Career
In his youth he was a regular priest of the Enryaku-ji temple on Mt. Hiei, but he later withdrew to a retreat at Ohara in the northern foothills of the mountain, where he devoted himself to nembutsu practice.
In his youth he was a regular priest of the Enryaku-ji temple on Mt. Hiei, but he later withdrew to a retreat at Ohara in the northern foothills of the mountain, where he devoted himself to nembutsu practice.
The type of nembutsu he practiced is known as yuzu nembutsu, or “circulating nembutsu.”
The exact nature of the practice is not clear, but it appears to be based upon the concept that the nembutsu or ritual invocation of the name of the Buddha Amida performed by one man can be "circulated” to other men, and their nembutsu circulated to him, so that all persons together can be reborn in the Pure Land, the paradise of the Buddha Amida.
The concept of yuzu nembutsu was later taken over and developed by Yukan (1649-1716), who founded the Yuzu Nembutsu sect that remains in existence today. Ryonin was also renowned for his knowledge of shomyo, the type of singing used in Buddhist ceremonies. He is listed in the Tendai teaching line as a disciple of Ryoga.