Rennyo
Rennyo was a descendant of Shinran and the 8th head priest of the Hongan-ji branch of Jōdo Shinshū, a major Japanese Buddhist tradition. He is known for his tireless preaching of the Shin teaching and is credited with transforming the Honganji into a major religious organization. According to Dobbins, during Rennyo's tenure, Hongan-ji temple "emerged as the premier institution of the school, and the Shinshū itself burgeoned into one of Japan's largest and most powerful schools of Buddhism." Shinshū Buddhists often refer to him as the restorer of the sect. He was also known as Shinshō-in, and posthumously Etō Daishi.
Rennyo led the Hongan-ji during the conflict ridden Sengoku era, working to grow and reform the tradition. He successfully navigated his temple's relationships with various groups, including the secular authorities, the warrior monks of Mt. Hiei, and the Ikkō-ikki rebellions. Rennyo's leadership and his promotion of Shinshū teachings led to a large influx of new members. His years as head priest also saw the reform of Hongan-ji liturgy and practices. Rennyo's ability to interpret Shin Buddhist teaching in a simple manner allowed him to spread the teachings widely among ordinary people. Rennyo's pastoral letters were the most articulate and popular explanations of Shin doctrine of his time, and they made Jōdo Shinshū one of the most widespread and enduring Buddhist teachings in medieval Japan. His teachings also defined the orthodox doctrine of the Honganji sect, which remained closely aligned with his doctrines until the modern era.
Today, Rennyo is venerated in the Hongan-ji sects as the "Second founder", alongside Shinran. His liturgical reforms and writings remain authoritative texts in Hongan-ji temples today.
Biography
Rennyo lived in a time of war and social turmoil, marked by the trouble around the Ōnin War and the Warring States era, during which the capital of Kyoto was ravaged by war. Traditional authorities, secular and religious, declined during this time. Despite facing numerous trials and persecutions, Rennyo was able to survive and help Shin Buddhism thrive during this time.Early life
Born as Hoteimaru, later Kenju, Rennyo was the son of Zonnyō, and after Zonnyō's death, she attempted to have her own son, Ogen, installed as the successor to the head of Hongan-ji. However, Rennyo's influential uncle, Nyojō, dismissed the idea and Rennyo ultimately succeeded as the 8th Monshu.Early Ministry
Following his installation as 8th head priest at Hongan-ji in 1457, Rennyo focused his efforts in proselytizing in Ōmi Province, an area dominated by the Bukkō-ji and Kinshoku-ji branches of Shinshū. Due to timely support of the wealthy Katada congregation, Rennyo was able to expand the Honganji's presence in this province significantly. These congregations in Ōmi were frequently composed of artisan-class followers, who were able to provide crucial funds and protection.During his early ministry, Rennyo would frequently distribute religious texts to congregations as well as inscriptions of the nenbutsu. These inscriptions frequently used the so-called "10-character nembutsu" or Jūjimyōgō: Kimyō Jin Jippō Mugekō Nyorai. He also wrote a commentary to Shinran's Shōshinge during this time and distributed to Shin congregations.
The monks of the Enryaku-ji, noticing Rennyo's successes in the provinces around Kyoto, became concerned about the growth of what they considered heresy. In 1465, Mt. Hiei sent a band of sōhei to the Hongan-ji and destroyed most of the temple on charges of heresy. The actual motivation for these attacks was likely financial. Mt. Hiei had significant interests in Ōmi Province that included estates and businesses, and felt they needed to prevent Jōdo Shinshū's growth before they felt the economic effects. However, due to the wealth of the congregations Rennyo had converted in the area, enough money was raised to send an armed force of men from the Takada congregation, and the Mt. Hiei warriors were eventually bribed away. The contingency to this was that Hongan-ji must become a branch temple of the Mt. Hiei Tendai complex, and pay yearly dues. According to one account, Rennyo was able to flee at the last minute due to timely assistance from a cooper who saw the attackers coming, and led Rennyo out through the back with an image of Shinran.
The years immediately following the attack of 1465 forced Rennyo to live by traveling from place to place and living among various congregations. During this time Tendai warrior monks repeatedly attacked Shin Buddhists in Ōmi Province and Rennyo became very concerned about the future of the Shin tradition. Shortly after he settled among the Katada community, Mt. Hiei threatened to attack again and he fled again until he took refuge under Mii-dera, a powerful rival Tendai temple to Mt. Hiei. However, this protection was not enough, and Mt. Hiei attacked the Takada congregation, forcing Rennyo to move further. Due to the Ōnin War in Japan, the central government of shogunate was unable to restrain Mt. Hiei and its monastic army. In spite of these troubles, Rennyo continued to win allies and converts to Jōdo Shinshū in Ōmi as well as in other provinces like Mikawa, Settsu and Yoshino. He also visited Kantō in 1469 and won many followers, even though this area had traditionally dominated by the Senju-ji branch of Shinshū.
