Nakayama is in between Narita And Haneda International Airport

The Dictionary of a walk in nakayama shimousa

Jodoshu / Jodo Sect

Jodoshu / Jodo Sect

Jodo Sect is one of new Buddhism Sects founded by Honen late Heian period.
The Headquater of the sect is Chionin Temple in Kyoto.
Honen developed the teaching of Pure Land Buddhism based on Jodo Sanbu Kyo (the basic sutras of Pure Land) and Jodoron (the theory of Pure Land). He believed vow to give relief to mankind, so he preached that people could go to heaven by chanting '南無阿弥陀仏 (Namu Amidabutsu)' in 1175. This simple teaching spread among samurai worriers and people who wanted to relieve from social unrest even though some Buddhism sects oppressed him.
Jodoshu is the origine of Jodoshinshu and Jishu.


参考
新制版　日本史辞典
大辞林

Enko Daishi Honen / The Founder of Jodo Sect

Honen(1133-1212)

Honen was a high priest and the founder of Jodo Sect in late Heian period, he named himself Honenbo Genku. His posthumous name is Enko Daishi and Meisho Daishi. He is also called Kurotani Jonin and Yoshimizu Jonin.
He was a son of Tokikuni Uruma who was a Oryoshi (a guard to protect local provinces with arms) in Mimasaka province (Okayama prefecture). After his father's violent death, he intended to study Buddhism. Then he studied at Genko and Koen in Mt.Hiei. Then he went to Enku in Kurodani Bessho.
Though he studied in Tendaishu in Mt. Hiei and Nara, he did not satisfied at their teachings. Later he was enlightened by Zendo's book '観無量経疏 (Kanmuryo kyoso) and Genshin's '往生要集 (Ojoyoshu)'.
He found that people could rely on Buddha to go to heaven hence they would not rely on themselves in the period of the last and decadent Dharma. They could go to heaven by chanting '南無阿弥陀仏 (Namu Amidabutsu)'. Then he founded Jodoshu in 1175 so Honen created an independent religious group to believe Jodo and samurai worriers and common people believed his teaching. First he opened his small temple in Yoshimizu Higashiyama Kyoto to propagate his teaching.
However, the other Buddhism sect oppressed him, then he exiled to Sanuki province (Kagawa prefecture) in 1207. Later he was forgiven and went back to Kyoto.
Honen's thoughts remain in his works, '選択本願念仏集 (Sentaku Hongan Nenbutsushu)', '一枚起請文 (Ichimai Kishomon)', '往生要集大網 (Ojoyoshu Taimo)' and so on.
One of his disciple Shinran founded Jodo Shinshu.


参考
大辞林
新制版　日本史辞
日本世界人名事典