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{{Short description|8th Monshu (head priest) of the Hongan-ji Temple of Jōdo-Shinshū Buddhism (1415-99)}}
{{Infobox religious biography
|name = Rennyo (蓮如)
|image= Rennyo5.1.JPG
|caption = Portrait of Rennyo, painted during the [[Muromachi Period]]
|birth_name = Hoteimaru (布袋丸)
|alias = Kenju (兼寿)
|dharma name = 
|birth_date = 1415
|birth_place = [[Kyoto]], [[Ashikaga Shogunate|Japan]]
|death_date = 1499
|death_place = [[Osaka]], Japan
|nationality = Japanese
|religion = [[Buddhism]]
|school = [[Jodo Shinshu]] Buddhism
|lineage = 
|title = Restorer of [[Jodo Shinshu]] Buddhism, 8th [[monshu]] of the [[Honganji]]
|location = 
|education = 
|occupation = 
|teacher = 
|reincarnation of = 
|predecessor = Zonnyō
|successor = 
|students = 
|spouse = 
|partner = 
|children = 
|website = 
}}

'''Rennyo''' ({{lang|ja|蓮如}}, 1415–1499) was the 8th [[Monshu]] (Patriarch)<ref name="tsang">{{cite book | last1 = Tsang | first1 = Carol R. | title = War and Faith: Ikko Ikki in Late Muromachi Japan (Harvard East Asian Monographs) | publisher = Harvard University Asia Center | year = 2007 | isbn =  0674025091}}</ref> of the [[Hongan-ji]] Temple of the [[Jōdo Shinshū]] sect of [[Buddhism]], and descendant of founder [[Shinran]].  Jodo Shinshu Buddhists often referred to him as the restorer of the sect ({{nihongo|'''Chūkō no sō'''|中興の祖|}} in Japanese).  He was also known as ''Shinshō-in'' (信証院), and posthumously ''Etō Daishi'' (慧灯大師).  During the conflict and welter of the [[Ōnin War]] and the subsequent warfare ([[Sengoku period|Sengoku era]]) that spread throughout Japan, Rennyo was able to unite most of the disparate factions of the Jodo Shinshu sect under the Hongan-ji, reform existing liturgy and practices, and broaden support among different classes of society.  Through Rennyo's efforts, Jodo Shinshu grew to become the largest, most influential Buddhist sect in Japan.

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 [[Ikkō-ikki]] peasant revolts, which were frequently by Shinshu followers, restraining them at times while also teaching and attending to their religious needs.<ref name="dobbins">{{cite book | last = Dobbins | first = James C. | title = Jodo Shinshu: Shin Buddhism in Medieval Japan | publisher = Indiana University Press | year = 1989 | isbn = 978-0253331861 | chapter=Chapter 9: Rennyo and the Consolidation Of The Shinshu}}</ref>

== Biography ==

=== Early life ===

Born as Hoteimaru ({{lang|ja|布袋丸}}), later Kenju ({{lang|ja|兼寿}}), Rennyo was the son of Zonnyō ({{lang|ja|存如}}, 1396–1457, who later became the 7th {{nihongo|'''[[Monshu]]'''|門主||"Patriarch"}} of the [[Hongan-ji]]. Rennyo was born out of wedlock when his father was 18. His mother, a servant whose name is now unknown, was sent away when Rennyo was only six years old. Several times throughout his life he attempted to find her, with no result. 

Rennyo frequently quarreled with his stepmother, [[Nyoen]] (d. 1460), and she attempted to have her own son, Ogen (1433–1503), installed as the successor to the abbacy of Hongan-ji.  However, Rennyo's influential uncle, Nyojo (1402–1460), 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 from the [[Katada]] congregation, Rennyo was able to expand the Honganji's presence.  These congregations in Omi Province were frequently composed of artisan-class followers, who were able to provide crucial funds and protection.<ref name="dobbins" /><ref name="rogers">{{cite book | last = Rogers | first = Minor | title = Rennyo: The Second Founder of Shin Buddhism (Nanzan Studies in Asian Religions Series) | publisher = Asian Humanities Pr | year = 1991 | isbn = 978-0895819307 | chapter=Chapter 2, Initiation: Ōtani Hongan-ji}}</ref> During his early ministry, Rennyo would frequently distribute religious texts to congregations as well as inscriptions of the [[nenbutsu]] (recitation of [[Amitābha]] Buddha's name).  These inscriptions frequently used the so-called "10-character nembutsu" or {{nihongo|''Jūjimyōgō''|十字名号||}} :<ref name="dobbins" />

{{quote|
Kimyō Jin Jippō Mugekō Nyorai<br />
帰命尽十方無碍光如来<br />
"I take refuge in the [[Tathāgata]] of Unobstructed Light Suffusing the Ten Directions".}}

Soon Rennyo's influence spread into [[Mikawa Province]], an area traditionally dominated by the [[Senju-ji]] branch of Shinshū. He did this by making many appearances in these areas and presenting groups with his own commentaries and interpretations on Shinran's works.

The monks of the [[Enryaku-ji]] (the head temple of the [[Tendai]] School located on [[Mt. Hiei]]) noticed Rennyo's successes in the provinces around Kyoto. In 1465,<ref name=Sansom2>{{Cite book |last=Sansom |first=George |title=A History of Japan, 1334–1615 |publisher=Stanford University Press |year=1961 |isbn=978-0804705257 |page=247}}</ref> Mt. Hiei sent a band of ''[[sōhei]]'' (warrior monks) to the Hongan-ji and destroyed most of the temple complex. The attacks were justified by claims that the Jōdo Shinshū movement was heretical. The actual motivation for these attacks was likely financial.<ref name="rogers" /><ref name="tsang" /> Mt. Hiei had significant interests in Ōmi Province that included properties 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 bribe the Mt. Hiei warriors in exchange for peace. The contingency to this was that Hongan-ji must become a member of Mt. Hiei's temples, thus entering them into yearly dues they had to pay Mt. Hiei. 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 reduced the Ōmi temple to rubble.

In any case, the Hongan-ji was almost entirely destroyed before armed men from the [[Takeda clan|Takada]] congregation were able to chase away the attackers. According to one account, Rennyo was able to fleet at the last minute due to timely assistance from a [[Cooper (profession)|cooper]] who saw the attackers coming, and led Rennyo out through the back.<ref name="rogers" />

The years immediately following the attack of 1465 forced Rennyo to live a nomadic or errant life. 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 temple to Mt. Hiei (ironically, both [[Tendai]] sect).  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.<ref name="dobbins" /><ref name="rogers" /> He could not depend on any outside forces to protect him and his cohorts. None of this stopped Rennyo's mission, as he continued to amass more converts in new areas such as [[Settsu Province]] and [[Yoshino Province]]. In 1469 he would make a trip to the [[Kantō region]], where he found the Shinshu orders there open to his new and refreshing teachings. This was despite the fact that Senjuji dominated the region.

=== Flight to Hokuriku and recovery ===

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. Hiei as possible, by rebuilding the Hongan-ji in [[Echizen Province]] (present-day [[Fukui Prefecture]]), at a village called Yoshizaki (吉崎) starting in 1471.  This was a remote area conveniently located near a coastal route, with a number of Jodo Shinshu congregations from other sects already present.  Rennyo initially proselytized to these congregations in the form of speaking tours, but eventually shifted toward {{nihongo|pastoral letters|御文|'''ofumi'''|}} also called the {{nihongo||御文書|'''gobunsho'''|}} more formally.  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.<ref name='dobbins' /><ref name="rogers2">{{cite book | last = Rogers | first = Minor | title = Rennyo: The Second Founder of Shin Buddhism (Nanzan Studies in Asian Religions Series) | publisher = Asian Humanities Pr | year = 1991 | isbn = 978-0895819307 | pages=263–264}}</ref> Later generations compiled the ''gobunsho'' letters and thus they have become part of Jodo Shinshu liturgy since.

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.  He instituted {{nihongo|''okite''|掟||"Rules governing the community"}} which were as follows:<ref name='dobbins' /><ref name="tsang" />
# 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.

Once established Yoshizaki, known today as {{nihongo|''Yoshizaki Gobō''|吉崎御坊||"Yoshizaki Hermitage"}}, 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 became embroiled in a power-struggle in [[Kaga Province]] between two brothers of the Togashi family.  These followers, who banded together to form the [[Ikkō-ikki]] movement, sided with Togashi Masachika in 1473, though they eventually turned on him by 1488.  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.<ref name='dobbins' />

=== Return to Kyoto ===

By 1475, Rennyo returned to the Kyoto provinces with such a following that Mt. Hiei could no longer pose a credible threat to Jōdo Shinshū again. Rennyo had secured such status in the Jōdo Shinshū ranks that he had to begin issuing pastoral letters (or, ''ofumi'') in place of appearances to congregations.

During this time, Rennyo established a new form of [[liturgy]] (''gongyō''), incorporating elements that would eventually become the core of Honganji Jōdo Shinshū [[Buddhism]]. He also rewrote many Buddhist texts into [[kana]], the simple, phonetic [[Japanese language|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. The area was known for its "long slope," or "Ō-saka" (大阪) in Japanese. Contemporary documents about Rennyo's life and his hermitage were thus the first to refer to this place by the name [[Osaka]]. Rennyo's isolation did not last long, however; his hermitage grew quickly into a temple and surrounding temple town (''[[jinaimachi]]'') as devotees gathered to pay him homage and to hear his teachings. By the time of Rennyo's death three years later (in 1499), the complex had come to be known as the [[Ishiyama Hongan-ji]], and was close to the final shape which would prove to be the greatest fortified temple in Japanese history.

