In recent years there have been many studies that look at the relationship between the philosophies of Nishida Kitaro and Shinran, however, only a very small number explore this relationship from the perspective of Shinran’s Doctrinal Studies. One can see in Nishida a deep affinity with Shinran from an early age, expressed for example in his 1911 essay Gutoku Shinran. Also, in his Zen no kenkyū(“An Inquiry into the Good”), released in the same year, one can see in the fourth section, which deals with religion, a possible influence from contemporary modern Shinran’s Doctrinal Studies pioneer Kiyozawa Manshi (1863―1903). After that, Nishida very rarely directly mentions Shinran, right up until his later years. However, I believe that even if Shinran is not visible on the surface one can perceive a note in Nishida’s underlying philosophy that resonates with Shinran’s doctrine. And, I believe that note takes full form in one of his last works, 1945’s Basho-teki ronri to shūkyō-teki sekai-kan(“The Logic of Place and the Religious Worldview”). The study I present here will center itself around the philosophical concept of “Inverse Correspondence” and argue the Shinran’s Doctrine is revealed in Nishida’s discussion of the relationship between the infinite other and the finite individual self.
