Dr. Alfred Bloom's biographical study of Shinran Shonin, founder of the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist tradition. In the studies of Jodo Shinshu the life of Shinran Shonin is shrowded in a cloud of mystery and hagiography. Alfred Bloom helps readers to learn about the life details of Shinran by combining all of the available sources in order to create a more clear glimpse of his life.