Jōdo Shinshū

#thought #seedling #flashcards

In English, it is called Shin Buddhism. Per Miki Nakura, Jōdo Shinshū (浄土真宗) means "True Essence of the Pure Land Buddhism." It is the most popular form of Buddhism in Japan clarified by Shinran Shōnin (1173–1263). Jōdo Shinshū grew out of Mahayana buddhism.

Jōdo Shinshū was the childhood religion of Shin'ichirō Imaoka. Andrew J. Brown also became a follower of this form of Buddhism, which seems to be simpler than the others. Unlike zen, it doesn't require meditation. However, Miki Nakura, my seiza teacher, practices seiza alongside Jōdo Shinshū and argued in one of his articles that this is alright and the two are complementary.

The practice of reciting the nembutsu is similar to "bahala na" in Filipino tradition.

Meetings

Writings from Andrew James Brown

2021-11-22: https://andrewjbrown.blogspot.com/2021/11/an-introduction-to-and-first-walk.html
2021-12-06: https://andrewjbrown.blogspot.com/2021/12/a-post-script-to-my-previous-post-amida.html
2021-12-07: https://andrewjbrown.blogspot.com/2021/12/an-unexpected-direct-link-between-shin.html

2022-01-21: https://andrewjbrown.blogspot.com/2022/01/exploring-important-shin-buddhist-text.html
2022-02-04: https://andrewjbrown.blogspot.com/2022/02/no-one-is-ever-alone-if-they-can-see.html
2022-05-21: https://andrewjbrown.blogspot.com/2022/05/spiritual-power-beyond-known-self-on.html

2023-01-31: https://andrewjbrown.blogspot.com/2023/01/the-great-confession-of-no-goda.html
2023-09-27: https://andrewjbrown.blogspot.com/2023/09/joseph-estlin-carpenters-1909-review-of.html
2023-10-01: https://andrewjbrown.blogspot.com/2023/09/a-brief-address-on-occasion-of-my.html

2024-02-03: https://andrewjbrown.blogspot.com/2024/02/the-sustaining-sea-and-need-to-take.html

2025-05-30: https://andrewjbrown.blogspot.com/2025/05/namu-amida-butsu-by-tsunashima-ryosen.html
2025-06-24: https://andrewjbrown.blogspot.com/2025/06/where-is-living-amida-sama-present-by.html

Prompts

Who is the founder of Jōdo Shinshū? :: Shinran Shonin

What century was Jōdo Shinshū founded? :: 13th century

Who was Shinran's teacher who founded the Japanese Pure Land School? :: Honen

Shinran Shonin simplified Buddhism to what single essential teaching? :: Just recite the nebutsu ("namu amida butsu").

Because of its simplicity, Jōdo Shinshū became very popular among what class? :: Working class

Year Nishi Honganji was built. :: 1591

Year Higashi Honganji was built. :: 1604

Who encouraged a split within the Honganji sect in 1602? :: Tokugawa Ieyasu

When was the Honganji sect split? :: 1602

Why did Tokugawa Ieyasu encourage a split within the Honganji sect in 1602? :: To prevent it from being too powerful.

The two head temples of the Jōdo Shinshū sect of Pure Land Buddhism. :: Higashi Honganji and Nishi Honganji

English translation of Higashi Honganji :: Eastern Temple of the First Vow

English translation of Nishi Honganji :: Western Temple of the First Vow

Buddhist movement housed in Higashi Honganji :: Ōtani-ha

Bodhisattva ::: One who has entered the path to enlightenment for oneself and others.

Three referents of the word Buddha. :: Shakyamuni, Amida, and anyone awakened

Gāthā ::: Buddhist songs

Where did the original gāthās come from? :: Sutras

English word closest to the Sanskrit word kalpa. :: Eon

Two definitions of the word kalpa.
1.
2. Time for a celestial being to wear away a ten-mile cubic stone if she touched it with her garments once every three years.
?
Time required for one to take away all poppy seeds in a ten-mile-square city, if one took away one seed every three years.

Two definitions of the word kalpa.

  1. Time required for one to take away all poppy seeds in a ten-mile-square city, if one took away one seed every three years.

?
Time for a celestial being to wear away a ten-mile cubic stone if she touched it with her garments once every three years.

Two definitions of the word kalpa.
?

  1. Time required for one to take away all poppy seeds in a ten-mile-square city, if one took away one seed every three years.
  2. Time for a celestial being to wear away a ten-mile cubic stone if she touched it with her garments once every three years.

Instead of infinity, Buddhism uses the concept of kalpa to denote a period of time unfathomable to us.

Literal meaning of Shakyamuni. :: The Sage of the Śākya Clan.

To do

Related

References

Higashi Honganji Temple – Kyoto Station. https://www.kyotostation.com/higashi-honganji-temple/. Accessed 16 June 2025.

Honganji Temples. https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3920.html. Accessed 16 June 2025.