Jokei and Koben criticized Master Honen by stating that among the 48 Vows, Amida Buddha in his causal state as Hozo Bosatsu did not vow only “birth in the Pure Land through recitation of the Nembutsu” (Nembutsu ojo) but that he also vowed “birth in the Pure Land through various practices” (shogyo ojo). Specifically, Koben criticized Master Honen by quoting the 19th Vow and pointing out that it is an example of “birth in the Pure Land through various practices.”

The Venerable Master considered the 19th and 20th Vows to be vows that express the provisional “self-centered effort” point of view, and described them in the Chapter on Transformed Land of his Kyogyoshinsho. The 19th vows “birth in the Pure Land through various practices” (shogyo ojo), and the 20th vows “(birth in the Pure Land through) reciting the Nembutsu with ‘self-centered effort’” (jiriki nembutsu).

I believe explaining the 48 Vows in terms of “true” and “provisional” vows as the Venerable Master did, completely defuses Jokei and Koben’s arguments.

Incidentally, in most cases where the Venerable Master uses terms such as Primal Vow (hongan), and “Oath Vow” (seigan), he is referring to the 18th Vow.