Scholars of Heian Buddhism frequently comment that because of the inμuence of Genshin's Õjõyõshð, Pure Land thought and practice spread rapidly to all levels of society in the eleventh century. This assertion has become so common that it is rarely questioned. In this article, I investigate eleventhcentury sources, such as novels and diaries of aristocrats, and prove that the Õjõyõshð is mentioned infrequently. The Eiga monogatari, the only text to emphasize the Õjõyõshð, seems to be the exception to the rule and raises more questions than it answers, since the author is unknown. While agreeing that the Õjõyõshð was an important work, I conclude that Genshin was a pivotal 3gure in Heian Pure Land Buddhism less through his authorship of the Õjõyõshð than through his participation in and leadership of a number of religious fellowships.
