- Ikkō
Ikkō-shu (一向宗, "ikkōshū") is usually viewed as a small, militant, offshoot from
Jodo Shinshu Buddhism though the name has a complex history.Originally Ikkō-shu was a small
antinomian sect founded by Ikkō Shunjo (a disciple of Ryochu of theChinzei branch ofJodo -shuBuddhism ) and similar toIppen 'sJi -shu. However when the religious and military-political establishment began to crack down on the Amida-pietist movement little distinction was made between the various factions. Most of Ikkō Shunjo's followers therefore defected to the more powerful Jodo Shin-shu and the name Ikkō-shu ultimately became synonymous withJodo Shinshu (Dobbins 2002).Rennyo , the charismatic leader of theHongan-ji branch of Jodo Shinshu responded to this situation by clarifying the positive religious meaning of 'Ikkō' (single-minded) whilst simultaneously distancing himself from the antinomian behaviour of the original Ikkō sect. In his pastoral letters, known asOfumi orGobunsho , he therefore wrote; "It has been established with certainty that our Founder did not particularly name our school the "Ikkō-Shu." On the whole, the reason the people call us this is that we place our complete reliance, exclusively, on Amida Buddha ...'However, the Founder has specifically named this sect "Jodo Shinshu." Therefore, you must understand that we of our sect did not originate in any manner or form the name of "One-Mind Sect."The Ikkō-ikki Revolts
The Amida pietist movement, and in particular the Jodo Shin-shu, also provided a
liberation theology (orideology ) for a wave of uprisings against the feudal system in late-fifteenth and sixteenth century Japan which are known as theIkkō-ikki revolts. The causes of this phenomenon are disputed, but may have had both religious and socio-political causes (Neil McMullin - University of Toronto) [http://www.aasianst.org/absts/1995abst/japan/jses128.htm] , (Galen Amstutz - Ryukouku University) [http://www.aasianst.org/absts/1995abst/japan/jses128.htm] .As a consequence of the
Ikkō-ikki revolts and the growing power of theJodo Shinshu , the sect's fortress-templesIshiyama Hongan-ji andNagashima (built at the end of the 15th century) were eventually destroyed by Oda Nobunaga's armies. The fortress atNagashima was razed to the ground in1574 , taking about 20,000 people with it. The Ishiyama Hongan-ji withstood the longest siege in Japanese history, before surrendering in1580 . Upon its ruins,Toyotomi Hideyoshi builtOsaka Castle , which still stands today. Following the destruction ofNagashima , Nobunaga ordered his men to search all ofEchizen Province and kill every last man and woman of the so-called Ikko sect.References
*Dobbins, James C. (2002). 'Jodo Shinshu: Shin Buddhism in Medieval Japan' Hawaii University Press
*Sansom, George (1961). 'A History of Japan 1334-1615.' Stanford, California: Stanford University Press.
*Turnbull, Stephen (2003). 'Japanese Warrior Monks AD 949-1603'. Oxford: Osprey Publishing.
*Abstracts of the 1995 AAS Annual Meeting Washington, DC "Sacred and Secular in the Ikko Ikki" [http://www.aasianst.org/absts/1995abst/japan/jses128.htm]ee also
*Ikki
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