The is a document written by the founder of the Japanese Jōdo Shū (Pure Land) Buddhism school,

Hōnen was the religious reformer and founder of the first independent branch of Japanese Pure Land Buddhism called . He is also considered the Seventh Jōdo Shinshū Patriarch. Hōnen became a Tendai initiate at an early age, but grew disaffected and ...

, two days before his death. The document is meant to summarize Hōnen's teachings for future generations, and serves as his final testament. The document was written on the twenty-third day of the first lunar month of the second year of

Kenryaku was a after '' Jōgen'' and before '' Kempo.'' This period spanned the years from March 1211 through December 1213. The reigning emperor was . Change of era * 1211 : The new era name was created because the previous era ended and a new one co ...

(1212) and contains fewer than three hundred words. It is regularly read and recited in Jōdo Shū services to this day. The document affirms Hōnen's belief that ultimately sentient beings are deluded and ignorant, but that through the entrusting of Amida Buddha, and through the recitation of the '' nembutsu'', one can be reborn in the

Pure Land A pure land is the celestial realm of a buddha or bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism. The term "pure land" is particular to East Asian Buddhism () and related traditions; in Sanskrit the equivalent concept is called a buddha-field (Sanskrit ). Th ...

. The original Japanese, with romanization is as follows: An English translation of the One-Sheet Document is as follows: There is some controversy regarding translation of the term as potentially pejorative toward women, but is generally interpreted from a standpoint of humility, not merit.

References

{{Japan-reli-stub Jōdo-shū Hōnen Buddhism in the Kamakura period