Pure Land Resources
Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 9:12 pm
All, please feel free to add to this thread (books, websites, etc.)
Thanks to Astus' for providing some of these reccommendations to me as well.
Academic Texts:
The Pure Land Tradition: History and Development
This new collection includes the latest scholarship on one of the most important strains of Buddhism, the Pure Land Tradition. The essays trace its historical evolution from its origins in India through its development in China to medieval Japan.
Approaching the Land of Bliss: Religious Praxis in the Cult of Amitabha
Approaching the Land of Bliss is a rich collection of studies of texts and ritual practices devoted to Amitabha, ranging from Tibet to Japan and from early medieval times to the present.
The cult of Amitabha is identified as an integral part of Tibet's Mahayana Buddhist tradition in the opening essay by Matthew Kapstein. Next Daniel Getz, Jr., locates the Pure Land patriarch Shengcheng more firmly in a Huayan context and his Pure Conduct society not so much in the propagation of Pure Land praxis but as a means of modifying anti-Buddhist sentiments. Jacqueline Stone's study of the practice of reciting nenbutsu at the time of death gives us an understanding of both the practice itself and the motivating logic behind it. Kakuban--the founder of the one major "schism" in the history of the Shingon tradition--is placed in a typology of Japanese Pure Land thought in James Sanford's study of Kakuban's Amida hishaku. Hank Glassman contributes an essay on the "subsidiary cult" of Chujohime, which derived from the cult of Amitabha but grew to such importance that it displaced the latter as the focus of worship in medieval Japan.
In his examination of "radical Amidism," Fabio Rambelli discusses different forms of Japanese Pure Land thought that constitute divergences from the mainstream or normative forms. Richard Jaffe examines the work of the seventeenth-century cleric Ungo Kiyo, who sought to match his teaching to the needs and capacities of his disciples. Todd Lewis highlights the importance of cultic life and finds traces of the desire for rebirth into Sukhavati in stupa worship among Newari Buddhists. Charles Jones' "thick description" of a one-day recitation retreat in Taiwan provides us with a closer look at how the cult of Amitabha continues in present-day East Asia.
The Syncretism of Ch'an and Pure Land Buddhism (Asian Thought and Culture)
This fascinating book examines the syncretism of Ch'an (Zen) and Pure Land Buddhism in China. It discusses the syncretic character of Chinese culture and Buddhism. The doctrinal basis of the Ch'an-Pure Land syncretism is thoroughly investigated. As Yung-ming Yen-shou (905-975) is the instrumental figure for the promotion and popularization of the syncretism, the book fully examines his thought and influence. Analyzing the two distinctive types of Buddhist experiences, this book is the first on this subject ever published in English.
Visions of Sukhavati: Shan-Tao's Commentary on the Kuan Wu-Liang Shou-Fo Ching
T'ang monk Shan-tao was instrumental in the propagation and popularity of this devotional school. He was an ascetic and serious meditator who followed the techniques of visualization explained in the Sutra on Visualizing Buddha Amita, and his commentary on this text was later considered to be his most outstanding work. Western authors, however, misrepresent Shan-tao because they follow the lead of Japanese Jodo Shinshu masters who deemphasized meditative practices. With the hope that old stereotypes will be dropped, this book lets the Chinese texts speak for themselves.
The Three Pure Land Sutras (Bdk English Tripitaka Translation Series)
This is a Revised Second Edition of translation from the Chinese by Hisao Inagaki. These three sutras make up the most important scriptures of the Pure Land School of Buddhism, which centers around the Buddha of Infinite Light & Life, known in Japanese as the Amida Buddha. [Taisho Tripitaka #360, #365, and #366] [Ch: Wu-liang-shou-ching; Kuan-wu-liang-shou-fo-ching; A-mi-t'o-ching] [Jpn: Mu-ryo-ju-kyo; Kan-mu-ryo-ju-butsu; A-mi-da-kyo]
Land of Bliss, the Paradise of the Buddha of Measureless Light: Sanskrit and Chinese Versions
This is a translation of two Buddhist texts on what is arguably the most popular of all Buddhist conceptions of an ideal world, the "Land of Bliss" of the Buddha Amitabha, the Buddha of Infinite Light. The two texts, known to Western students of Buddhism as the "Smaller" and "Larger" Sukhavatiyuha Sutra, explain the conditions that lead to rebirth in the Pure Land and the manner in which human beings are reborn there
Living in Amida's Universal Vow: Essays on Shin Buddhism
This is the first comprehensive collection of essays on Shin Buddhism by many of the most important Shin scholars and religious authorities of the last one hundred years.
