Philosopher

Shinran

1173–1263

Disciple of Hōnen whose radical Pure Land thought held that the nembutsu is the Buddha's call, and true entrusting Amida's own mind given to beings.

Painting of an old monk in dark robes seated on a mat, with sandals and a staff beside him — Traditional hanging-scroll portrait; its date and location are not recorded.Public domain · See the original

Shinran was one of the disciples of Hōnen who carried his radical teaching further, each in his own way, and it is among them that the more philosophical strands of Pure Land thought are found. He gave Amida Buddha priority over the historical Śākyamuni, holding that the wisdom-compassion that made Śākyamuni a Buddha is the life of Amida.

Late in life he took up the word jinen, ‘naturalness’, for the spontaneous working of reality that brings beings of blind passion to enlightenment. Shin Buddhism, in his tradition, was later described as Japan’s most popular and flourishing Buddhist school, and the Kyoto School philosopher Nishitani Keiji drew on his treatment of time.

Key ideas

The nembutsu as the Buddha’s call: The nembutsu is not beings calling on the Buddha but the Buddha calling to beings to awaken them. The true entrusting (shinjin) that beings have is Amida’s own mind, given to them by Amida.
Other Power: The working of Other Power is the falling away of one’s own calculation: the attempt to gain religious or worldly advantage by one’s own abilities.
Against an ethics of rules: Trying to know what is right and apply rational principles undermines true moral action; what remains is the spontaneous ‘working of non-working’ (jinen), reality acting of itself.

Tradition: Japanese
Region: Japan
Branches: Philosophy of religion; Ethics
Period: Medieval Japanese
Themes: Faith and reason

Influences

Influenced by

Hōnen1133–1212teacher

Shinran1173–1263

Influenced

Nishitani Keiji1900–1990

Influenced by

Hōnen1133–1212teacher

Shinran1173–1263

Influenced

Nishitani Keiji1900–1990

Where these links come from

Shinran studied with and drew on Hōnen. Source: Dennis Hirota, Japanese Pure Land Philosophy, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Nishitani Keiji drew on Shinran. Source: Dennis Hirota, Japanese Pure Land Philosophy, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Terms on this page

nembutsu: Saying the name of Amida Buddha, central to Pure Land practice. For Shinran it is not beings calling on the Buddha but the Buddha’s call to beings, to awaken them.
shinjin: True entrusting in Amida’s vow. Shinran held that the shinjin found in beings is Amida’s own mind, given to them.

All terms in the glossary

Sources

Dennis Hirota, Japanese Pure Land Philosophy, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Thomas Kasulis and Raquel Bouso, Japanese Philosophy, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy