From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Hongan-ji
Hongan-ji
Honganji (本派本願寺), or Western Temple of the Primal
Vow, often called Nishi-Honganji (西本願寺).[2]
Modern divisions of the
Hongan-ji
Nishi Hongan-ji
Formally known as the Jodo-Shinshu Honganji-ha is the
largest of all the Jodo Shinshu branches. Compared to
the Higashi Honganji it has a history of institutional sta-
bility that accounts for high membership figures, and a
larger geographical reach, but fewer well-known mod-
Honden, or main hall, of Higashi Hongan-ji, Kyoto ern thinkers. The Nishi Hongan-ji has a sizable number
of overseas temples in the U.S.A., South America, Hawaiʻi,
Hongan-ji (本願寺, Temple of the Primal Vow), also ar- Canada, and Europe which are organized into several ky-
chaically romanized as Hongwanji, is the collective name odan ("districts"). The largest of these is the Buddhist
of the largest school of Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism (which Churches of America.
further sub-divides into the Nishi and Higashi branches). The Hongwanji International Center, to the east of
’Hongan-ji’ may also refer to any one of several actual Nishi Hongan-ji, coordinates dialogue with Jōdo Shinshū
temple buildings associated with the sect. organizations around the world and produces translation
work.
The Nishi Hongan-ji operates the Hongwanji Publish-
Early history ing Company which produces books, music, films, and
The Hongan-ji was established as a temple in 1321, on the anime about Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism. They also publish
site of the Otani Mausoleum, where Shinran, the founder a bimonthly newspaper, the Hongwanji Journal and their
of the Jōdo Shinshū (True Pure Land) sect was buried. website includes, among other things, a TV channel de-
The mausoleum was attended by Shinran’s grandson voted to explaining Buddhism and Hongan-ji’s everyday
(through daughter Kakushinni), Kakue.[1] Kakue’s own operations.
son, Kakunyo, became the first chief priest of the
Hongan-ji and 3rd Monshu, and dedicated it to the wor- Higashi Hongan-ji
ship of Amida Buddha. The Hongan-ji first gained power
and importance in the 15th century, when Rennyo be-
came its eighth chief priest, or Monshu. However, the
Tendai sect, based on Mount Hiei, saw this expansion as a
threat and attacked the Hongan-ji three times with their
army of warrior monks. Rennyo fled to Yoshizaki, where
he established a new temple compound.
During the Sengoku period, fearing the power of the
monks of the Hongan-ji, Oda Nobunaga tried to destroy
it. For ten years, he laid siege to the Ishiyama Hongan-ji
in Osaka, one of the two primary temple fortresses of the
sect.
In 1602, just after Tokugawa Ieyasu became Shogun,
he declared that the Hongan-ji be split in two. Kyonyo,
the 12th chief priest, or monshu, of Hongan-ji became the Higashi Honganji - Founder’s Hall Gate (Goei-do Mon), built in
first of the new Higashi Honganji (東本願寺), or Eastern 1911, with 31 m (103 ft) x height 27 m (90 ft), 59,387 roof files
Temple of the Primal Vow, while his younger brother Jun-
nyo became the 12th chief priest of the original Hompa-
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Hongan-ji
Higashi Hongan-ji (or, ’The Eastern Temple of the Origi- called Higashi Honganji (東本願寺) by Kyoto visitors and
nal Vow’) is one of two dominant sub-sects of Shin Bud- locals. The massive Goei-dō (also known as Mie-dō), or
dhism in Japan and abroad, the other being Nishi Hon- Founder’s Hall Gate, is often one of the first things one
ganji (or, ’The Western Temple of the Original Vow’). sees walking north from JR Kyoto Station. Nearly identi-
During the Meiji Restoration in the 1860s, the gov- cal to the Nishi Hongan-ji head temple in layout, it too
ernment set down new guidelines for the management features an Amida-dō, and a larger Mie-dō. The Mie-dō at
of religious organizations. An organization called Shin- Higashi Hongan-ji dates from 1895 and vies with a num-
shū Otani was put in control of the Higashi Hongan-ji. ber of other structures for the claim of largest wooden
In 1987, this temple was renamed "Shinshū Honbyō", or building in the world.
Shinshū Mausoleum. While the temple is therefore, offi- A few blocks from the main grounds of the Higashi
cially, no longer "Higashi Hongan-ji," most still regard it Hongan-ji is the Shosei-en garden, owned by the temple.
as such. The buildings have not been changed or moved, Poet-scholar Ishikawa Jozan and landscape architect Ko-
and of course the historical cultural and religious signifi- bori Enshu are said to have contributed to its design in
cance of the place cannot be changed. the 17th century.
