Shinran

Shinran was a Japanese Buddhist monk and disciple of Hōnen who founded Jōdo Shinshū (True Pure Land Buddhism). He radicalised the emphasis on Amida's grace, arguing that human effort is irrelevant and that complete surrender to Amida's compassionate vow alone brings liberation.

Shinran rejected the monastic ideal — he married, had children, and ate meat — embodying his conviction that liberation is entirely dependent on Amida's power, not human virtue or observance. The Tannishō, recording his sayings, is one of the most beloved and philosophically rich texts in Japanese Buddhism.