Rebuilding in Echizen
Due to the constant threat of attack from Mt. Hiei, Rennyo did not feel he could rebuild Hongan-ji in the traditional Shin stronghold of Ōmi Province. As such, he took the biggest decision of his career in 1471 and established a new Hongan-ji center far away from the influence of Mt. Hiei in Echizen Province, at a village called Yoshizaki on the Hokuriku seaboard.This was a remote area conveniently located near a coastal route, with a number of Shinshū congregations from other sects already present. As pilgrims and Shin followers flocked to the new center, a new city sprang up around the new Hongan-ji temple. By 1473 the site had become a thriving religious center with Rennyo at its head. He became a popular teacher and speaker, drawing huge crowds.
Rennyo initially proselytized to the Hokuriku congregations through preaching tours, but after his reputation became well established he shifted toward pastoral letters, also called the. These letters proved effective because they were written in clear, comprehensible Japanese, could be read before a congregation, and were effective in clarifying the meaning of Shinran's original teachings. These letters constitute the majority of his literary output. Later generations compiled the gobunsho letters and thus they have become part of Jodo Shinshu liturgy since. Another aspect of Rennyo's ministry was his humility and openness. He would visit congregations and sit with the lowborn rather than on raised platforms. He would also take care of their needs and drink sake with them, behaving like a normal person rather than an elite or a holy man. During this time, local congregations called kō formed the main grass-root basis of the Hongan-ji organization. These village congregations would meet once or twice a month for discussion and worship, usually at a local home. Their donations also supported the Hongan-ji organization. Once established, Yoshizaki, known today as Yoshizaki Gobō, flourished and adherents from surrounding provinces came to hear Rennyo speak. The congregation became so big that along the way to the new Hongan-ji there were hundreds of lodges set up and run by Shinshū priests to lodge the travelers.
However, as Rennyo drew more followers, including lower-ranking samurai, he and his followers became embroiled in a power-struggle in Kaga Province between two brothers of the Togashi family. Kaga province Shin followers were now banding together to form the Ikkō-ikki movement, led by the idea that all believers were equal in the eyes of Amida Buddha. These ikki leagues eventually sided with Togashi Masachika in 1473, though they eventually turned on him by 1488. After this, Kaga province was governed by a coalition of Shin Buddhist groups for 93 years. Rennyo tried to keep a delicate balance by maintaining positive relationships with the ruling Ashikaga shogunate in Kyoto and exhorting followers to follow proper conduct in civil society. He never encouraged their military endeavors. At the same time, he ministered to the Kaga congregations and protected them from governmental wrath when they rebelled against the authorities, refusing to expel them from his organization despite official reprimands.
Rennyo was concerned with defending his tradition against accusations of heterodoxy or heresy. He also very concerned with the wrong views and behaviors that had arisen among some Shinshū followers, seeking to improve their standing in the larger Buddhist community and to defend the orthodox views of Shinran against distortion. He also instituted okite which were derived from previous rules used by Shin congregations in the past. This was the first time that an overall set of rules of conduct were promulgated throughout the school. The original 1473 list of rules were as follows:
- Do not belittle the various gods, Buddhas, or bodhisattvas.
- Do not slander any of the other religious teachings or sects.
- Do not criticize other sects on the basis of our sect's practices.
- Even though there are no taboos taught in Buddhist law, strictly observe the taboos publicly and with other sects.
- It is not right to praise the Buddhist law in ways not transmitted in our sect.
- As nembutsu believers, obey the military governors and land stewards of the province and do not denigrate them.
- It is not right for those who are ignorant to speak freely and admiringly of the teachings of our sect, relying on their own ideas, in front of members of other sects.
- It is not right for those who are not yet settled in their faith to speak admiringly of the teachings of the faith, based on what they have heard.
- Do not eat fish or birds at nembutsu meetings.
- Since in sake, one loses the ability to think deeply and distinguish right from wrong, do not drink on days where there are nembutsu meetings.
- Among nembutsu believers, all gambling must stop.