Shinran understands Prince Shōtoku 聖徳太子 to be a manifestation of Avalokiteśvara and Hōnen 法然 to be a manifestation of Mahāsthāmaprāpta. The reason is that Hōnen represents the history of the Original Vow itself, while Prince Shōtoku encouraged Shinran to join in that history, and performs a different function. However, Prince Shōtoku and Hōnen are not simply understood in terms of the framework of Avalokiteśvara and Mahāsthāmaprāpta. Shinran also says that they are manifestations of Amida. This does not mean that Prince Shōtoku simply acted as mercy and Hōnen just acted as wisdom, but that the two functions were inseparable and that the root was Amida Buddha.
