Honen was succeeded by many able o-sciples. One of them, Shinran (1173-1262), popularized the faith by still more appealing doctrines. He disregarded the signs of Anuta's grace, the abundant repetitions of the Buddha's name; he also abolished the prohibition of the marriage of priests: all in contrast to his master. Not "virtues" but "faith" was his sole watchword. This was quite a new phase in the history of Buddhism; Shinran's religion (now called the Shinshu, or True Doctrine) continues to this day to be the most influential in Japan.
The pietists were followed by a prophet. In the first half of the 13th century Kublai, the Mongol Emperor, subdued nearly the whole of the Asiatic continent, and his army and navy began to threaten the Island Empire. Great were the fear and the commotion throughout the country. Nichiren (1222-1282), the prophet, took this opportunity to warn the nation that it would be vanquished by the invaders, unless conversion to the true faith should take place. His faith was the orthodox teaching of Buddha, as taught in the Lotus of Truth and his tenet consisted in the adoration of the Truth by uttering the title of the Scripture, which he considered to embody the Trinity. With this cry of "Return to Buddha" and his prophetic utterance in the tone of a Jeremiah, he opposed every prevailing authority, both political and ecclesiastical. Insults followed by trials and prosecutions, only helped to strengthen his en thusiasm. At last, during his exile in a re mote island, he attained the conviction that he was the Suffering Sage whom Buddha had des tined for the propagation of the Law in the latter days of the world. After this, in a re tirement of eight' years, his thought was occu pied with the spread of his Buddhism from Japan to the whole world. Though his dream of universal religious unity remained unreal ized,thie prophetic zeal and his patience in fering were emulated. byhis disciples.
To the awakening of faith in various another new feature was added by the intro duction of Zen Buddhism. Eisai (1141-1215) and Dogen (1200-1253) were its agents. They differed in the•tranpmissions of the method and in the characteristics of its practice,' the for-. mer's being mystical and the Tatter's practical. But both taught a simple and direct method of emancipation from worldly troubles by prac tising Zen (Dhyana) or meditation. The method is characterized by the absence of dog-. mas and consists in simply striving to realize, one's own inner self. There the practitioners taught to arrive at Buddha's wisdom which is coeval with reality. But ,reality does not
otclude phenotnenality. When once the inner-' most self is realized, everything, though seem ingly ephemeral and offensive, becomes resplen dent with bright rays of eternal light. It was quite natural that this simple' method converted' many warriors. The Buddhism of temples and rituals was substituted by that of the fields and camps.
In the pietism of Honen, the revivalism of Nichiren and the intuitionalism of the Zen prac tice, Japanese Buddhism attained its own stand points. These new departures, which were con comitant with the growth of national sentiment influenced the life of the nation in every respect. Visions of the blissful superhuman existence, resulting from pious faith, or nature and land scape in their appeal to serene meditation, be came the theme of paintings. Rhapsodists re cited the rise and' fall of the contending clans with many episodes in which figured the men and women who were saved from sorrow agony by faith. Religious teachers wrote their epistles and hymns in simple yet powerfully appealing Japanese, in contrast to the dogmatic treatises of the preceding period, written Chinese. Monasteries and mansions, hermit ages and cottages came to have closer touch. Popular education instead of profound philos ophizing; counsels and services relating to daily' affairs Instead of mysteries and rituals; these Were the instruments of the propaganda. Tea, fans, kakemono, caligraphic drawing, smile, the sternness of expression, everything now known as peculiarly Japanese is the prod uct of these influences, directly or indirectly.
The firm and peaceful government under the military dictatorship which lasted over 100 years in the 13th century, was followed by political disintegration. The Age of Wars lasted from about 1330 to 1600. It was also the age of reli gious conflict. The followers of Shinran in creased rapidly throughout the country. They organized an almost extra-territorial church, with the abbot of Hongwanji (their central temple) as their head. The old centres of Bud dhism on Hiei and other mountain temples were occupied by armed bonzes. The mission ary zeal and fervent attitude of Nichiren's fol lowers everywhere encountered bloody resist ance. Religious bodies and orders became mili tant and fought not only each other, but feudal lords also. In the midst of this confusion minor sects, arose. Every. possible idea and practice found its promulgator and followers. It was the Zen monasteries that cared for -the preservation of literature and the cultivation of useful arts during this time.