Jodo Shinshu: Shin Buddhism in Medieval Japan
The complex development of Shin Buddhism from its simple beginnings as a small, rural primarily lay Buddhist movement in the 12th century to its rapid growth as a powerful urban religion in the 15th century
Toward a Contemporary Understanding of Pure Land Buddhism: Creating a Shin Buddhist Theology in a Religiously Plural World
Japanese Pure Land thought brought about a major development in Buddhist tradition by evolving a path to enlightenment that is pursued while carrying on life in society. It is rooted in the Mahayana ideal of compassion and in the bodhisattva, or being of wisdom, who vows to ferry all living things to the other shore of awakening. In this book, three Buddhist scholars utilize hermeneutic thought, process theology, and the mandala of contemplation of Buddhism to address issues of modernity and religious values in the world today.
Buddha of Infinite Light: The Teachings of Shin Buddhism, the Japanese Way of Wisdom and Compassion
In this book, based on several lectures he gave in the 1950s, D. T. Suzuki illuminates the deep meaning of Shin and its rich archetypal imagery, providing a scholarly and affectionate introduction to this sometimes misunderstood tradition of Buddhist practice.
Kyôgyôshinshô: On Teaching, Practice, Faith, and Enlightenment (Bdk English Tripitaka Translation Series)
Translated by Hisao Inagaki, the Kyôgyôshinshô is the magnum opus of Shinran Shonin (1173–1262), founder of the Jôdo Shinshu school of Pure Land Buddhism. This work is a collection of three hundred and seventy-six passages from sixty-two sutras, discourses, and commentaries, with Shinran’s own notes and commentary, organized into a coherent and comprehensive explication of the Pure Land teaching.
Tannisho: Passages Deploring Deviations of Faith and Rennyo Shonin Ofumi: The Letters of Rennyo (Bdk English Tripitaka Translation Series)
Tannisho: Translated from the Japanese by Shojun Bando with Harold Stewart. This was written by one of Shinran Shonin's disciples to refute deviations from the true teaching of Shinran Shonin, founder of the True Pure Land Sect (Jodo Shinshu). [Taisho Tripitaka #2661] [Jpn: Tan-ni-sho]
Rennyo Ofumi: Translated from the Japanese by Ann T. Rogers and Minor L. Rogers. This is a collection of 80 pastoral letters written by Rennyo Shonin, the 8th Head Priest of the True Pure Land Sect (Jodo Shinshu). [Taisho Tripitaka #2668] [Jpn: Ren-nyo-sho-nin-o-fumi]
Honen's Senchakushu : Passages on the Selection of the Nembutsu in the Original Vow (Senchaku Hongan Nembutsu Shu (Classics in East Asian Buddhism)
The Senchakushu was transcribed from Honen's oral dictation in 1198. It consists of sixteen chapters and occupies twenty pages in the Taisho canon (T. 83, 1-20; SHZ. 310-350). Each chapter begins with a heading explaining the content of the chapter and then presents quotations from the Pure Land sutras and the works of major Pure Land scholars, followed by Honen's comments and explanations interspersed between and after the various quotes.
Senchaku Hongan Nembutsu Shu, A Collection of Passages on the Nembutsu Chosen in the Original Vow
Translated from the Japanese by Morris Augustine and Tessho Kondo. This is the principle work by Genku, founder of the Pure Land School in Japan, and is the most important single literary work in establishing the Pure Land School as an independent school of Japanese Buddhism. [Taisho Tripitaka #2608] [Jpn: Sen-chaku-hon-gan-nembutsu-shu]
The Promise of Amida Buddha: Honen's Path to Bliss
The Promise of Amida Buddha is the first complete English translation of a seminal collection of writings by the Japanese Pure Land school’s founder, Honen-shonin (1133-1212). The so-called Japanese Anthology (Wago Toroku)collects his surviving short writings composed in Japanese, including letters of exhortation and public pronouncements. The vital writings provide a window into Honen’s life and the turbulent era in which he lived and taught.
