Honen 1133 – 1212

Honen was a Japanese Buddhist monk and the founder of the Pure Land school of Japanese Buddhism. After decades of intensive study and practice on Mount Hiei, he came to the conviction that the conditions of his age made the traditional path of monastic discipline impossible for most people, and that salvation must come from the boundless compassion of Amida Buddha rather than from human effort. His Senchakushu argued that the simple recitation of the nembutsu, in trust in Amida's vow, is the sufficient practice for rebirth in the Pure Land. He was exiled in his old age and his teaching survived to shape Japanese religion decisively.