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Shinran

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Shinran ( thân loan )
Shinran (ICP) (Nara National Museum)
TitleFounder ofJōdo ShinshūBuddhism
Personal
Born
Matsuwakamaro

May 21, 1173
Heian-kyō,Yamashiro Province(nowKyoto, Japan)
DiedJanuary 16, 1263(1263-01-16)(aged 89)
Heian-kyō,Yamashiro Province
ReligionBuddhism
SpouseEshinni
ChildrenKakushinnhi,Zenran,others
SchoolJōdo ShinshūBuddhism
Senior posting
TeacherHōnen

Shinran(Thân loan,May 21, 1173 – January 16, 1263)[1][2]was aJapanese Buddhistmonk, who was born in Hino (now a part ofFushimi,Kyoto) at the turbulent close of theHeian Periodand lived during theKamakura Period.Shinran was a pupil ofHōnenand the founder of what ultimately became theJōdo Shinshūsect ofJapanese Buddhism.

Names

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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 (Vasubandhuin Japanese) and Donran (Tanluan’s name in Japanese). His posthumous title was Kenshin Daishi.[3]For a while, Shinran also went by the name Fujii Yoshizane.[4]After he was disrobed, he called himself Gutoku Shinran, in a self-deprecating manner which means "stubble-haired foolish one," to denote his status as "neither a monk, nor a layperson".[citation needed]

Biography

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Statue of Shinran Shonin in Kyoto.

According to traditional biographies, Shinran was born on May 21, 1173, to Lord and Lady Arinori, from a branch of theFujiwara clan,and was given the name Matsuwakamaro. Early in Shinran's life his parents both died. In 1181, desperate to know what happens after dying, he entered the Shōren-in temple near present-dayMaruyama ParkinKyotoat age nine. Modern historians contest the identity and date of death of Shinran's parents, suggesting he ordained alongside his father due to instability from theGenpei War.[5]He wrote this poem on entering: "Like the cherry blossom, the heart planning on tomorrow is ephemeral indeed—what sudden storm may not arise in the middle of the night". Acutely aware of his own impermanence, he was desperate to find a solution. He then practiced atMt. Hieifor the next 20 years of his life. Letters between his wife and daughter indicate that he was a Tendaidōsō(Đường tăng,"hall monk" ).[6] According to his own account to his wife Eshinni (whose letters are preserved at theHongan-ji), in frustration at his own failures as a monk and at obtaining enlightenment, he took a retreat at the temple ofRokkaku-dō.There, while engaged in intense practice, he experienced a vision in whichAvalokitesvaraappeared to him asPrince Shōtoku,directing Shinran to another disillusioned Tendai monk namedHōnen.[7]In 1201, Shinran met Hōnen and became his disciple. During his first year under Hōnen's guidance, at the age of 29, Shinran attained salvation throughAmida's Vow.Though the two only knew each other for a few years, Hōnen entrusted Shinran with a copy of his secret work, theSenchakushū.However his precise status amongst Hōnen's followers is unclear as in the Seven Article Pledge, signed by Hōnen's followers in 1204, Shinran's signature appears near the middle among less-intimate disciples.[8] During his time as a disciple of Hōnen's, Shinran caused a great stir among society by publicly getting married and eating meat. Both practices were strictly forbidden for monks, but Shinran took these drastic steps to show that Amida's salvation is for all people and not just for monks and priests.

In 1207, the Buddhist establishment in Kyoto persuaded the military to impose anembutsuban, after an incident where two of Hōnen's most prominent followers were accused of usingnembutsupractice as a coverup for sexual liaisons.[9]These two monks were subsequently executed. Hōnen and Shinran were exiled, with Shinran being defrocked and sent toEchigoProvince (contemporaryNiigata Prefecture).[10]They never met each other again. Hōnen would die later in Kyoto in 1212.[1]

Although Shinran was critical of the motivations that ultimately led to the exile, and the disruption of Hōnen's practice community, the exile itself proved to be a critical turning point in Shinran's religious life. Having been stripped of his monastic name, he renamed himselfGutoku(Ngu trọc,"Foolish, bald-headed one" ),coming to understand himself as neither monk nor layman. In this period, aristocratic exiles were provided land and seed and were required to take up farming, a measure designed to humiliate and humble them, which brought Shinran into the company of many of the lower social classes.[11]While in exile, Shinran sought to continue the work of Hōnen and spread the doctrine of salvation throughAmidaBuddha's compassion, as expressed through thenembutsupractice, however in time his teachings diverged from Hōnen enough that later followers would use the term Jōdo Shinshū or "True Essence of the Pure Land Sect", as opposed toJōdo-shūor "Pure Land Sect".

Shinran married his wife,Eshinni,and had seven children with her.

