Pure Land | Teachers & Pattriarchs

Shōkū | Seizan tradition
Shōkū (1177-1247)

Shōkū (1177-1247) was a disciple of Hōnen, founder of the Jōdo-shū Buddhist sect, who founded his own school of Pure Land Buddhism – Seizan School. Shōkū didn’t follow the example of “Exclusive Nembutsu and no other ascetic practices” promoted by other popular Pure Land schools. Shōkū often went by name Seizan as well, the name derives from the western mountains of Kyoto where Shōkū often

Ippen | Ji-shū
Ippen statue | Shōjōkō-ji, Fujisawa, Japan

Ippen Shōnin (1239–1289) was a Japanese Buddhist itinerant preacher (hijiri) who founded the Ji-shū ("Time sect") branch of Pure Land Buddhism. Ippen insisted that his practice was made for the Age in which he lived and so gave it the name Ji, which means “period” or “time”. Ippen and his friends travelled throughout the country proselytizing with their famous ecstatic Nembutsu Dance.

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