A Raft from the Other Shore : Honen and the Way of Pure Land Buddhism

Honen (1133-1212) is one of the outstanding figures in the history of Pure Land Buddhism. His lifelong search for spiritual illumination and enlightenment lead him through an exhaustive journey into the Buddhist teachings. Having chosen the Pure Land Path and refuge in the Buddha of Infinite Light, Amida, he made the pioneering move of establishing the exclusive practice of the recited nembutsu (senju nembutsu). This sparked a revolution in Buddhist practice in Japan which led to the popularization of Buddhism amongst the masses and spurred the emergence of other great masters of the time like Dogen, Nichiren, and Shinran, Honen's disciple.

In this volume, Sho-on Hattori uses a simple but penetrating prose to introduce us to the life and teachings of Honen. He also gives us an illuminating and essential view of how Pure Land Buddhism relates to the entire Buddhist tradition. This is the first time that an English language volume accessible to the common reader has been offered on Honen, his teachings and Pure Land Buddhism from the perspective of his very own denomination, Jodo Shu. With a deep knowledge of Buddhist teaching and a feel for the western audience from his over ten years in the United States, Hattori-sensei offers us an invaluable view of this great master and the most popular form of Buddhism in Japan.