Gutoku Shinran

Shinran (1173-1262) was the chief disciple of Hônen and the founder of the School of the True Pure Land (Jôdo-Shin-Shû) form of Buddhism in Japan.  The Pure Land School encourages its practitioners to rely on the vow of the Buddha Amida to save all beings from suffering.  For Shinran, the blessing of nembutsu can and should be experienced here and now and not in a posthumous state of bliss in Amida’s Pure Land. His teachings are the focus of The Essential Shinran (World Wisdom, 2007). His contributions can also be found in the World Wisdom anthology, Pray Without Ceasing .