No Abode: The Record of Ippen
Ippen (1239-1289) was a wandering "hijiri" (holy man) and religious leader whose movement developed into one of the major schools of Japanese Buddhism. This text presents a translation of all of Ippen's extant writings, including letters and verse, together with records of his spoken words.
Path of No Path: Contemporary Studies in Pure Land Buddhism Honoring Roger Corless
Roger Corless pursued his own path, one he described as a path with heart. This enabled him to bring new perspectives to the study of Buddhism in general and Pure Land Buddhism in particular. Honoring his life and his contribution to the field, this collection brings together ten essays by his colleagues and friends. These articles cover a range of topics, from the practice of Pure Land to its historical transmission and its contemporary interpretation. Contributors include Harvey Aronson, Gordon Bermant, Alfred Bloom, Ruben Habito, Charles Jones, Charles Orzech, Richard Payne, Charles Prebish, James Sanford, and Kenneth Tanaka, as well as a remembrance by one of Corless's students, Arthur Holder. As is only appropriate in memory of a pioneer in the field of Pure Land Buddhist studies, this work itself contributes to the further development of research and interpretation of the tradition.
Shin Buddhism: Historical, Textual, and Interpretive Studies
The Institute of Buddhist Studies, based in Berkeley, California, has for many years received generous support from the Numata family, founder of Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (Society for the Promotion of Buddhism) and the Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research. In 1986 Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai established the Numata Endowment, which has provided support for many guest lecturers and visiting scholars over the last twenty years. In addition, Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai also supports publication of the Institute's journal, Pacific World: Journal of the Institute of Buddhist Studies. It seems fitting, therefore, to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the establishment of the Numata Endowment with the publication of this collection of exemplary essays from Pacific World.
Plain Words on the Pure Land Way
Published by Ryukoku University in 1989, Plain Words on the Pure Land Way is a collection of sayings that guided the lives of wandering monks in medieval Japan. Long appreciated for their incisiveness and immediacy, these sayings provide a vivid glimpse into the thought and experience of people who dedicated themselves to the nembutsu¿the utterance of the Name of Amida Buddha¿during the tumultuous period when it first emerged as a way to enlightenment available to all. This collection is highly regarded not only as a document revealing the spirit of the nascent Pure Land path before the rigid division into doctrinal schools, but also as an important example of the literature of the recluse's thatched hut (soan bungaku) and of Buddhist writings in the vernacular (kana hogo). Japanese text included.
Letters of the Nun Eshinni
Eshinni (1182-1268?), a Buddhist nun and the wife of Shinran (1173-1262), the celebrated founder of the True Pure Land, or Shin, school of Buddhism, was largely unknown until the discovery of a collection of her letters in 1921. In this study, James C. Dobbins, a leading scholar of Pure Land Buddhism, has made creative use of these letters to shed new light on life and religion in medieval Japan. He provides a complete translation of the letters and an explication of them that reveals the character and flavor of early Shin Buddhism. Readers will come away with a new perspective on Pure Land scholarship and a vivid image of Eshinni and the world in which she lived. After situating the ideas and practices of Pure Land Buddhism in the context of the actual living conditions of thirteenth-century Japan, Dobbins examines the portrayal of women in Pure Land Buddhism, the great range of lifestyles found among medieval women and nuns, and how they constructed a meaningful religious life amid negative stereotypes. He goes on to analyze aspects of medieval religion that have been omitted in our modern-day account of Pure Land and tries to reconstruct the religious assumptions of Eshinni and Shinran in their own day. A prevailing theme that runs throughout the book is the need to look beyond idealized images of Buddhism found in doctrine to discover the religion as it was lived and practiced. Scholars and students of Buddhism, Japanese history, women's studies, and religious studies will find much in this engaging work that is thought-provoking and insightful.
Renegade Monk: Honen and Japanese Pure Land Buddhism
Opening with the destruction and chaos that beleaguered Kyoto during Honen's lifetime, Soho Machida explores Honen's social context to discover the roots of his thought and the source of his popularity. The Old Buddhist regime had a stranglehold on peasants, he shows, by concocting images of vindictive spirits, hell, and an apocalyptic collapse of the law in these chaotic times. Machida asserts that when Honen countered such negative, menacing images by focusing his imagination on the Pure Land and actually affirming death, he became not only a radical thinker but also the leader of a revolutionary social movement; a medieval Japanese "liberation theology."
