Shōkū

Zen'ebo Shōkū (証空; November 30, 1177 – December 24, 1247), sometimes called Seizan (西山), was a disciple of Hōnen, founder of the Jōdo-shū Buddhist sect. Shōkū later succeeded Jōhen, a Shingon monk with an affinity for Pure Land Buddhism, as the head Eikandō (itself a former Shingon temple). Shōkū then established a separate branch of Jōdo-shū called the Seizan-ha ("West Mountain" branch), and completed the transition of Eikandō from a Shingon temple into a Jōdo-shū one.

Shōkū’s teachings reflect a synthesis of Pure Land thought, emphasizing the inseparability of true settled faith (anjin), nembutsu, and the non-duality between sentient beings and the Dharma through the doctrine of kihō ittai (one essence, one reality).

Shōkū’s thought laid the foundation for later doctrinal developments within the Seizan branch and influenced subsequent Pure Land traditions. His ideas are particularly influential on Jōdo Shinshū, through a text called the Anjin Ketsujō Shō (Determination of the Settled Mind), which was popularized by Rennyo. This text shows the influence of Shōkū’s teaching and may have been written by him or a disciple of his.