Five years after being exiled inEchigo,in 1211, thenembutsuban was lifted and Shinran was pardoned though he chose not to return to Kyoto at that time. Instead, Shinran left for an area known as Inada, a small area inKantōjust north of Tokyo. In 1224 Shinran authored his most significant text,Kyogyoshinsho,which is a series of selections and commentaries on Buddhistsutrassupporting the new Pure Land Buddhist movement, and establishing a doctrinal lineage with Buddhist thinkers in India and China. In 1234 Shinran left the Kantō area and returned to Kyoto, with his daughterKakushinni.On returning to Kyoto, Shinran discovered that his eldest son,Zenran( thiện loan 1217?–1286?), who remained inHitachiandShimotsukeprovinces was telling people he received special teachings from Shinran and was otherwise leading people astray.[7]Shinran wrote stern letters to Zenran (frequently addressed by his Buddhist nameJishin-bō(Từ tin phòng)) instructing him to cease his activities, but when Zenran refused, Shinran disowned him:[12]

Hence, from now on there shall no longer exist parental relations with you; I cease to consider you my son. I declare this resolutely to thethree treasuresand thegods.It is a sorrowful thing. It rends my heart to hear that you have devoted yourself to misleading all the people of thenembutsuin Hitachi, saying that [what they have been taught] is not my true teaching. Rumors have reached as far asKamakurathat I have instructed you to denounce the people in Hitachi who say the nembutsu. It is deeply deplorable.

Shinran died in Kyoto the year 1263 at the age of 90.[1]Kakushinni was instrumental in maintaining the mausoleum, and passing on his teachings, with her descendants ultimately becoming theMonshu,or head of the Honganji Temples built around the Mausoleum.

Timeline

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Part of a series on
Buddhism in Japan
Schools
Key figures
Key topics
  • 1173: Shinran is born
  • 1175: Hōnen founds theJōdo-shūsect
  • 1181: Shinran becomes a monk
  • 1201: Shinran becomes a disciple of Hōnen and leaves Mt. Hiei
  • 1207: The nembutsu ban and Shinran's exile
  • 1211: Shinran is pardoned
  • 1212: Hōnen passes away in Kyoto & Shinran goes to Kantō
  • 1224(?): Shinran authors Kyogyoshinsho
  • 1234(?): Shinran goes back to Kyoto
  • 1256: Shinran disowns his son Zenran
  • 1263: Shinran dies in Kyoto

    • Doctrine

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    Shinran considered himself a lifelong disciple of Hōnen, in spite of their separation. According to a letter composed by his wife, Eshinni:[13]

    People would say all types of things about where the master [Hōnen] might go. They would even say that he was headed for an evil rebirth (akudō). Whenever people spoke such things, [Shinran] would reply, "I am one who believes that I would even go [with him], since from realm to realm and from rebirth to rebirth I am lost already."

    Hōnen's disciples were said to have been largely divided by questions arising from the need for a single invocation (nenbutsu) of Amitabha's name versus many-callings, and thereby emphasis on faith versus practice. Shinran, like Hōnen's discipleKōsai,leaned more toward faith over practice, however he did not advocate the single-recitation teaching.[14]

    While Shinran's teachings and beliefs were generally consistent with the Pure Land Buddhist movement at the time, he also had idiosyncrasies as well:

    Primacy of faith

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    In any case Shinran, like others in Hōnen's community, felt that in the age ofDharma Decline,it was no longer possible to achieve enlightenment through traditional monastic practices, and thus one could only rely on the vows ofAmitabhaBuddha, particular the 18th or "Primal Vow"and seek rebirth in thePure Land.In a passage from his magnum opus, the Kyōgyōshinshō, he writes of himself:[13]

    Therefore, reverencing the expositions of the treatise masters and relying on the exhortations of the religious teachers, I, the Bald-Headed Fool Shinran, abandoned forever the provisional path of manifold practices and good work, and separated myself once and for all from birth in the forest of the twinśālatrees. I turned to the true path, the basis of virtue and good, and gave rise to the aspiration for birth [in the Pure Land] that is difficult to comprehend. But now I have utterly abandoned the expediency of the true path, and have converted to the ocean-like vow singled out [by Amitabha Buddha]. I have separated myself straightaway from the aspiration for birth that is difficult to comprehend, and I long to attain birth that is difficult to fathom....

    In this passage, Shinran explains that he not only gave up traditional monastic practices to focus on rebirth in the Pure Land, but that in time he eventually gave up on practices related to rebirth in the Pure Land, instead relying solely on faith in the vow of Amitabha Buddha.