Rennyo and the Roots of Modern Japanese Buddhism
Rennyo Shonin (1415-1499) is considered the "second founder" of Shin Buddhism. Under his leadership, the Honganji branch grew in size and power, becoming a national organization with great wealth and influence. Rennyo's success lay in conveying an attractive spiritual message while exerting effective administrative control. A savvy politician as well as religious leader, ennyo played a significant role in political, economic, and institutional developments. Though he is undeniably one of the most influential persons in the history of Japanese religion, his legacy remains enigmatic and largely overlooked by the West. This volume offers an assessment of Rennyo's contribution to Buddhist thought and the Honganji religious organization. A collection of 16 previously unpublished essays by both Japanese and non-Japanese scholars in the areas of historical studies, Shinshu studies, and comparative religion, it is the first book to confront many of the major questions surrounding the phenomenal growth of Honganji under Rennyo's leadership. The authors examine such topics as the source of Rennyo's charisma, the soteriological implications of his thought against the background of other movements in Pure Land Buddhism, and the relationship between his ideas and the growth of his church. This collection is an important first step in bringing this important figure to an audience outside Japan. It will be of significant interest to scholars in the fields of Japanese religion, Japanese social history, comparative religion, and the sociology of religion.
The Origins and Development of Pure Land Buddhism
In this book, Mark Blum offers a critical look at the thought and impact of the late 13th-century Buddhist historian Gyonen (1240-1321) and the emergent Pure Land school of Buddhism founded by Honen (1133-1212). Blum also provides a clear and fully annotated translation of Gyonen's Jodo homon genrusho, the first history of Pure Land Buddhism.
Charisma and Community Formation in Medieval Japan: The Case of the Yugyo-Ha, 1300-1700
The Yugyô-ha achieved success by basing its religious authority on a combination of Pure Land mysticism and the practices of fundraising hijiri. Between 1300 and 1700, the Pure Land Buddhist religious order known as the Ippen school Yugyô-ha (later the Jishu) established itself as the leading representative of nembutsu propagation in Japan. The theme of the order's history is the development of religious authority as a result of the struggle to normalize relations among the official head, sometimes obstreperous religious, and often interfering (usually warrior) lay patrons. This study demonstrates the value of the articulation in organizational studies of Weber's concept of charisma as a successful social relationship as well as that of a chosen career determined by culture and tradition. Indeed, the success of the Yugyô-ha was due to its ability to seize on the advantages of combining the principles and practices of two existing traditions, Pure Land mysticism and the fundraising hijiri movement.
Interpreting Amida: History and Orientalism in the Study of Pure Land Buddhism
The author shows that Pure Land Buddhism, despite a Mahayana Buddhist philosophical basis, has paralleled the social and political qualities associated with the Judeo-Christian tradition. It has variously been threatening to mainstream Westerners, uninteresting to Westerners seeking the exotic, and disagreeable to cultural brokers on all sides who want to depict Japanese culture as radically opposed to the West. The faulty appreciation of Pure Land Buddhism is one of the leading world examples of a counterproductive orientalism that restricts rather than improves cross-cultural communication.
Shinran's Gospel of Pure Grace
Now in its ninth printing, this book by Prof. Alfred Bloom is the best-selling volume in the AAS Monograph Series.
Cultivating Spirituality: A Modern Shin Buddhist Anthology
Cultivating Spirituality is a seminal anthology of Shin Buddhist thought, one that reflects this tradition's encounter with modernity. Shin (or Jodo Shinshu) is a popular form of Pure Land Buddhism, the most widely practiced form of Buddhism in Japan, but is only now becoming well known in the West. The lives of the four thinkers included in the book spanned the years 1863-1982, from the Meiji opening to the West to Japan's establishment as an industrialized democracy and world economic power. Kiyozawa Manshi, Soga Ryojin, Kaneko Daiei, and Yasuda Rjin, all associated with Kyoto's Otani University, dealt with the spiritual concerns of a society undergoing great change. Their philosophical orientation known as "Seishinshugi" ("cultivating spirituality") provides a set of principles that prioritized personal, subjective experience as the basis for religious understanding.
