving Shinran's teachings that he is revered by devotees as the "second founder" of the Jōdo Shinshū tradition. For example, Rennyo's image is typically venerated in Jodo Shinshu shrines to the left of Amitābha Buddha (while Shinran is usually enshrined to the right).

Rennyo is credited with bringing Jodo Shinshu teachings to a wider audience through proselytization, and also through his letters, which provided accessible, clear explanations of Shinshu doctrine in comparison to Shinran's writings, which are in Classical Chinese.Rennyo clarified Shinran's teachings, provided a simple code of conduct, and reformed the temple hierarchy and liturgy.

There is debate among scholars belonging to the sect as to whether Rennyo's legacy was good for the Jōdo Shinshū or not. On the one hand, Rennyo gave the disorganized Shinshū movement a coherent structure, translated Shinran's teachings into simpler language, and developed a common liturgy. On the other hand, the process of institutionalization that Rennyo accelerated arguably departed from Shinshū's original egalitarianism, and led to a disjunction between priest-scholars and lay devotees contrary to Shinran's intentions. Rennyo also introduced certain doctrinal elements from the rivalSeizanJōdo Shū tradition into the Shinshū, and toleratedShintobelief inkamito a greater extent than Shinran had.

Jodo Shinshu sects that have remained independent of the Honganji, such as theSenju-jisect, do not recognize Rennyo's reforms and innovations.

His 500th memorial service was observed in 1998. (-see Dobbins & Rogers references below.)

Bibliography

• Sansom, George Bailey.(1958).A History of Japan to 1334.Stanford: Stanford University Press.ISBN978-0-8047-0523-3;OCLC224793047
• Dobbins, James C.(1989).Jodo Shinshu: Shin Buddhism in Medieval Japan.Bloomington, Illinois: Indiana University Press.ISBN9780253331861;OCLC 470742039
• Rogers, Minor and Ann (1991),Rennyo: The Second Founder of Shin Buddhism: with a Translation of his Letters,Berkeley, Calif.: Asian Humanities Press,ISBN0895819295
• Blum, Mark L. and Yasutomi Shin'ya, ed. (2006).Rennyo and the Roots of Modern Japanese Buddhism.Oxford University Press.ISBN9780195132755OCLC79864423
• Ducor, Jérôme (1998). "La vie de Rennyo (1415–1499)";The Rennyo Shônin Reader(ed. by Institute of Jodo-Shinshu Studies and Hongwanji International Center; Kyoto, Jōdo-Shinshū Hongwanji-ha International Center, 1998), p. 57–90.
• Shojun Bandō, Harold Stewart, Ann T. Rogers, Minor L. Rogers (trans.):Tannishō: Passages Deploring Deviations of Faith and Rennyo Shōnin Ofumi: The Letters of Rennyo,Berkeley: Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research 1996.ISBN1-886439-03-6
• Elson Snow, trans. (1994).Goichidaiki-kikigaki: Sayings of Rennyo Shonin,Pacific World Journal, New Series, Number 10, 1–55

External links

• Tanaka, Kenneth K., trans.Rennyo Shonin's Shoshinge Tai'i: The Main Import of Shoshinge.A Commentary on Shinran Shonin's Verses on True Shinjin
• Kyoto National Museum (1998)Rennyo and Hongan-ji: History and Fine Artsretrieved 30 Dec 2004 at Archive.org