3 The establishment of Honganji Temple:
Kakunyo

Kakunyo was the grandson of Lady Kakushin and
the 3rd caretaker of the Otani Mausoleum.
Inspired by Shinran's teachings of entrusting in the Other-Power,
Kakunyo decided to turn the mausoleum into a temple
and a headquarters for spreading Shinran's Buddhist teachings.
In 1321, the Honganji Temple was established.
Honganji means "The Temple of the Original Vow".


Kakunyo dedicated the Honganji Temple to Buddha Amida
and appointed himself as the first Chief Priest (Jushoku or Bettoshoku, In Japanese).
He was the first of a heritary lineage to hand down the authentict teachings of Shinran. Honganji's Chief Priests dedicate
their lives to preserving and protecting the teachings of Shin Buddhism to this very time.

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