== Teachings ==

Rennyo believed he was restoring his ancestor [[Shinran|Shinran's]] original teachings, which he summed up in a short creed known as the {{nihongo|''Ryōgemon''|領解文||"Statement of Conviction"}}:<ref name='dobbins' /><ref>{{cite web|title=Ryogemon by LA Honganji Temple|url-status=dead |url=http://www.nishihongwanji-la.org/teachings/readings/creed-ryogemon/|access-date = 2015-06-19 |archive-date = 2015-06-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150620025956/http://www.nishihongwanji-la.org/teachings/readings/creed-ryogemon/ }}</ref>

{{quote|We abandon all indiscriminate religious practices and undertakings (''zōgyō zasshu'') and all mind of self-assertion (''jiriki no kokoro''), we rely with singleness of heart on the Tathāgata Amida in that matter of utmost importance to us now&mdash;to please save us in our next lifetime.  We rejoice in knowing that our birth in the Pure Land is assured and our salvation established from the moment we rely [on the Buddha] with even a single ''nembutsu'' (''ichinen''), and that whenever we utter the Buddha's name thereafter it is an expression of gratitude and indebtedness to him. We gratefully acknowledge that for us to hear and understand this truth we are indebted to our founder and master [Shinran] for appearing in the world and to successive generations of religious teachers in our tradition for their profound encouragement.  We shall henceforth abide by our established rules (''okite'') as long as we shall live.  --Translation by Professor James C. Dobbins.}}

The Ryogemon is still recited in modern-day Shinshu liturgy as a summation of Jodo Shinshu beliefs.

However, Rennyo's teaching also differed from Shinran's in subtle ways:<ref name='dobbins' />
* Rennyo frequently used the term {{nihongo|''anjin''|安心||"peace of mind"}} alongside the term {{nihongo|''shinjin''|信心||"true-entrusting"}} that Shinran used.
* Rennyo de-emphasized the prohibition against veneration of [[Shinto]] kami, and taught they were manifestations of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in keeping with medieval Japanese viewpoints.
* Rennyo further elaborated on the notion of ''kihō ittai'' (機法一体), whereby the deluded person is united with Amida Buddha through the [[nianfo|nembutsu]].
* Rennyo emphasized the notion of "gratitude", such that every invocation of the [[nianfo|nembutsu]] after the first one expressed gratitude at being assured rebirth in the Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha.  In his letters, he described this as {{nihongo|''go-on hōsha''|御恩報謝||"Indebtedness to the Buddha Amitabha"}}

== Writings and Liturgy ==

As part of Rennyo's reforms, he elevated the status of Shinran's hymn, the {{nihongo|''Shōshinge''|正信偈||"Hymn of the True Faith"}}, which was originally printed in Shinran's magnum opus, the [[Kyogyoshinsho]].  The Shoshinge is the primary liturgy used in Jodo Shinshu services, apart from Buddhist sutras, and is recited every morning at 6:00 at the [[Nishi Honganji]] temple services.<ref>{{cite web|title=An Introduction to the Shoshinge, Manitoba Buddhist Temple| url-status=dead| url=http://www.manitobabuddhistchurch.org/traditions/chanting/shoshinge.html| access-date = 2015-06-22| archive-date = 2015-06-23| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150623002138/http://www.manitobabuddhistchurch.org/traditions/chanting/shoshinge.html }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=FAQ Jodo Shinshu, Intl. Honganji Center| url=http://international.hongwanji.or.jp/html/c4p1.html| access-date = 2015-06-22}}</ref>

Further, Rennyo Shonin was the author of several works relating to [[Jōdo Shinshū]] doctrine. His most influential work is his collection of letters to various Shinshu ''monto'' (lay groups), popularly known as {{nihongo|''Gobunshō''|御文章||"Compositions"|}} in the Nishi Hongan-ji tradition, and {{nihongo|''Ofumi''|御文||"Compositions"|}} in the Higashi Hongan-ji tradition. These letters have the status of scriptural texts and are traditionally used in Shinshu daily liturgy; the most well-known letter is the {{nihongo|''Hakkotsu no Sho''|白骨の書||"Letter on White Ashes"}} which is a reflection on the impermanence of life and the importance of relying on Amida Buddha's Vow. This letter is frequently read aloud during Jōdo Shinshū funeral services.

Rennyo's disciples also recorded things he said in a collection called the {{nihongo|''Goichidai Kikigaku''|御一代記聞書||"A Record of Things Heard"}}, which provides later followers with some insight into his personality and beliefs.