    In theKyōgyōshinshō,third fascicle, Shinran explores the nature ofshinjitsu no shinjin(Thật thật の tin tưởng,"true faith"),by describing it as something bestowed by Amitabha Buddha, not arising from the believer.[13]Through this endowment, faith is awakened in a person, and the recitation of the Buddha's name ornembutsubecause an expression of praise or gratitude. However, this cannot occur until the believer fully entrusts themselves to Amitabha Buddha, even for a moment. Once this state of faith is bestowed, one is assured of rebirth in the Pure Land, and ultimately enlightenment. Shinran cautions though:[13]

    True faith necessarily entails Amida's name, but Amida's name does not necessarily entail faith, [which is derived] from the power of [Amida's] vow.

    Further, once a follower has awakened to this deep faith, one should live life as an expression of gratitude, follow moral conduct and fulfill one's social obligations.[14]As one's faith in Amida deepens, Shinran articulated ten spiritual benefits that develop: Protected by unseen divine beings (myoshu goji), Possessed of the supreme virtue (shitoku gusoku), Having evil turned into good (tenaku jyozen), Protected by all Buddhas (shobutsu gonen), Praised by all Buddhas (shobutsu shyosan), Protected by the Buddha's spiritual light (shinko jogo), Having much joy in mind (shinta kangi), Acknowledging His benevolence and repaying it (chion hotoku), Always practicing the Great Compassion (jyogyo daihi), Entering the Rightly-Established Group (shojyoju ni iru).[15]

    Amitabha Buddha and the Pure Land

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    The last three fascicles of theKyōgyōshinshōdelve into the nature of Amitabha Buddha and the Pure Land. The Pure Land is treated as a temporary refuge whereby one can attain enlightenment, and then return to this world to lead and teach others as abodhisattva.Elsewhere, Shinran is quoted in theTannishō(Than dị sao,"Lamentation of Divergences" )as saying:[16][17]

    Tịnh thổ の từ bi といふは, niệm phật して, いそぎ phật になりて, đại từ đại bi tâm をもて, おもふがごとく chúng sinh を ích lợi するをいふべきなり.

    Jōdo no jihi to iu wa, nenbutsu shite, isogi hotoke ni narite, daiji-daihi-shin wo mote, omou ga gotoku shujō wo riyaku suru wo iu beki nari.

    The compassion in the Path of Pure Land is to quickly attain Buddhahood, saying the nembutsu, and with the true heart of compassion and love save all beings completely as we desire.

    On the nature of Amitabha Buddha, Shinran stated that in their true form, both the Buddha and the Pure Land are beyond comprehension, but due to people's ignorance and attachments they can only perceive Amitabha in terms of his physical form described in the sutras, as well as the layout of the Pure Land.[13]If one attains true faith, then upon rebirth in the Pure Land, one can perceive their true form. However, if one's faith is incomplete, or they continue to rely on their own efforts, then they will be reborn in the outer regions of the Pure Land, and will still perceive Amitabha Buddha through physical forms until eventually attaining true faith and proceeding further.

    Shinran's definition of Amitabha Buddha as the absolute, equating the Pure Land withNirvanaitself, therefore differed somewhat from traditional interpretations of the Pure Land in Buddhist scripture.[13]

    Age of Dharma decline

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    Shinran's interpretation of thefinal ageof the Dharma, was consistent with other Buddhist thinkers of the time. In particular, he drew inspiration from a Chinese Buddhist master namedTao-chowho centuries earlier taught that in the latter age of the Dharma the Pure Land teachings were the most suitable for the capacities of the people of the time.[13]

    Shinran felt that this decline was inevitable, that Japan was already 600 years into age of Dharma Decline, and that people were no longer capable of maintaining Buddhist practice, let alone enlightenment. Thus, only the vow of Amitabha Buddha to save all beings could be relied upon.

    Other religious practices

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    Shinran acknowledged the religious practices of Japan outside the Buddhist tradition, including Shintokami,spirits,divination,astrology,etc., he believed that they were irrelevant in comparison to the power of Amitabha Buddha.[13]He developed a Japanese Buddhistheresiologythat constructed other forms of religious practice as equivalent to demon-worship; his followers would later use this equivocation both to enforce proper interpretations of Shinran's thought and to criticize "heretical" sects of Buddhism such as theTachikawa-ryu.[18]To this day,omamori,ofudaand other charms are not found inJodo Shinshutemples.

    Cultural legacy

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    Statue of Shinran Shonin, Riverside Drive, New York. A survivor of the bombing at Hiroshima, the statue was brought to New York in 1955

    A statue of Shinran Shonin stands inUpper West SideManhattan,inNew York Cityon Riverside Drive between 105th and 106th Streets, in front of the New York Buddhist Church. The statue depicts Shinran in a peasant hat and sandals, holding a wooden staff, as he peers down at the sidewalk.

