TheJōdo-shū

Presented by
:Khamyeng
 Introduction
● TheJōdo-shū or Pure Land sect is a school of Japanese Buddhism.
● It is founded in the twelfth century by monk Hōnen.
● The main teaching of the school is only reliance on the power of
the Buddha Amida.
● It is the independent pure land tradition from China.
● TheJōdo-shū was also become the main religion and culture of the
nation in Japan.
● Before Jōdo-shū came to exist in Japan, there were similar
teachings: nembutsu.
● It taught by namely: Eiku, Ryonin and Genshin. They also had
the Amida’s teaching such as:
● They meditated on the Amida Buddha by visualizing his body
and his image.
● There were also monks from Tendai school. They also practice
the nembutsu meditation.
● These groups were early than Jodo shu, but they could not make
it to be popular.
● It was until Jodoshu came,then it became popular
● Before that as the idea of purland was exited early, but the Idea is
different and they also believe in many methods of practicing.
● after the Kamahura period(1185-1333), Jodoshu started to put or
focus on the sole practice or the power of the Amida Buddha.
● It means we also have to put our own effort and also need the
power of the Amida to help us.
● After that It became the superior method.
 Basic texts
● The pure land practice is mainly to visualize the Buddha Amitabha
and his pure land in meditation.
● Pratyutpannasamadhi sutra was the first sutra(179 CE)
● The teaching is focus on meditation on Buddha ten direction.
● It was the foundation sutra of pure land in China as well as in Japan
too.
● By the fifth C, another sutra: Amitayurdhyana sutra. It is more focus
on practicing.
● It is meditation focus on only Amida Buddha.
● These methods were introduced by the Chinese monk Zhiyi(538-
597)
● The third sutra was Sukhavativyuha sutra.
● It was translated five times, but It was only when Buddhabhadra’s
fifth century translation, then It became popular.
● The Kuan-Ching, Known in Japanese as the Kanmuryojukyo, and
the larger and smaller Sukhaavativyuha sutra, known as the
Muryo-jukyo.
● There were another sutra: Sukhavativyuhopadesa, the teachings
of Jodo sect.
● It is a collection of hymns.
● From reading this sutta, they could get the inspiration to their
practicing.
● It was written by Aacarya Vasubandhu.
● When they read this sutta they did not read it alone but they read
it with a commentary that written by Tanluan(476-542)on easy
path to salvation. It means worship of the Buddha rather than
their own self or practicing.
● It means people reliance less on themselves, but reliance
more on Amida buddha
 The life and thought of Hoonen
● Honen was studied under Tendai center on Mount Hiei.
● He was ordained at the age of fourteen.
● Three years later, He felt uncomfortable there, then he left from
there.
● After that he went to Kurodani to study under Eiku.
● For the next twenty-five years, he could studied so many things
such as:
● The doctrines, scriptures, and practices of six Buddhist sects of
Nara period, Shingao(Vajrayaana) and Zen.
● In 1175, As he could studied many things, he had a realization that
the only way for salvation is to fully faith in Amida Buddha’s vow.
● In 1197, there was a prime minister namely: Kujo Kanezane(1149-
1207), he requested Honen to write the text.
● Then he wrote the text called: Senchaku hongan nembutsushu.
● This text talked about the original vow of the Amida.
● This text became the foundation of the Jodo sect.
● After that Honen divided Buddhist teachings into two paths:
● -The Shodomon(Gate of the sages)
● -The Jodomon(Gate of the pure land)
● The first one gate of sages is the difficult path.
● It means one reliance on his own effort more than power of
Buddha Amida.
● Only the some people can rebirth in pure land.
● The second one is gate of pure land refer to the easy path, it
means reliance on other power or Amida Buddha by reciting the
Amida name.
● It is not only easy, but superior path to salvation.
● By this way many people can be following.
● To practice on reciting the Buddha name or nembutsu:
● We have to repeat the invocation or recite the name.
● And we have to continue to repetition everyday.
● After that our mind and body also continual purification and
remove our doubts too.
