Honen's Exclusive Nembutsu and the Genkyū Persecution

Timeline

1. 1198Kyoto · KyotoAt the request of Kampaku Kujō Kanezane, Honen organized his teachings on exclusive nembutsu into the Senchakushū (Collection of Passages on the Original Vow and Nembutsu), arguing for exclusive recitation of Amida's name and rebirth through the original vow, following Shandao. At the time the book circulated mainly among close disciples and was not immediately published publicly.
2. 1204–1205Kyoto · KyotoIn 1204 the monks of Enryaku-ji on Mount Hiei petitioned the Tendai abbot to ban exclusive nembutsu and expel its adherents. Honen and his disciples signed the Seven-Article Pledge, vowing to restrain their conduct and not slander other schools. In 1205 Kōfū-ji in Nara likewise listed nine faults of exclusive nembutsu before the court.