Shin Buddhism in Modern Culture

Chapter 6 – A Perspective on the History of Shin Buddhism in Japan

Multiple Choice Questions

1. The fellowships that carried on Shinran’s teachings after his death were generally:
- highly institutionalized
- loosely organized
- hierarchical in nature
2. Prof. Weinstein noted in his essay, “Rennyo and the Shinshu Revival,” that in most instances after the death of the founder, the followers:
- preserve the founder’s teachings in pure form
- deify the founder and distort his teachings
- continue to reform the tradition in the way the founder would have
3. Which of Shinran’s successors wrote a biography to exalt Shinran, attempted to establish the independence of Honganji, and claimed to have both a blood and spiritual lineage that originated with Shinran?
- Kakunyo
- Kakushin-ni
- Kakue
4. Under the leadership of Rennyo, the 8th patriarch:
- Honganji received the support of Hiei
- the individual quest for salvation was valued over the unity of the group
- the foundation for the popular spread of Shinshu was laid
5. “The loss of the direct self (chokka no jiko),” as described by Kiyozawa Manshi and presented by Prof. Kitanishi, refers to:
- the loss of the true self as a result of the domination of the Shin institution over the individual
- the sense of alienation people are experiencing today
- the loss of ego that occurs in meditation.
6. After the passing of Shinran, the type of organization taken up in the provinces was the ko which was organized for the common person. The leaders of the ko were:
- members of Shinran’s immediate family
- well-educated men of high status in the community
- the older and trusted disciples of Shinran
7. Shinran’s grave, originally merely a marker at Otani:
- remained simple and obscure
- soon became a mausoleum, and then a temple
- was moved to Tokyo
8. The fact that Shinran did not designate any of his children to carry on his teachings probably meant that:
- Shinran did not trust his own children
- Shinran’s first priority was not to carry on his own bloodline
- Shinran had one of his disciples in mind
9. Which of Shinran’s successors developed the Hoonko service, wrote the “Godensho” (a biography exalting Shinran), and tried to turn Shinran’s tomb into a temple?
- Kakushin-ni
- Zennyo
- Kakunyo
10. The ikko-ikki wars (known as peasant revolts) were the turning point in the development of Honganji because they:
- promoted sect egoism, feudalism, and authoritarianism
- reversed the process of institutionalization
- marked the point at which Honganji renounced the feudal regime

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Thought Questions

1. In the process of institutionalization how can the followers of a religion lose sight of its founder?

2. Having read this chapter, what are some of your reactions to the development of the Shin institution in Japan? How do you think Shinran might have reacted had he been able to witness the events that took place following his death?

3. We have seen how the various descendents of Shinran each contributed to changing the form and character of the Shin institution. Today, however, it seems that many people oppose change and cling on to traditional ways. How can changes be made that would have a positive effect on the development of the institution? Do you think that having people understand the history of Shin Buddhism would make them more agreeable to change? Why or why not?