● It leads to a moment of awakening in this life time and to rebirth in
the pure land.
● Each moment we are reciting, the mind should be concentration
and fully believe in Amida’s vow.
● Because Honen’s school became very popular.
● Others Buddhist school became jealous and then they sent a
petition to the government.
● By Charging that monks of the Jodo sect did not following the
Vinaya precepts.
● In 1204 Honen and his main disciple wrote the guideline for their
conduct into seven article pledge.
● Until 1205, there was another petition sent to government again.
● And then the government came and this time government
banned the teachings of the Jodo sect and exiled Honen and
most of his main disciples.
● The reasons were that some disciples of Honen who were not
good behaves and they tried to attracting attention of two court
ladies.
● Five years later Honen was returned to Kyoto and he died in
1212.
 Early Schisms
● After Honen’s death his disciples were unanimous.
● As the debate over the correct interpretation of self power.
● There were divided into two schools:
● First group: Bencho(1162-1238), accepted on the purest form of
senju membutsu, they were fully follow on Honen teachings.
● According to this group they believe in sole reliance on the
power of Amida Buddha.
● Another group: Shoku, they believe not only the power of the
Buddha but the power of themselves too.

● There were also the debate among the second group of disciples
on question of when we are reciting the name, how much it is
value?
● According to Ryukan(1148-1227), founder of thr Chrorakuji: For
him he believe that for long you recitation of Amida name, it will
not give you the complete salvation,
● But it give you the start of salvation.
● Next school is Kosai(1163-1247),founder of the Ichinengi sect, he
was the most controversial of Honen’s deciples.
● His teaching was every moment the we are reciting, we are reborn
in the pure land.
● Another school by Ippen(1239-1289), founder of Jishu. His
believed also sole reliance on the power of the Buddha Amida.
●
● Next school found by Shinran(1173-1263), founder of the Jodo
Shinshu. He consider himself as the true successor to Honen’s
teachings. But he rejected the Vinaya. He claimed himself as the
neither monk nor layman.
● He believed that both human and Buddha have power, but only the
Buddha power can save all sentient beings.
 The Tokugawa, meiji and modern era
● During the Tokugawa period(1600-1868) there were the group
called Shoguns.
● This group, they tried to reduce the influence of Christian
missionaries, at that time Christian was so influential. The way
that they reduced was that they make Buddhism as the part of the
government organization. In this way the power of Christian was
reduced.
● The problem is when the Buddhism combined with government,
Buddhism does not have full freedom by controlling by
government
● They controlled ordinations, temple,and other activities etc.
● Then, the spiritually could not be developed such as: mind,
samadhi and wisdom can not developed.
● Then there was Suzuki Shosan, he was practicing of both
nemnutsu and Zen. He emphasize on value of work. That means
every you go and whatever we are doing, we just recite the
nembutsu(Name of Amitabha) In this way we will not suffered
with worldly and after died we can get awakening too.
● The Meiji era(1868-1912), the government gave more freedom
to Buddhism.
● Shinto as the state of religion and neo-Confucianism continued to
hold strong influence over the state ideology.
● So, Shinto also have to change some of his practice, teachings for
their survival in modernization.
● During first and second period there were two things, they were
popular.
● -first they were focus on nembustu practice to get the salvation
● it was by Yamazaki Bennei(1850-1920), founder of Komyokai.
According to him is that intensive recitation everyday then one
can awakening in this very life.
● Then the members of his sect gather to invoke the nembutsu
continually for few days at time. For this short period the people
can follow, but later time, they extended the time: two or three
months. Then many people could not follow. So it not suitable
for lay. This is the firt idea.
● The second idea is that if we want to be reborn in the pure land,
we have to the social works. It means we have to help people in
the society. The idea of Shiio Benkyo(1876-1971).
● He believed that purification and salvation is not only for
oneself, but for entire world rarther than the individual’s rebirth
in the pure land.
● In the 1980, the number of Jodoshu temples became manys.
●Thank you