28 Facts About Rennyo

Rennyo was the 8th Monshu of the Hongan-ji Temple of the Jodo Shinshu sect of Buddhism, and descendant of founder Shinran.

Rennyo was known as Shinsho-in, and posthumously Eto Daishi.

Rennyo is venerated along with Shinran, and liturgical reforms he implemented are still in use today in Jodo Shinshu temples.

Further, Rennyo's letters were compiled and are still recited in Jodo Shinshu liturgy.

Rennyo maintained a complex relationship with the Ikko-ikki peasant revolts, which were frequently by Shinshu followers, restraining them at times while teaching and attending to their religious needs.

Rennyo was born out of wedlock when his father was 18.

Soon Rennyo's influence spread into Mikawa Province, an area traditionally dominated by the Senju-ji branch of Shinshu.

Rennyo did this by making many appearances in these areas and presenting groups with his own commentaries and interpretations on Shinran's works.

However, due to the wealth of the congregations Rennyo had converted in the area, enough money was raised to bribe the Mt.

Rennyo was very nervous during this period, for just when Hongan-ji was at the pinnacle of uniting the disbanded factions of Shinran, Mt.

Hiei attacked the Takada congregation, forcing Rennyo to move further.

When pondering where to rebuild Hongan-ji, Rennyo made a pivotal move and decided to build it as far away from the influence of Mt.

Rennyo initially proselytized to these congregations in the form of speaking tours, but eventually shifted toward pastoral letters called the more formally.

When Rennyo did visit congregations, he would often sit among the congregation rather than on the raised dais, earning him further respect.

Meanwhile, Rennyo sought to curb some of the more egregious behavior of Shinshu followers in order to improve their standing in the larger Buddhist community.

However, as Rennyo drew more followers, including lower-ranking samurai, he became embroiled in a power-struggle in Kaga Province between two brothers of the Togashi family.

Rennyo kept a delicate balance by maintaining positive relationships with the ruling Ashikaga shogunate in Kyoto and exhorting followers to follow proper conduct in civil society, while at the same time, ministering to the congregation and protecting them from governmental wrath when they rebelled against the authorities.

Rennyo had secured such status in the Jodo Shinshu ranks that he had to begin issuing pastoral letters in place of appearances to congregations.

Rennyo rewrote many Buddhist texts into kana, the simple, phonetic Japanese characters, making the texts more accessible for the common person.

In 1496, Rennyo sought solitude and retired to a rural area at the mouth of the Yodo River, where he built a small hermitage.

Rennyo's isolation did not last long, however; his hermitage grew quickly into a temple and surrounding temple town as devotees gathered to pay him homage and to hear his teachings.

Rennyo believed he was restoring his ancestor Shinran's original teachings, which he summed up in a short creed known as the Ryogemon:.

Further, Rennyo Shonin was the author of several works relating to Jodo Shinshu doctrine.

Rennyo's disciples recorded things he said in a collection called the Goichidai Kikigaku, which provides later followers with some insight into his personality and beliefs.

For example, Rennyo's image is typically venerated in Jodo Shinshu shrines to the left of Amitabha Buddha.

Rennyo is credited with bringing Jodo Shinshu teachings to a wider audience through proselytization, and through his letters, which provided accessible, clear explanations of Shinshu doctrine in comparison to Shinran's writings, which are in Classical Chinese.

Rennyo clarified Shinran's teachings, provided a simple code of conduct, and reformed the temple hierarchy and liturgy.

Rennyo introduced certain doctrinal elements from the rival Seizan Jodo Shu tradition into the Shinshu, and tolerated Shinto belief in kami to a greater extent than Shinran had.