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Hōnen

Type Figure Region Japan Time 1133–1212 Also known as Genkū、Hōnen Shōnin

Hōnen (1133–1212) was founder of Japan's Pure Land sect from late Heian to early Kamakura, lay name Genkū;…

Timeline

  1. 1147–1175Mount Hiei · KyotoOrdained at nine, he later ascended Enryaku-ji on Mount Hiei, studying Tendai, esoteric Buddhism and various doctrines, while also traveling to Nara and Kamakura to study, laying the Buddhist foundation for his later turn to Pure Land faith.
  2. 1175–1204Kyoto · KyotoBased on the teachings of patriarchs such as Shandao and Genshin, he established the 'selective vow, exclusive nembutsu' practice, gathering many disciples around Kyoto among courtiers, samurai and commoners, forming an important devotional shift in Japanese Buddhist history.
  3. 1204–1212Yoshimizu · KyotoOpposed by various sects, he suffered the Ken'ei persecution, being sentenced by the court to laicization and exile; though restricted in his later years he persisted in nembutsu teaching, and after his death his disciples split into factions from which the Pure Land sect's various schools multiplied.

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