Rennyo and the Beginnings of the Kaga Ikko Ikki

Summary

Honganji Temple is the head temple of the Jōdo Shinshū sect of Buddhism that grew significantly during the 15th and 16th centuries. The position of head priest was passed down through the family, and the sect gained significant traction during the time of the 8th head priest, Rennyo. Rennyo gained a lot of support which caused other Buddhist temples to feel threatened, forcing him to leave Kyoto temporarily. He went to the island of Yoshizaki in Fukui Prefecture, where he further spread the religion through easy to understand letters in the Hokuriku region.

The Jōdo Shinshū Sect and the Head Priest Rennyo

Rennyo was born in 1415. His father, Zonnyo, was the 7th head priest of Honganji Temple, and his mother was Zonnyo’s servant. When Zonnyo died, his son Ōgen was expected to succeed him as head priest, but with the help of his uncle Nyojō, Rennyo became the 8th head priest.

Rennyo is said to have excelled in his resourceful preaching. Rennyo gained popularity through his easy-to-understand preaching, which he wrote from the perspective of the average person. He was also commended for being down-to-earth, and would sit at the same level as common people. 

During his early years, Rennyo began preaching in Ōmi (Shiga Prefecture), beside Kyoto. Enryakuji Temple on Mt. Hiei (Kyoto) was head of a powerful rival sect, and felt threatened from the rising support for Rennyo, and attempted to suppress him by force. This led Rennyo to leave the area in 1471 and move to the island of Yoshizaki in Echizen (Fukui Prefecture) where he built the Yoshizaki Temple.

Although there were many followers in the Hokuriku region at that time, few had a correct understanding of the doctrine of the Jōdo Shinshū sect of Buddhism. To counter this, Rennyo wrote and distributed many letters that were written in plain and easy-to-understand text. At the time literacy levels were low, so instead of writing in difficult Chinese characters, he wrote his letters using the basic phonetic alphabet of katakana. They were so persuasive that the doctrine rapidly spread. 

Rennyo resided in Yoshizaki for just over four years from July of 1471 to August of 1475. However, during this time, his presence had influenced the beginning of a series of uprisings called the Ikko Ikki uprisings, and the revolts intensified beyond Rennyo's imagination. In 1475 he returned to Kyoto, this time with a big enough number of followers that any rival temples dare not attack him. 

After leaving Yoshizaki, Rennyo completed his long-cherished dream of building the Yamashina Honganji Temple in Kyoto in 1483. He decided to retire in its southern hall, and handed over the title of Head Priest to his 5th son, Jitsunyo, in 1487. However, faithful followers continued to visit and revere him, for whom he wrote scrolls containing the phrase “Namu Amida Butsu” – Praise Amida Buddha. 

In 1496, seeking solitude, Rennyo moved to a rural area by the Yodo River and founded the Ishiyama Honganji Temple. Despite his wish for solitude, followers flocked to this temple too, and a small town developed around it. By the time that Rennyo passed away in 1499, three years later, the temple had already grown considerably. 

After his death, the Yamashina Honganji Temple was destroyed in 1532, and the Ishiyama Honganji Temple became the main fortification. This fortified temple would go on to become the precursor to Osaka Castle.　

Illustration of Yoshizaki (Pictured)

This illustration is an important item, said to be a copy of the one that Rennyo gave to his apprentice, Enkōbō, around 1474.

Near the center there are two main halls, east and west, and two buildings for study depicted. In front of them there are the bell tower and drum tower, all of which are drawn with cypress bark roofing. Along the main road leading to the mountain, there are buildings that served as houses for the apprentices. Outside the east gate, there are various houses within the temple, all depicted with simple thatched roofs. On the northern (upper) part by the seaside, two salt warehouses and salt baskets are depicted, suggesting a connection between the Jōdo Shinshū sect and travelers.