Shinran (1173-1262) has been regarded as the most representative Buddhist monk in the history of Japan. This valuation of Shinran began after the Meiji restoration. Marriage of monks was permitted officially in 1872 and the Buddhist activities in the secular world became important in modern Japan. Shinran, who had married, had children and lead a secular life, became the best model for modern Japanese Buddhist monks. In this situation, research on Shinran has been more developed than other pre-modern Buddhist monks. The modern image of Shinran was formed as if he were a modern Protestant priest and became very popular. Now, the situation is changed. The universality of modern ideas is called into question. The modern image of Shinran should also be changed. His life and thought should be interpreted in the medieval Japanese situation without any modern prejudices. In this article, I investigate the writings of Shinran and his wife Eshin-ni and make clear what kind of images of Shinran they had in the medieval religious situation. For example, Shinran thought himself as the best successor of his master Hōnen, the incarnation of Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva and Eshin-ni believed that Shinran was the incarnation of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva. Supernaturality was mixed in their images of Shinran and it was the basis of their confidence that Shinran was the authentic successor of the true dharma.
