Chronology

Life of Shinran
1173Born at Hino, southeast of Kyoto
1181Takes tonsure under the guidance of Jien; begins life of monk on Mt. Hiei
1201Descends Mt. Hiei; entrust himself to the Nembutsu teaching and becomes disciple of Honen
1205Permitted to copy Honen’s major work, Senjakushu(*) and allowed to have the master’s image drawn
* Passages on the Nembutsu Selected in the Primal Vow
1207Nembutsu banned; exiled to Echigo (present Niigata)
1214Moves to Hitachi Province (present, Ibaraki) of the Kanto region
1224Drafts Kyogyoshinsho around this time
(The True Teaching, Practice and Realization of the Pure Land Way)
1235Returns to Kyoto around this date
1248Completes first hymns: Hymns of the Pure Land and Hymns of the Pure Land Masters
1258Completes Hymns of the Dharma-Ages
1263Dies in Kyoto
After Shinran
1272Temple built at his burial site at Otani, Higashiyama
1274Kakushinni becomes first caretaker of Mausoleum
1294Kakunyo writes Ho’onko Shiki, memorializing Shinran’s teachings
(Ritual composed by Kakunyo expressing his gratitude to the founder Shinran.)
1295Kakkunyo writes Shinran Den’ne
(Pictorial Transmission of the Life of Shinran)
1321First public use of Hongwanji name
Life of Rennyo
1415Born in Kyoto
1438Rennyo’s father, Zonnyo adopts the style of using two worship halls at Hongwanji
1457Becomes eighth Monshu
1465Monks of Mt. Hiei destroy Otani Hongwanji; Rennyo escapes
1471Builds a temple at Yoshizaki (present Fukui)
1473Has woodblocks of Shoshinge and Wasan carved for mass publication
(Hymns of the True Shinjin and the Nembutsu)
1475Leaves Yoshizaki
1478Rebuilds temple at Yamashina
1496Builds temple at Ishiyama, Osaka
1499Dies
Hongwanji
1532Feudal load, Rokkaku and the Nichiren Buddhist school followers destroy Yamashina Hongwanji Headquarters moves to Ishiyama
1570Oda Nobunaga attacks Ishiyama Hongwanji, starting ten-year siege
1580Truce between Nobunaga and Hongwanji; headquarters moves to Saginomori, Wakayama
1583Moves to Izumi, Osaka
1585Moves to Temma, Osaka
1591Moves to the present site in Kyoto
1596Temple buildings damaged in earthquake
1617Founder’s Hall and the Hall of Amida Buddha burn down
1636Founder’s Hall rebuilt
1639Gakuryo (forerunner of Ryukoku University) established
1655Scholarly dispute of Jo’o era, Jo’o-no-kyogaku-ronso, concludes
1760Hall of Amida Buddha rebuilt
1765Shinshu Hoyo published
1767Scholarly dispute of Meiwa era, Meiwa-no-horon, concludes
1806Scholarly dispute on the Buddhist practices, Sango-wakuran, concludes
1881Officially “Hongwanji-ha”; Hongwanji Assembly established
1923700th Commemorative Service for the Founding of the Jodo Shinshu Denomination
1948450th Memorial for Rennyo Shonin
1961700th Memorial for Shinran Shonin
1973800th Commemoration of Shinran Shonin’s Birth and the 750th Commemoration of the Founding of the Jodo Shinshu Denomination
1977Ohtani Koshin becomes 24th Head Priest as Sokunyo Monshu
1980Commemoration on Accession of Sokunyo Monshu
1985Commemoration for the Completion of the Hall of Amida Buddha’s Restoration
1991400th Memorial for Kennyo Shonin and Commemortion of Hongwanji’s Relocation and Return to Kyoto
1998500th Memorial for Rennyo Shonin
1999Founder’s Hall’s restoration begins
2009Founder’s Hall’s restoration completes
2011-12750th Memorial for Shinran Shonin
2014Ohtani Kojun becomes 25th Head Priest as Sennyo Monshu
2016-17Commemoration on Accession of Sennyo Monshu

A Collection of Buddhist scriptures written by Hongwanji successive head priests and other scholars


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