Outline of Pure Land Shin Buddhism

The Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii was initiated by Shinran Shonin (1173 - 1263), founder of Jodo Shin school on Pure Land Buddhism. Shinran Shonin was born in 1173, during the Kamakura Period in Japan. His teaching is based on the Pure Land tradition as a successor to Honen Shonin.

Shinran Shonin placed his efforts to clarifying the necessity of being on the power of the Primal Vow as the inner dynamics of recitative nembutsu. The complete entrusting of self to the Primal Vow meant simultaneously abandoning all need to rely on self-power. This is the reason for Shinran's emphasis on Shinjin (Faith), "the true and real mind of Amida Buddha," which is the source of this entrusting.

Through the working of Amida's wisdom and compassion, we are made to say the nembutsu, affirming the enduring power of Amida and acknowledging our limited human capacities. Thus, the central question for the Shin Buddhist becomes not "How can I attain satori?" but "How can I be carried by the power of the Primal Vow?"

The Honzan (The World Headquarters) is called the Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha as the official name of our denomination, and is called the "Hongwanji" as official name of a temple which is located at Hanayacho-sagaru Shichijo Horikawa, in Kyoto, Japan. The Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha is usually referred to as the Nishi Hongwanji.

There are four large overseas Missions in the World which are: Buddhist Churches of Canada, Buddhist Church of America (North America), South America and Hawaii. In Hawaii, it is called Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii. There also are temples in Europe, Australia, Mexico, Taiwan and Kenya.