Thanks to Astus' for providing some of these reccommendations to me as well.
Academic Texts:
The Pure Land Tradition: History and Development
This new collection includes the latest scholarship on one of the most important strains of Buddhism, the Pure Land Tradition. The essays trace its historical evolution from its origins in India through its development in China to medieval Japan.
Approaching the Land of Bliss: Religious Praxis in the Cult of Amitabha
Approaching the Land of Bliss is a rich collection of studies of texts and ritual practices devoted to Amitabha, ranging from Tibet to Japan and from early medieval times to the present.
The cult of Amitabha is identified as an integral part of Tibet's Mahayana Buddhist tradition in the opening essay by Matthew Kapstein. Next Daniel Getz, Jr., locates the Pure Land patriarch Shengcheng more firmly in a Huayan context and his Pure Conduct society not so much in the propagation of Pure Land praxis but as a means of modifying anti-Buddhist sentiments. Jacqueline Stone's study of the practice of reciting nenbutsu at the time of death gives us an understanding of both the practice itself and the motivating logic behind it. Kakuban--the founder of the one major "schism" in the history of the Shingon tradition--is placed in a typology of Japanese Pure Land thought in James Sanford's study of Kakuban's Amida hishaku. Hank Glassman contributes an essay on the "subsidiary cult" of Chujohime, which derived from the cult of Amitabha but grew to such importance that it displaced the latter as the focus of worship in medieval Japan.
In his examination of "radical Amidism," Fabio Rambelli discusses different forms of Japanese Pure Land thought that constitute divergences from the mainstream or normative forms. Richard Jaffe examines the work of the seventeenth-century cleric Ungo Kiyo, who sought to match his teaching to the needs and capacities of his disciples. Todd Lewis highlights the importance of cultic life and finds traces of the desire for rebirth into Sukhavati in stupa worship among Newari Buddhists. Charles Jones' "thick description" of a one-day recitation retreat in Taiwan provides us with a closer look at how the cult of Amitabha continues in present-day East Asia.
The Syncretism of Ch'an and Pure Land Buddhism (Asian Thought and Culture)
This fascinating book examines the syncretism of Ch'an (Zen) and Pure Land Buddhism in China. It discusses the syncretic character of Chinese culture and Buddhism. The doctrinal basis of the Ch'an-Pure Land syncretism is thoroughly investigated. As Yung-ming Yen-shou (905-975) is the instrumental figure for the promotion and popularization of the syncretism, the book fully examines his thought and influence. Analyzing the two distinctive types of Buddhist experiences, this book is the first on this subject ever published in English.
Visions of Sukhavati: Shan-Tao's Commentary on the Kuan Wu-Liang Shou-Fo Ching
T'ang monk Shan-tao was instrumental in the propagation and popularity of this devotional school. He was an ascetic and serious meditator who followed the techniques of visualization explained in the Sutra on Visualizing Buddha Amita, and his commentary on this text was later considered to be his most outstanding work. Western authors, however, misrepresent Shan-tao because they follow the lead of Japanese Jodo Shinshu masters who deemphasized meditative practices. With the hope that old stereotypes will be dropped, this book lets the Chinese texts speak for themselves.
The Three Pure Land Sutras (Bdk English Tripitaka Translation Series)
This is a Revised Second Edition of translation from the Chinese by Hisao Inagaki. These three sutras make up the most important scriptures of the Pure Land School of Buddhism, which centers around the Buddha of Infinite Light & Life, known in Japanese as the Amida Buddha. [Taisho Tripitaka #360, #365, and #366] [Ch: Wu-liang-shou-ching; Kuan-wu-liang-shou-fo-ching; A-mi-t'o-ching] [Jpn: Mu-ryo-ju-kyo; Kan-mu-ryo-ju-butsu; A-mi-da-kyo]
Land of Bliss, the Paradise of the Buddha of Measureless Light: Sanskrit and Chinese Versions
This is a translation of two Buddhist texts on what is arguably the most popular of all Buddhist conceptions of an ideal world, the "Land of Bliss" of the Buddha Amitabha, the Buddha of Infinite Light. The two texts, known to Western students of Buddhism as the "Smaller" and "Larger" Sukhavatiyuha Sutra, explain the conditions that lead to rebirth in the Pure Land and the manner in which human beings are reborn there
Living in Amida's Universal Vow: Essays on Shin Buddhism
This is the first comprehensive collection of essays on Shin Buddhism by many of the most important Shin scholars and religious authorities of the last one hundred years.