== Legacy ==

Such was Rennyo's importance in reviving Shinran's teachings that he is revered by devotees as the "second founder" of the Jōdo Shinshū tradition.  For example, Rennyo's image is typically venerated in Jodo Shinshu shrines to the left of Amitābha Buddha (while Shinran is usually enshrined to the right).

Rennyo is credited with bringing Jodo Shinshu teachings to a wider audience through proselytization, and also through his letters, which provided accessible, clear explanations of Shinshu doctrine in comparison to Shinran's writings, which are in Classical Chinese.<ref name="rogers2" />  Rennyo clarified Shinran's teachings, provided a simple code of conduct, and reformed the temple hierarchy and liturgy.

There is debate among scholars belonging to the sect as to whether Rennyo's legacy was good for the Jōdo Shinshū or not. On the one hand, Rennyo gave the disorganized Shinshū movement a coherent structure, translated Shinran's teachings into simpler language, and developed a common liturgy. On the other hand, the process of institutionalization that Rennyo accelerated arguably departed from Shinshū's original egalitarianism, and led to a disjunction between priest-scholars and lay devotees contrary to Shinran's intentions.  Rennyo also introduced certain doctrinal elements from the rival [[Seizan]] Jōdo Shū tradition into the Shinshū, and tolerated [[Shinto]] belief in [[kami]] to a greater extent than Shinran had.

Jodo Shinshu sects that have remained independent of the Honganji, such as the [[Senju-ji]] sect, do not recognize Rennyo's reforms and innovations.
 
His 500th memorial service was observed in 1998.
(- ''see Dobbins & Rogers references below.'')

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* [[George Bailey Sansom|Sansom, George Bailey]]. (1958). [https://books.google.com/books?id=t2c4t4yw21gC&q=A+History+of+Japan+to+1334  ''A History of Japan to 1334''.] Stanford: Stanford University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-8047-0523-3}}; {{OCLC|224793047}}
* [[James C. Dobbins|Dobbins, James C.]] (1989). ''Jodo Shinshu: Shin Buddhism in Medieval Japan''. Bloomington, Illinois: Indiana University Press. {{ISBN|9780253331861}}; [https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/470742039  OCLC 470742039]
*Rogers, Minor and Ann (1991), ''Rennyo: The Second Founder of Shin Buddhism: with a Translation of his Letters'', Berkeley, Calif.: Asian Humanities Press, {{ISBN|0895819295}}
*Blum, Mark L. and Yasutomi Shin'ya, ed. (2006). ''Rennyo and the Roots of Modern Japanese Buddhism''. Oxford University Press. {{ISBN|9780195132755}} {{OCLC|79864423}}
* Ducor, Jérôme (1998). "La vie de Rennyo (1415–1499)"; ''The Rennyo Shônin Reader'' (ed. by Institute of Jodo-Shinshu Studies and Hongwanji International Center; Kyoto, Jōdo-Shinshū Hongwanji-ha International Center, 1998), p.&nbsp;57–90.
* Shojun Bandō, Harold Stewart, Ann T. Rogers, Minor L. Rogers (trans.):  [https://web.archive.org/web/20130210115106/http://www.bdkamerica.org/digital/dBET_Tannisho-Ofumi_1996.pdf ''Tannishō: Passages Deploring Deviations of Faith and Rennyo Shōnin Ofumi: The Letters of Rennyo''], Berkeley: Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research 1996. {{ISBN|1-886439-03-6}}
* Elson Snow, trans. (1994). [https://web.archive.org/web/20131226004217/http://www.shin-ibs.edu/documents/pwj-new/new10/01Snow.pdf ''Goichidaiki-kikigaki: Sayings of Rennyo Shonin''], Pacific World Journal, New Series, Number 10, 1–55

==External links==
* Tanaka, Kenneth K., trans. [https://web.archive.org/web/20140709185037/http://web.mit.edu/stclair/www/Shoshinge_Tai-i.html Rennyo Shonin's Shoshinge Tai'i: The Main Import of Shoshinge]. A Commentary on Shinran Shonin's Verses on True Shinjin
*Kyoto National Museum (1998) [https://web.archive.org/web/19990117024617/http://www.kyohaku.go.jp/tokuten/rennyo/ren1e.htm Rennyo and Hongan-ji: History and Fine Arts] retrieved 30 Dec 2004 at Archive.org

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[[Category:Rennyo| ]]
[[Category:1415 births]]
[[Category:1499 deaths]]
[[Category:15th-century Japanese people]]
[[Category:Japanese religious leaders]]
[[Category:Japanese warrior monks]]
[[Category:People from Kyoto]]
[[Category:People related to Jōdo Shinshū]]