- Higashi Honganji
Higashi Honganji (or, 'The Eastern Temple of the Original Vow') is one of two dominant sub-sects of
Shin Buddhism inJapan and abroad, the other beingNishi Honganji (or, 'The Western Temple of the Original Vow').Higashi Honganji was established in 1602 by the
Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu when he split the Shin sect in two (Nishi Honganji being the other) in order to diminish it's power.Popular Buddhism In Japan: Shin Buddhist Religion & Culture by Esben Andreasen, pp. 11, 38-39, 101 / University of Hawaii Press 1998, ISBN 0-8248-2028-2]During the Twentieth Century it was troubled by political disagreements, financial scandals and family disputes, and has subsequently fractured into a number of further sub-divisions. However within this climate of instability the Higashi Honganji also produced a significant number of extremely influential thinkers, such as
Soga Ryojin ,Kiyozawa Manshi ,Kaneko Daiei andHaya Akegarasu amongst others.The largest Higashi Honganji grouping, the
Shinshu Otaniha has approximately 5.5 million members, according to statistics.Popular Buddhism In Japan: Shin Buddhist Religion & Culture by Esben Andreasen, pp. 11, 38-39, 101 / University of Hawaii Press 1998, ISBN 0-8248-2028-2]Higashi Honganji is also the name of the head temple in
Kyoto , a collection of buildings built in 1895 after a fire burned down the previous templePopular Buddhism In Japan: Shin Buddhist Religion & Culture by Esben Andreasen, pp. 11, 38-39, 101 / University of Hawaii Press 1998, ISBN 0-8248-2028-2] (see images on top and left).References
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