Jodo Shinshu: Shin Buddhism in Medieval Japan
The complex development of Shin Buddhism from its simple beginnings as a small, rural primarily lay Buddhist movement in the 12th century to its rapid growth as a powerful urban religion in the 15th century
Toward a Contemporary Understanding of Pure Land Buddhism: Creating a Shin Buddhist Theology in a Religiously Plural World
Japanese Pure Land thought brought about a major development in Buddhist tradition by evolving a path to enlightenment that is pursued while carrying on life in society. It is rooted in the Mahayana ideal of compassion and in the bodhisattva, or being of wisdom, who vows to ferry all living things to the other shore of awakening. In this book, three Buddhist scholars utilize hermeneutic thought, process theology, and the mandala of contemplation of Buddhism to address issues of modernity and religious values in the world today.
Buddha of Infinite Light: The Teachings of Shin Buddhism, the Japanese Way of Wisdom and Compassion
In this book, based on several lectures he gave in the 1950s, D. T. Suzuki illuminates the deep meaning of Shin and its rich archetypal imagery, providing a scholarly and affectionate introduction to this sometimes misunderstood tradition of Buddhist practice.
Kyôgyôshinshô: On Teaching, Practice, Faith, and Enlightenment (Bdk English Tripitaka Translation Series)
Translated by Hisao Inagaki, the Kyôgyôshinshô is the magnum opus of Shinran Shonin (1173–1262), founder of the Jôdo Shinshu school of Pure Land Buddhism. This work is a collection of three hundred and seventy-six passages from sixty-two sutras, discourses, and commentaries, with Shinran’s own notes and commentary, organized into a coherent and comprehensive explication of the Pure Land teaching.
Tannisho: Passages Deploring Deviations of Faith and Rennyo Shonin Ofumi: The Letters of Rennyo (Bdk English Tripitaka Translation Series)
Tannisho: Translated from the Japanese by Shojun Bando with Harold Stewart. This was written by one of Shinran Shonin's disciples to refute deviations from the true teaching of Shinran Shonin, founder of the True Pure Land Sect (Jodo Shinshu). [Taisho Tripitaka #2661] [Jpn: Tan-ni-sho]
Rennyo Ofumi: Translated from the Japanese by Ann T. Rogers and Minor L. Rogers. This is a collection of 80 pastoral letters written by Rennyo Shonin, the 8th Head Priest of the True Pure Land Sect (Jodo Shinshu). [Taisho Tripitaka #2668] [Jpn: Ren-nyo-sho-nin-o-fumi]
Honen's Senchakushu : Passages on the Selection of the Nembutsu in the Original Vow (Senchaku Hongan Nembutsu Shu (Classics in East Asian Buddhism)
The Senchakushu was transcribed from Honen's oral dictation in 1198. It consists of sixteen chapters and occupies twenty pages in the Taisho canon (T. 83, 1-20; SHZ. 310-350). Each chapter begins with a heading explaining the content of the chapter and then presents quotations from the Pure Land sutras and the works of major Pure Land scholars, followed by Honen's comments and explanations interspersed between and after the various quotes.
Senchaku Hongan Nembutsu Shu, A Collection of Passages on the Nembutsu Chosen in the Original Vow
Translated from the Japanese by Morris Augustine and Tessho Kondo. This is the principle work by Genku, founder of the Pure Land School in Japan, and is the most important single literary work in establishing the Pure Land School as an independent school of Japanese Buddhism. [Taisho Tripitaka #2608] [Jpn: Sen-chaku-hon-gan-nembutsu-shu]
The Promise of Amida Buddha: Honen's Path to Bliss
The Promise of Amida Buddha is the first complete English translation of a seminal collection of writings by the Japanese Pure Land school’s founder, Honen-shonin (1133-1212). The so-called Japanese Anthology (Wago Toroku)collects his surviving short writings composed in Japanese, including letters of exhortation and public pronouncements. The vital writings provide a window into Honen’s life and the turbulent era in which he lived and taught.
