Editing Shinran (section)

== Doctrine ==
Shinran considered himself a lifelong disciple of Hōnen, in spite of their separation.  According to a letter composed by his wife, Eshinni:<ref name="dobbins2">{{cite book | last = Dobbins | first = James C. | title = Jodo Shinshu: Shin Buddhism in Medieval Japan | publisher = [[Indiana University Press]] | year = 1989 | isbn = 0253331862 | chapter=Chapter 2: Shinran and His Teachings}}</ref>

{{blockquote|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 disciple [[Kōsai]], leaned more toward faith over practice, however he did not advocate the single-recitation teaching.<ref name='traversing'>{{cite book | last1 = Watts | first1 = Jonathan | last2 = Tomatsu | first2 = Yoshiharu | title = Traversing the Pure Land Path: A Lifetime of Encounters with Hōnen Shonin | publisher = Jodo Shu Press | year = 2005 | isbn = 488363342X | pages=136–137}}</ref>

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 ===
[[File:Godenshō 6.jpg|thumb]]

In any case Shinran, like others in Hōnen's community, felt that in the age of [[Three Ages of Buddhism#Latter Day of the Dharma|Dharma Decline]], it was no longer possible to achieve enlightenment through traditional monastic practices, and thus one could only rely on the vows of [[Amitabha]] Buddha, particular the 18th or "[[Primal Vow]]" and seek rebirth in the [[Pure Land]].  In a passage from his magnum opus, the Kyōgyōshinshō, he writes of himself:<ref name='dobbins2' />

{{blockquote|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 twin [[Shorea robusta|śāla]] trees.  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 the ''Kyōgyōshinshō'', third fascicle, Shinran explores the nature of {{nihongo|''shinjitsu no shinjin''|真実の信心|"true faith"|}}, by describing it as something bestowed by Amitabha Buddha, not arising from the believer.<ref name="dobbins2" />  Through this endowment, faith is awakened in a person, and the recitation of the Buddha's name or [[nianfo|nembutsu]] because 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:<ref name="dobbins2" />

{{blockquote|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.<ref name='traversing' /> 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).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://web.mit.edu/stclair/www/ten_benefits.html|title=ten_benefits|website=web.mit.edu|access-date=2019-08-19}}</ref>

=== Amitabha Buddha and the Pure Land ===

The last three fascicles of the ''Kyōgyōshinshō'' delve 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 a [[bodhisattva]].  Elsewhere, Shinran is quoted in the {{nihongo|''Tannishō''|歎異抄||"Lamentation of Divergences"}} as saying:<ref>{{cite web|title=The TANNISHO: Chapters I to X | url=http://www.livingdharma.org/Tannisho/TannishoChaptersI-X.html| access-date = 2015-06-30}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=歎異抄の世界 | language=ja | url=http://web.otani.ac.jp/tannisyo/| access-date = 2015-06-30}}</ref>

{{blockquote|{{lang|ja|浄土の慈悲といふは、念仏して、いそぎ仏になりて、大慈大悲心をもて、おもふがごとく衆生を利益するをいふべきなり。}}

{{Transliteration|ja|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.<ref name='dobbins2' />  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 with [[Nirvana]] itself, therefore differed somewhat from traditional interpretations of the Pure Land in Buddhist scripture.<ref name='dobbins2' />

=== Age of Dharma decline ===

Shinran's interpretation of the [[Three Ages of Buddhism|final age]] of the Dharma, was consistent with other Buddhist thinkers of the time.  In particular, he drew inspiration from a Chinese Buddhist master named [[Tao-cho]] who 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.<ref name="dobbins2" />

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 ===

Shinran acknowledged the religious practices of Japan outside the Buddhist tradition, including Shinto [[kami]], spirits, [[divination]], [[astrology]], etc., he believed that they were irrelevant in comparison to the power of Amitabha Buddha.<ref name='dobbins2' /> He developed a Japanese Buddhist [[heresiology]] that 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 the [[Tachikawa-ryu]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Josephson |first=Jason |title=The Invention of Religion in Japan|publisher=University of Chicago Press|page=35|location = Chicago|year=2012|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gxzuzIszO60C|isbn=9780226412351 }}</ref> To this day, [[omamori]], [[ofuda]] and other charms are not found in [[Jodo Shinshu]] temples.