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 branch (after its namesake), and completed the transition of Eikandō from a Shingon temple into a Jōdo-shū one.

According to the temple's biography, Shōkū was born into a noble family, but by 14 years of age took an interest in Buddhism. In one legend, his mother stood before a famous bridge to have his fortune told. At that time, a monk passed by chanting the Lotus Sutra, which convinced her that he should be a priest.^[1]

It was then that Shōkū studied under Hōnen for 23 years. Shōkū was respected by the Tendai sects, and so he was one of the few of Hōnen's disciples who was not exiled or executed in the year 1227, during the Karoku Persecution.^[2]

Later in life, he became a disciple of Jōhen, who had recently converted from the Shingon school to the Jōdo-shū school, subsequently converting the Eikan-dō as well. Later Shoku took over as head of this temple, and fully converted the temple into a Jōdo shū temple, and began the Seizan branch.

After Hōnen had died, Shōkū also studied Tendai and esoteric Shingon Buddhism extensively with a focus on Pure Land teachings and practices. He wrote an extensive commentary on the Taima Mandala at the invitation of the head priest of Taima-dera temple.

The temple biography mentions that Shōkū was very intense in his study and practice, and would recite the nembutsu up to 60,000 times a day, in addition to other ascetic practices. Shōkū described his practice as shiroki no nembutsu (白木念仏, "unvarnished nembutsu"), meaning that after studying the Buddhist sutras extensively, and engaging in other Buddhist practices, one should then recite the nembutsu with their whole heart. This echoes the words of Hōnen where one should study Buddhist teachings, but then return to the humble self to be saved by Amida Buddha.^[3]

Shōkū's teaching of nembutsu as “unvarnished wood” (shiroki nembutsu), meaning it should be free from personal interpretations and attachments to self-power practices. People who rely on their own efforts—whether through doctrinal understanding, precepts, or meditation—add their own “color” to the nembutsu, leading either to arrogance or discouragement. However, true nembutsu, as taught in the Pure Land sutras, requires no such modifications. Shandao emphasized that sincere faith and calling Amida’s name alone suffice, aligning with the concept of unembellished, unaltered practice.^[4]

Even those who have lived entirely immoral lives and are in their final moments, unable to perform good deeds or understand Buddhist teachings, can attain birth in the Pure Land by simply calling Amida’s name. Their nembutsu remains entirely uncolored by self-effort, much like a child’s hand guided in writing. Shōkū stressed that nembutsu alone—without reliance on meditative or non-meditative practices—ensures salvation, regardless of one’s background. This teaching underscores complete reliance on Amida’s other-power (tariki) rather than self-power (jiriki), though it does not dismiss the value of nembutsu recited by those knowledgeable in Mahayana or precepts.^[4]

Shoku explains his view of the unvarnished nembutsu as follows:

Now if a person just says the nembutsu, he or she will attain birth [in the pure land] - no matter whether the person leads a pure or impure life, whether their karma is bad or good, whether the person is of high class or low, a scholar or a fool. And yet people committed to the self-power (jiriki) method of emancipation keep on making meditative and non-meditative practices their objective. They insist that it is useless to try to attain birth without the coloring these practices give to their nembutsu. But they are all totally out of line. That is why we teach the method of emancipation by dependence upon other power (tariki) and the complete rejection of the principles of the self-power method. Now this doesn’t mean that there’s no value in the nembutsu of people either deeply or just ordinarily knowledgeable of the Mahayana teachings, or of those who keep the precepts. It’s very important to avoid all confusion of thought here.^[4]

• The Taima Mandala Image of the Pure Land from a medieval Japanese scroll, based on the descriptions found in the Contemplation Sutra. This site offers explanations in English of the various motifs of the scroll.