No Abode: The Record of Ippen
Ippen (1239-1289) was a wandering "hijiri" (holy man) and religious leader whose movement developed into one of the major schools of Japanese Buddhism. This text presents a translation of all of Ippen's extant writings, including letters and verse, together with records of his spoken words.
Path of No Path: Contemporary Studies in Pure Land Buddhism Honoring Roger Corless
Roger Corless pursued his own path, one he described as a path with heart. This enabled him to bring new perspectives to the study of Buddhism in general and Pure Land Buddhism in particular. Honoring his life and his contribution to the field, this collection brings together ten essays by his colleagues and friends. These articles cover a range of topics, from the practice of Pure Land to its historical transmission and its contemporary interpretation. Contributors include Harvey Aronson, Gordon Bermant, Alfred Bloom, Ruben Habito, Charles Jones, Charles Orzech, Richard Payne, Charles Prebish, James Sanford, and Kenneth Tanaka, as well as a remembrance by one of Corless's students, Arthur Holder. As is only appropriate in memory of a pioneer in the field of Pure Land Buddhist studies, this work itself contributes to the further development of research and interpretation of the tradition.
Shin Buddhism: Historical, Textual, and Interpretive Studies
The Institute of Buddhist Studies, based in Berkeley, California, has for many years received generous support from the Numata family, founder of Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (Society for the Promotion of Buddhism) and the Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research. In 1986 Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai established the Numata Endowment, which has provided support for many guest lecturers and visiting scholars over the last twenty years. In addition, Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai also supports publication of the Institute's journal, Pacific World: Journal of the Institute of Buddhist Studies. It seems fitting, therefore, to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the establishment of the Numata Endowment with the publication of this collection of exemplary essays from Pacific World.
Plain Words on the Pure Land Way
Published by Ryukoku University in 1989, Plain Words on the Pure Land Way is a collection of sayings that guided the lives of wandering monks in medieval Japan. Long appreciated for their incisiveness and immediacy, these sayings provide a vivid glimpse into the thought and experience of people who dedicated themselves to the nembutsu¿the utterance of the Name of Amida Buddha¿during the tumultuous period when it first emerged as a way to enlightenment available to all. This collection is highly regarded not only as a document revealing the spirit of the nascent Pure Land path before the rigid division into doctrinal schools, but also as an important example of the literature of the recluse's thatched hut (soan bungaku) and of Buddhist writings in the vernacular (kana hogo). Japanese text included.
Letters of the Nun Eshinni
Eshinni (1182-1268?), a Buddhist nun and the wife of Shinran (1173-1262), the celebrated founder of the True Pure Land, or Shin, school of Buddhism, was largely unknown until the discovery of a collection of her letters in 1921. In this study, James C. Dobbins, a leading scholar of Pure Land Buddhism, has made creative use of these letters to shed new light on life and religion in medieval Japan. He provides a complete translation of the letters and an explication of them that reveals the character and flavor of early Shin Buddhism. Readers will come away with a new perspective on Pure Land scholarship and a vivid image of Eshinni and the world in which she lived. After situating the ideas and practices of Pure Land Buddhism in the context of the actual living conditions of thirteenth-century Japan, Dobbins examines the portrayal of women in Pure Land Buddhism, the great range of lifestyles found among medieval women and nuns, and how they constructed a meaningful religious life amid negative stereotypes. He goes on to analyze aspects of medieval religion that have been omitted in our modern-day account of Pure Land and tries to reconstruct the religious assumptions of Eshinni and Shinran in their own day. A prevailing theme that runs throughout the book is the need to look beyond idealized images of Buddhism found in doctrine to discover the religion as it was lived and practiced. Scholars and students of Buddhism, Japanese history, women's studies, and religious studies will find much in this engaging work that is thought-provoking and insightful.
Renegade Monk: Honen and Japanese Pure Land Buddhism
Opening with the destruction and chaos that beleaguered Kyoto during Honen's lifetime, Soho Machida explores Honen's social context to discover the roots of his thought and the source of his popularity. The Old Buddhist regime had a stranglehold on peasants, he shows, by concocting images of vindictive spirits, hell, and an apocalyptic collapse of the law in these chaotic times. Machida asserts that when Honen countered such negative, menacing images by focusing his imagination on the Pure Land and actually affirming death, he became not only a radical thinker but also the leader of a revolutionary social movement; a medieval Japanese "liberation theology."
