Bukko-ji

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Bukkoji (Temple of the Buddha Light) was originally named Koshoji, a Jodo Shinshu temple in Yamashina-ku, Kyoto which later moved to the heart of Kyoto. The temple was founded and officially opened by Ryogen in 1324. The name Koshoji was given to Ryogen for the temple by Kakunyo, Honganji's first head priest. While Bukkoji was a Jodo Shinshu organization originally, it wouldn't be until the time of Rennyo that it became a temple within the network of Honganji.

Kakunyo instructed his son Zonkaku to administer to Ryogen religious training and Honganji textual documents. Zonkaku and Ryogen became good friends during this period, but by 1324 there was tension between Zonkaku and Kakunyo. Kakunyo disinherited his son and disassociated himself with Ryogen due to differences in understanding Honen and Shinran's teachings. So when Koshoji was established in 1324, it was not done so under the blessing of Honganji. Zonkaku was a priest along with Ryogen in the formative years of the temple.

In 1329 the following at Koshoji outgrew the building's capacity, and the building was relocated to Kyoto very close to Honganji. Zonkaku renamed the temple Bukkoji, so as to disassociate it further from Kukanyo.

In the coming decade Bukkoji became more successful than Honganji, and Ryogen was travelling into new provinces teaching Honen and Shinran's message. In 1336, while out in the provinces, Ryogen was murdered by a group of bandits. Genran (1318-1347), Ryogen's son, took over the temple but died shortly after.

There were several differences between the way Jodo Shinshu was practiced at Bukkoji. To start, the temple head usually was married and the wife retained almost as much stature as her husband in the organization. Also, the temple administered teachings to men and women (mostly peasants). It also had followers in several outlying areas, indicating there were affiliated temples in those areas.

From the time of the temple's founding until Rennyo unified many of these splinter cells, Bukkoji spread its' teachings to the provinces of Totomi, Iga, Ise, Owari and Mikawa. But when Rennyo took control of Honganji, the Bukkoji lost many members to him. Kyogo (d.1490), who was set to take over Bukko-ji during this time, left Bukko-ji to train under Rennyo at Honganji. Kyogo went on to found his own temple in affiliation with Honganji he called Kosho-ji, the original name intended for Bukkoji. This move attracted yet more Bukko-ji adherents away.

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