In 1211, on the accession of Juntoku, Shinran was recalled and pardoned. Genku was also recalled, but he was an old man now and worn out by his sufferings, and he returned only to die the following year. Shinran remained the most prominent person connected with the Salvation-by-Faith School.

After Genku's death, his older disciples, who had been first shocked by Shinran's marriage and his setting aside of the rules of discipline, even with Genku's sanction, and were then scared by the ill-feeling and persecution which had arisen out of this action, determined to refrain from these drastic changes, and constituted themselves a sect of Jodo priests retaining the Discipline. Shinran could not draw back, nor did he wish so to do. Separating himself from his brethren of the Jodo, he resolved on the formation of a fresh body of disciples. Genku's original followers had called themselves the Jodo Shu, or sect of the Pure Land: the name which Shinran gave to his own disciples was that of the Jodo Shinshu, or True Sect of Jodo, claiming thereby to be true successor and representative of Genku's doctrine. The sect is called Shinshu, "true sect", for short. Other names in frequent use are the Monto and lkkoshu.

For the next few years we find him constantly itinerating for the propagation of his doctrines. Thus, in 1212, after a short visit to Kyoto, to return thanks to the Court for his recal from exile, we find him at Yamashina, a village hard by the capital, founding the Koshoji Temple.

Some time afterwards (1227) we find him at Inada in Hitachi, writing and preaching: the next year he is laying the foundations of his faith in modern prefectures of Nagano and Niigata, still the great strong-holds of his followers. [**] We next find him at Takata in Shimotsuke, founding a Temple for which the Emperor Go-Horikawa gives him an autograph inscription on a wooden tablet. In 1232, he is at Kamakura examining a newly made edition of the voluminous library of the Mahayana Scriptures. Three years later, he is at Kibe in Omi, founding a temple which is still of considerable importance. About 1240, he returns to Kyoto, residing first in one place and then in another, and gathering round him an ever-increasing number of devoted adherents. In November 1262, he is taken ill, and after short sufferings falls gently asleep, at the age of ninety, on November 28 of the same year. His character can best be estimated by the examination of his teachings.

Footnotes