Honen the Buddhist Saint

Book excerpt: Priest, saint, and founder of the independent school of Pure Land (Jōdo) Buddhism in 12th century Japan, Hōnen Shōnin's importance has been largely unrecognized in the West, even though his legacy includes over twenty million living practitioners of in Japan. Honen the Buddhist Saint: His Life and Teachings is the first and only English translation of a biography of this remarkable man. Edited by Joseph A. Fitzgerald, this edition combines illustrations from Japanese religious sites as well as Hōnen's own words which allow him to speak "from across the ages," to any human being, Buddhist or non-Buddhist, who desires to have faith and gain knowledge.