Hōnen (法然) (role 1133 – 1212)

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Biography:

Hōnen lived in a time of intellectual ferment with many rivalries that often led to physical clashes. Within the Buddhist world there were many divergent views of how to cope with one's existence and what the consequences were if one were to stray into apostasy. One such rival was the recluse monk Keisei (慶政: 1189-1268), a member of the Kujô lineage of the Fujiwaras. Abe Yasurō wrote: "Keisei belonged to the Jimon 寺門 (Onjōji) faction of the Tendai school and lived at Hokkesanji in Nishiyama." Abe continued: ""At the same time, Keisei viewed Hōnen, who performed the senju nenbutsu, as having fallen into Avici hell (Muken jigoku 無間地獄) for slandering the true dharma — a place even worse than the Realm of Devils. His disciples Zen'nen 善念 and Shōshin 性信 are taken to have fallen there as well. In other words, Keisei 's judgment against senju nenbutsu was even more severe than Jien's. This extreme discrimination surely resulted from Keisei's religious stance, which was an elaboration of ideas inherited originally from Jien."