Dobokai Movement
Encyclopedia
The Dobokai Movement, a reform group within the Jodo Shinshu
Higashi Honganji
Buddhist tradition, officially began on the 700th memorial of Shinran Shonin
in 1962, though its roots were in a movement started in 1947 by a group of practitioners calling themselves the shinjinsha, or, 'true person community'. Two of its major leaders were Akegarasu Haya
and Kiyozawa Manshi
.
The goal of the movement was to awaken and unite members of Higashi Honganji
in the tradition of Mahayana Buddhism as laid forth by Shinran Shonin due to internal conflict over differences of doctrinal opinion; such as over the idea of shinjin
, and whether the Pure Land
was to be entered in death or in this life. The Dobokai movement based itself largely on the Tannisho
(a collection of sayings attributed to Shinran Shonin with commentaries by Yuien-bo, one of Shinran's disciples), and the idea of cutting through spiritual differences.
The movement was considered controversial and disruptive by older, more traditional Higashi followers due to some of its proponents' left-leaning social and political activism, which eventually contributed to a schism in the Higashi Hongwanji, with some traditionalist members splitting off to form a separate branch, the Tokyo Hongwanji. The Dobokai still exists within the Higashi Hongwanji today, albeit in a more low-key and muted form.
Jodo Shinshu
, also known as Shin Buddhism, is a school of Pure Land Buddhism. It was founded by the former Tendai Japanese monk Shinran. Today, Shin Buddhism is considered the most widely practiced branch of Buddhism in Japan.-Shinran :...
Higashi Honganji
Higashi Honganji
, or, the Eastern Temple of the Original Vow, is one of two dominant sub-sects of Shin Buddhism in Japan and abroad, the other being Nishi Honganji...
Buddhist tradition, officially began on the 700th memorial of Shinran Shonin
Shinran
was a Japanese Buddhist monk, who was born in Hino at the turbulent close of the Heian Period and lived during the Kamakura Period...
in 1962, though its roots were in a movement started in 1947 by a group of practitioners calling themselves the shinjinsha, or, 'true person community'. Two of its major leaders were Akegarasu Haya
Akegarasu Haya
was a Shin Buddhist student of Kiyozawa Manshi for a decade. Akegarasu was a former head of administration of the Higashi Hongan-ji who was a major inspiration to the formation of the Dobokai Movement....
and Kiyozawa Manshi
Kiyozawa Manshi
was a Japanese Shin Buddhist reformer of samurai background who studied at Tokyo University in Western philosophy under the American philosopher Ernest Fenollosa....
.
The goal of the movement was to awaken and unite members of Higashi Honganji
Higashi Honganji
, or, the Eastern Temple of the Original Vow, is one of two dominant sub-sects of Shin Buddhism in Japan and abroad, the other being Nishi Honganji...
in the tradition of Mahayana Buddhism as laid forth by Shinran Shonin due to internal conflict over differences of doctrinal opinion; such as over the idea of shinjin
Shinjin
Shinjin was originally the Japanese word for the Buddhist concept of citta-prasāda , but now carries a more popular related meaning of faith or entrusting....
, and whether the Pure Land
Pure land
A pure land, in Mahayana Buddhism, is the celestial realm or pure abode of a Buddha or Bodhisattva. The various traditions that focus on Pure Lands have been given the nomenclature Pure Land Buddhism. Pure lands are also evident in the literature and traditions of Taoism and Bön.The notion of 'pure...
was to be entered in death or in this life. The Dobokai movement based itself largely on the Tannisho
Tannisho
The , also known as the Lamentations of Divergences, is a late 13th century short Buddhist text generally thought to have been written by Yuien, a disciple of Shinran...
(a collection of sayings attributed to Shinran Shonin with commentaries by Yuien-bo, one of Shinran's disciples), and the idea of cutting through spiritual differences.
The movement was considered controversial and disruptive by older, more traditional Higashi followers due to some of its proponents' left-leaning social and political activism, which eventually contributed to a schism in the Higashi Hongwanji, with some traditionalist members splitting off to form a separate branch, the Tokyo Hongwanji. The Dobokai still exists within the Higashi Hongwanji today, albeit in a more low-key and muted form.