    Although this kind of statue is very common and often found at Jōdo Shinshū temples, this particular statue is notable because it survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, standing a little more than a mile from ground zero. It was brought to New York in 1955. The plaque calls the statue "a testimonial to the atomic bomb devastation and a symbol of lasting hope for world peace."[19]

    Shinran's life was the subject of the 1987 filmShinran: Path to Purity,directed byRentarō Mikuni(in his directorial debut, based on his own novel)[20]and starring Junkyu Moriyama as Shinran. The film won theJury Prizeat the1987 Cannes Film Festival.[21]

    On March 14, 2008, what are assumed to be some of the ash remains of Shinran were found in a small wooden statue at the Jōrakuji temple inShimogyō-ku,Kyōto.The temple was created by Zonkaku (1290–1373), the son of Kakunyo (1270–1351), one of Shinran's great grandchildren. Records indicate that Zonkaku inherited the remains of Shinran from Kakunyo. The 24.2 cm wooden statue is identified as being from the middle of the Edo period. The remains were wrapped in paper.[22]

    In March 2011, manga artistTakehiko Inouecreated large ink paintings on twelvefolding screens,displayed at theEast Hongan TempleinKyoto.The illustrations on the panels include Shinran andHōnenleading a group ofHeian eracommoners on one set of screens and Shinran seated with a bird on the other set.[23]

    See also

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    Notes

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    1. ^abcPopular Buddhism in Japan: Shin Buddhist Religion & Cultureby Esben Andreasen, pp. 13, 14, 15, 17.University of Hawaiʻi Press1998,ISBN0-8248-2028-2
    2. ^The Life and Works of Shinran Shonin
    3. ^"Shinran | Japanese Buddhist philosopher | Britannica".
    4. ^Young Man Shinran: A Reappraisal of Shinran's life. Takamichi Takshataka, Wilfrid Laurier Press, page 2
    5. ^Bloom, Alfred (2006).The Essential Shinran: A Buddhist Path of True Entrusting.World Wisdom.ISBN978-1933316215.
    6. ^Bloom, Alfred (1968)."The Life of Shinran Shonin: The Journey to Self-Acceptance"(PDF).Numen.15(1): 6.doi:10.1163/156852768x00011.Archived from the original on 2011-06-11.{{cite journal}}:CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
    7. ^abShinran's BiographyNishi HonganjiHomepage
    8. ^Dobbins, James C. (1989).Jōdo Shinshū: Shin Buddhism in Medieval Japan.Indiana University Press.ISBN0-253-33186-2.
    9. ^Bowring, Richard. Religious Traditions of Japan: 500-1600. Cambridge:Cambridge University Press,2005. 247.
    10. ^Buswell, Robert Jr;Lopez, Donald S. Jr.,eds. (2013).Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism(Shinran ).Princeton, NJ:Princeton University Press.p. 807.ISBN9780691157863.
    11. ^Takahatake, Takamichi (2006-01-01).Young Man Shinran: A Reappraisal of Shinran's Life.Wilfrid Laurier University Press.ISBN9780889205864.
    12. ^"Uncollected Letters, Collected Works of Shinran".Retrieved2016-01-12.
    13. ^abcdefghDobbins, James C. (1989). "Chapter 2: Shinran and His Teachings".Jodo Shinshu: Shin Buddhism in Medieval Japan.Indiana University Press.ISBN0253331862.
    14. ^abWatts, Jonathan; Tomatsu, Yoshiharu (2005).Traversing the Pure Land Path: A Lifetime of Encounters with Hōnen Shonin.Jodo Shu Press. pp. 136–137.ISBN488363342X.
    15. ^"ten_benefits".web.mit.edu.Retrieved2019-08-19.
    16. ^"The TANNISHO: Chapters I to X".Retrieved2015-06-30.
    17. ^"Than dị sao の thế giới"(in Japanese).Retrieved2015-06-30.
    18. ^Josephson, Jason (2012).The Invention of Religion in Japan.Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p. 35.ISBN9780226412351.
    19. ^"Shinran Statue Manhattan, New York Hiroshima survivor on Riverside Drive".atlasobscura.Atlas Obscura. June 24, 2011.RetrievedMay 18,2023.
    20. ^"Thân loan bạch い nói".Agency for Cultural AffairsÁnh họa tình báo システム.Retrieved2 November2019.
    21. ^"Festival de Cannes: Shinran: Path to Purity".festival-cannes.Retrieved2009-07-19.
    22. ^"Thân loan の di cốt? が mộc giống thai nội から kinh đô ・ thường lặc chùa".Asahi Shimbun.14 March 2008. Archived fromthe originalon 2008-03-16.Retrieved2008-03-15.
    23. ^Stimson, Eric (November 1, 2015)."Slam Dunk's Takehiko Inoue's Buddhist Folding Screen on Display".animenewsnetwork.Anime News Network.RetrievedMay 18,2023.

    Further reading

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    [edit]
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