Background
Genshin was born in 942 in the province of Yamato (Nara Prefecture). Genshin was also known by the title Eshin Sozu.
源信
Genshin was born in 942 in the province of Yamato (Nara Prefecture). Genshin was also known by the title Eshin Sozu.
When his father died in 948, he carried out the latter’s dying wish by entering the clergy, in 950 becoming a disciple of the priest Ryogen of the Tendai sect. He studied under Ryogen at the Tendai Sect headquarters' temples on Mt. Hiei.
He served for a time at court, taking charge of various ceremonies and religious affairs, but he had no desire for worldly fame and preferred to retire to Mt. Hiei and devote himself entirely to writing and religious practices.
His book and its teachings spread among the aristocracy of the time, and such important and influential persons as the celebrated Fujiwara no Michinaga were counted among its followers.
Genshin’s book was influential not only in Japan, but was taken to China as well, where it won great acclaim. So popular was it that numerous types of pictures illustrating its doctrines were produced, which circulated widely among the Chinese masses and were even imported to Japan, thus completing the cycle.
He was well versed in the philosophy of Gusha, or Abhidharmakosa and Inmyo, or Hetuvidya. A skillful painter and sculptor, he presented Emperor En-yu with a scroll depicting all phases of Hell and carved 38 Buddhist images to be distributed to various places in Japan.