Synopsis
Young Matsuwakamaru loses his father while still a baby. Compounding this tragedy, his beloved mother Kikkou dies when he is eight years old. As he faces her passing, Matsuwakamaru is troubled by the question of where people go after death. He wonders if there is a cycle of heaven, hell, and rebirth, and whether there is a way to escape this painful cycle. Driven by a strong desire to find answers, he enters a Buddhist monastery on Mount Hiei at just nine years old, changing his name to Shinran. This is the tale of the man who would one day pave the way for the Joudo Shinshuu sect of Buddhism.