The question then arises as to when Master Rennyo’s “turning of the mind” took place. In “Renjun’s Record” (Renjun ki), written by his sixth son, Renjun, there is the following passage:

From the time Master Rennyo was 15 years of age, he determined to revive the honorable Dharma teaching of the Venerable Master (Shinran), regardless of the difficulties.

And in “A Record of Master Rennyo’s Meritorious Deeds” (Rennyo Shonin Itoku-ki) is the following passage:

The intent to revive the (Jodo) Shinshu teaching arose strongly within the former Master (Rennyo) when he was 15 years of age.

From statements such as the above, some feel that Master Rennyo’s “turning of the mind”—the time his shinjin was determined—took place at the age of 15.

I believe, however, that 15 is a little early for the shinjin experience, especially since the way of counting ages during that period was by what is known as “counting years” (kazoe toshi). In that way of counting age, you are a year old at birth, and your age is increased by one on New Year’s Day. A person born on December 31st was considered two years old the next day, New Year’s Day. Accordingly, Master Rennyo’s age when he resolved to revive the Hongwanji may have been a year, or even two years younger than 15, making it even less likely that that was when he resolved to revive the Hongwanji.

Actually, as I will relate in detail later, Master Rennyo’s birth mother left him and the Hongwanji when he was six years of age. In the work, “A Record of Master Rennyo’s Meritorious Deeds,” when Master Rennyo’s mother left, she said: “My desire is that (my child) revive the Vener-able Master’s (Shinran’s) teaching during (my child’s) lifetime.”

I believe Master Rennyo’s resolve to revive the Hon-gwanji was greatly influenced by these words of his mother. In regard to those words, however, resolving to revive the Hongwanji organization and a “turning of the mind” are not necessarily the same thing. Resolving to revive the Hongwanji is a worldly desire, but as already indicated, I cannot support the view that Master Rennyo did not have an experience of “turning of the mind” just because it is. I believe Master Rennyo did have a “turning of the mind” experience. I believe he had it before succeeding his father as the Eighth Spiritual Leader of the Hongwanji at the age of 43, and very likely much earlier than that.