Rennyo and the Roots of Modern Japanese Buddhism
Rennyo Shonin (1415-1499) is considered the "second founder" of Shin Buddhism. Under his leadership, the Honganji branch grew in size and power, becoming a national organization with great wealth and influence. Rennyo's success lay in conveying an attractive spiritual message while exerting effective administrative control. A savvy politician as well as religious leader, ennyo played a significant role in political, economic, and institutional developments. Though he is undeniably one of the most influential persons in the history of Japanese religion, his legacy remains enigmatic and largely overlooked by the West. This volume offers an assessment of Rennyo's contribution to Buddhist thought and the Honganji religious organization. A collection of 16 previously unpublished essays by both Japanese and non-Japanese scholars in the areas of historical studies, Shinshu studies, and comparative religion, it is the first book to confront many of the major questions surrounding the phenomenal growth of Honganji under Rennyo's leadership. The authors examine such topics as the source of Rennyo's charisma, the soteriological implications of his thought against the background of other movements in Pure Land Buddhism, and the relationship between his ideas and the growth of his church. This collection is an important first step in bringing this important figure to an audience outside Japan. It will be of significant interest to scholars in the fields of Japanese religion, Japanese social history, comparative religion, and the sociology of religion.
The Origins and Development of Pure Land Buddhism
In this book, Mark Blum offers a critical look at the thought and impact of the late 13th-century Buddhist historian Gyonen (1240-1321) and the emergent Pure Land school of Buddhism founded by Honen (1133-1212). Blum also provides a clear and fully annotated translation of Gyonen's Jodo homon genrusho, the first history of Pure Land Buddhism.
Charisma and Community Formation in Medieval Japan: The Case of the Yugyo-Ha, 1300-1700
The Yugyô-ha achieved success by basing its religious authority on a combination of Pure Land mysticism and the practices of fundraising hijiri. Between 1300 and 1700, the Pure Land Buddhist religious order known as the Ippen school Yugyô-ha (later the Jishu) established itself as the leading representative of nembutsu propagation in Japan. The theme of the order's history is the development of religious authority as a result of the struggle to normalize relations among the official head, sometimes obstreperous religious, and often interfering (usually warrior) lay patrons. This study demonstrates the value of the articulation in organizational studies of Weber's concept of charisma as a successful social relationship as well as that of a chosen career determined by culture and tradition. Indeed, the success of the Yugyô-ha was due to its ability to seize on the advantages of combining the principles and practices of two existing traditions, Pure Land mysticism and the fundraising hijiri movement.
Interpreting Amida: History and Orientalism in the Study of Pure Land Buddhism
The author shows that Pure Land Buddhism, despite a Mahayana Buddhist philosophical basis, has paralleled the social and political qualities associated with the Judeo-Christian tradition. It has variously been threatening to mainstream Westerners, uninteresting to Westerners seeking the exotic, and disagreeable to cultural brokers on all sides who want to depict Japanese culture as radically opposed to the West. The faulty appreciation of Pure Land Buddhism is one of the leading world examples of a counterproductive orientalism that restricts rather than improves cross-cultural communication.
Shinran's Gospel of Pure Grace
Now in its ninth printing, this book by Prof. Alfred Bloom is the best-selling volume in the AAS Monograph Series.
Cultivating Spirituality: A Modern Shin Buddhist Anthology
Cultivating Spirituality is a seminal anthology of Shin Buddhist thought, one that reflects this tradition's encounter with modernity. Shin (or Jodo Shinshu) is a popular form of Pure Land Buddhism, the most widely practiced form of Buddhism in Japan, but is only now becoming well known in the West. The lives of the four thinkers included in the book spanned the years 1863-1982, from the Meiji opening to the West to Japan's establishment as an industrialized democracy and world economic power. Kiyozawa Manshi, Soga Ryojin, Kaneko Daiei, and Yasuda Rjin, all associated with Kyoto's Otani University, dealt with the spiritual concerns of a society undergoing great change. Their philosophical orientation known as "Seishinshugi" ("cultivating spirituality") provides a set of principles that prioritized personal, subjective experience as the basis for religious understanding.