
Rennyo (1415-1499) was the eighth monshu (head priest) of the Hongan-ji temple of the Jodo Shinshu sect of Buddhism and the founder of the Ikko-Ikki.
Biography[]
Rennyo was born in Kyoto, Japan in 1415, and he was installed as the eighth head priest of the Hongan-ji temple in 1457 following the death of his uncle. He proselytized in Omi Province, distributing religious texts and inscriptions of the nembutsu to the locals to convert them to Jodo Shinshu. In 1465, the rival monks of Mt. Hiei sent sohei warrior monks to destroy Hongan-ji, and Rennyo was forced to live a nomadic life. During the Onin War, Mt. Hiei's army remained strong, but it was tied down by war; meanwhile, Rennyo rebuilt Hongan-ji in Echizen Province. He became the father of the Ikko-Ikki movement, a Buddhist peasant uprising which sought to end feudal rule in Japan. In 1475, Rennyo returned to Kyoto with a large following, and he retired in 1496. He died in 1499.