II. THE HONGWAN-JI.

AFTER the entrance of Shinran Shonin into Great Nirvana, the True Sect of Pure Land gradually gained followers, and has at present become the most influential one among the various Buddhist sects in Japan. And the True Sect itself has come to be differentiated into ten minor branches, which, however, do not mean so many different ways of interpreting its main faith or doctrine. The differentiation has grown only out of some historical

or external relations that came to be established between the principal churches in charge of their devotees. The history of each of these several churches, among which the Hongwanji, is quite complicated; and the following tabular view gives only a general scheme of the pedigree of the ten principal branches of the True Sect of Pure Land:

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A Schematic View of the Ten Branches of the True Sect of Pure Land

Among these ten , those most flourishing at present are the Otani and the Hongwanji. They trace back their origin of existence to the two brothers, Kyonyo and Junnyo, and formerly composed one Hongwanji Branch. The reason why it came to have the largest number of followers under its charge, is because its successive Hosshus (literally, "masters of the law", that is, head-priests) trace their line of descendance directly to Shinran Shonin, the Founder of the True Sect, and also because its eighth Hosshu, Rennyo, was a most remarkable spiritual power, exercising great influence over his followers. Let us now go on at some length with the history of the Hongwanji.

It was in the winter of the ninth year of Bunyei (1272) that the tomb of the Shonin at Otani, Higashiyama, was removed to the western part of the same grounds, where a hall was constructed, and his image was enshrined in it. The

[paragraph continues] Emperor Kameyama ordered it to be named the "Kuon Jitsujo Amida Hongwan-ji," whence comes the name "Hongwanji" which is an abbreviation. Kakushin-ni, or Iyahime, the youngest daughter of the Shonin, was made the guardian of the shrine, while Nyoshin, son of Zenran, became the Jyushoku or "residing priest" of the Hongwanji. Thus, we have Shinran Shonin for the founder of the Hongwanji and Nyoshin Shonin for the second patriarch.

Kakunyo, grandson to Kakushin-ni, succeeded Nyoshin, and it was he who compiled "A Life of Shinran, the Hongwanji Shonin, with Illustrations," in two volumes, which is also known as the "Godensho" simply, meaning the "Honorable Biography." The author was then twenty-six years old. His other works are: "The Shuyi-kotoku-den,"

[paragraph continues] "The Kuden-sho," "The Gai-ja-sho," "The Shu-dzi-sho," "The Hon-gwan-sho," "The Gwan-gwan-sho," "The Sai-yo-sho," "The Shus-se-gwan-i," "The Ho-on-ko-shiki," etc.