Due to opposition to the creation of the Shinshū
Otani, and a number of other controversies and disputes, Nishi Hongan-ji
several new Higashi Hongan-ji branches came into exis- The Nishi Hongan-ji (西本願寺), like the Higashi
tence such as the Higashiyama Honganji founded in Ky- Hongan-ji, features a huge Goei-dō (御影堂), Founder’s
oto in 1996 by Otani Korin, and the Tokyo Higashi Hon- hall and a smaller Amida-dō (阿弥陀堂), or Buddha
ganji whose current leader is Otani Koken. Despite or hall, housing an image of the Amida Buddha. Nishi
perhaps even because of this climate of instability the Hongan-ji’s Kura (倉), or storehouse, houses many Na-
Higashi Hongan-ji movement has also produced a signif- tional Treasures, most of which are not on view for the
icant number of controversial but influential thinkers, public. The shoin (書院), or study hall, is also quite fa-
such as Soga Ryojin, Kiyozawa Manshi, Kaneko Daiei and mous; it is split into two sections, the shiro-shoin(白書院),
Haya Akegarasu, amongst others. or white study hall, and the kuro-shoin(黒書院), or black
The largest Higashi Hongan-ji grouping, the Shinshu study hall. Nishi Hongan-ji also contains a large shogun
Otaniha has approximately 5.5 million members, accord- complex from the medieval period, which was largely
ing to statistics.[3] moved into the temple from elsewhere in Kyoto in the
16th century. This includes Hiunkaku (飛雲閣), a large
Joint activities tea pavilion, four Noh stages, one of which is thought to
In recent years some members of the Hongan-ji sects be the oldest in existence and the other being the largest
have been involved in high-profile protests against the outdoor Noh stage, and the Kokei no Niwa (虎渓の庭)
visits of Japanese politicians to the controversial Yasuku- garden.
ni Shrine. Some medieval parts of Nishi Hongan-ji are now inde-
Along with the other non-Hongan-ji Jodo Shinshu pendent organizations: Ryukoku University and Kōshō-ji.
sub-sects the Hongan-ji issued a statement opposing the
invasion of Iraq.
See also
Important Hongan-ji buildings • List of Special Places of Scenic Beauty, Special
Historic Sites and Special Natural Monuments
• Ikko-shu
Higashi Hongan-ji • Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji
and Otsu Cities)
• Tsukiji Hongan-ji, Tokyo
• Ishiyama Hongan-ji, destroyed 1580, now the site of
Osaka Castle
• Yamashina Hongan-ji
• For an explanation of terms concerning Japanese
Buddhism, Japanese Buddhist art, and Japanese
Buddhist temple architecture, see the Glossary of
Japanese Buddhism.
Higashi Honganji complex, total area: 99,000 m², interior space
29,700 m²
External links
The Shinshū Honbyō, the mausoleum of Shinran, is now • Homepage for Nishi Hongwanji - English
owned by the Shinshu Otaniha but is still commonly
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Hongan-ji
• Homepage for Shinshu Otani-ha Higashi Honganji University of Hawaii Press 1998, ISBN
Denomination - English 0-8248-2028-2
• Homepage for Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha • History of the Honganji Temple, Honganji Otani Web,
Hongwanji International Center - English 2002. (Accessed 12 April 2005).
• Homepage for Higashi Honganji-ha (Tokyo Honganji) • Ducor, Jérôme : Terre Pure, Zen et autorité : La Dispute
- Japanese de l’ère Jôô et la Réfutation du Mémorandum sur des
• Homepage for Higashiyama Higashi Honganji - contradictions de la foi par Ryônyo du Honganji, avec une
English traduction annotée du Ha Anjin-sôi-no-oboegaki (Collège
de France, Bibliothèque de l’Institut des Hautes
References Etudes Japonaises); Paris, De Boccard, 2007 (ISBN
978-2-913217-18-8).
[1] History of the Hongwanji • Popular Buddhism In Japan: Shin Buddhist Religion &
[2] Scholars shed new light on 1602 split of Honganji Culture by Esben Andreasen, p. 11 University of
Temple Hawaii Press 1998, ISBN 0-8248-2028-2
[3] Popular Buddhism In Japan: Shin Buddhist Religion Coordinates: 34°59′28″N 135°45′04″E / 34.99111°N
& Culture by Esben Andreasen, pp. 11, 38-39, 101 / 135.75111°E / 34.99111; 135.75111
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hongan-ji&oldid=458563662"
Categories:
• 1321 establishments
• Religious organizations established in the 1320s
• Buddhist temples in Kyoto Prefecture
• World Heritage Sites in Japan
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