During the 10th month of 1205 AD, the 9-point “Kofuku Temple Petition for Censure” written by Jokei (described in Part One) was sent to the Imperial Court. In the 7th article of that petition, Jokei stated that Master Honen misunderstood the Nembutsu. He argued that since Amida Buddha established 48 Vows, why consider only the 18th as the Primal Vow, and make the practice of reciting the Nembutsu (which he considered to be an inferior practice) the only practice.

Further, in a work titled Zaijarin (Correcting Errors) written in 1212 AD, a monk named Koben criticized Master Honen’s Senjaku-shu which denies the Bodhisattva mind because it requires “practice.” Koben pointed out that the 19th Vow is one of the vows on which Master Honen based his teaching, and yet it contains the phrase, “arouse the Bodhisattva mind and accumulate various merits with sincerity of heart.”

Such criticism, which is at least outwardly based on the sutras, takes the Path of Sages position which considers religious practices performed through “self-centered effort” to be the true Buddhist Way. The Venerable Master, however, completely denied the “various practices” position of the Path of Sages and upheld Master Honen’s position of the single practice of reciting the Nembutsu. He made that intent very clear in the Chapter on True Buddha Land of the Kyogyoshinsho, where he wrote:

With regard to the ocean-like vows, there are the “true” and “provisional” vows.

In other words, the Venerable Master saw that among Amida Buddha’s 48 Vows, some are “true” while others are “provisional.” He then listed the five true vows that express the “Buddha-centered power” truth:

11th Vow that absolutely assures Enlightenment; discussed in the Chapter on Attainment of the Kyogyo-shinsho. (11th Vow: If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should not dwell in the Definitely Assured State and unfailingly reach Nirvana, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.)

12th Vow that describes Immeasurable Light (Wisdom); discussed in the Chapter on True Buddha Land. (12th Vow: If, when I attain Buddhahood, my light should be limited, unable to illuminate at least a hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of Buddha-lands, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.)

13th Vow that describes Immeasurable Life (Compassion); discussed in the Chapter on True Buddha Land. (13th Vow: If, when I attain Buddhahood, my life-span should be limited, even to the extent of a hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of kalpas, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.)

17th Vow that all Buddhas will recite his Name (Namo Amida Butsu); discussed in the Chapter on Practice. (17th Vow: If, when I attain Buddhahood, innumerable Buddhas in the lands of the ten directions should not all praise and glorify my Name, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.)

18th Vow that assures birth in the Pure Land of those with “sincere mind,” “faith serene,” and “wish birth (in the Pure Land)”; described in the Chapter on Faith. (18th Vow: see above.)