Hoonko Service - Memorial Service for Founder
Sun, Jan 18
|Watsonville
Shinran Shonin is considered the founder of Jodoshinshu Buddhism. Hoonko is the memorial service for Shinran. It is our opportunity to express our indebtedness to him. Rev. Hibiki Murakami will be the speaker.
Time & Location
Jan 18, 2026, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Watsonville, 423 Bridge St, Watsonville, CA 95076, USA
About the event
Shinran Shonin was born on May 21, 1173 in outskirts of Kyoto in an area know as Hino. He was born with the name Matsuwakamaro and was given the title Shonin after his death. The term Shonin has been conferred upon people like Rennyo, and Honen but for Shinran the title of Shonin is a bit different. The Chinese character for Shonin 上人 is normally Jo or Sho and read in Japanese as ue or above. With the added character on nin or person the translation would read a Buddhist “saint”. In the case of Shinran his Chinese character used for Sho is different. His title uses the character which means a great master or sage 聖人. In English we might say his holiness, a great religious leader.
Shinran also was given an honorific title Kenshin Daishi 見真大師 . This title was given to Shinran in 1877 by the Emperor Meiji. The title means the “Seer of…