Born in 1072 in Chita District, Owari Province. He ascended Mt. Hiei, mastered Tendai shōmyō (liturgical chanting), and secluded himself in Ōhara for nenbutsu contemplation. In 1124 he received a verse from Amida Buddha: "One person's nenbutsu reaches all; all persons' nenbutsu fuses with one" — founding Yūzū Nenbutsu. This unique teaching, based on the Kegon principle of mutual interpenetration, held that everyone's nenbutsu merges to aid universal rebirth. In 1127, by imperial decree of Emperor Toba, he established Dainenbutsuji in Settsu Province. He died in 1132.

A master of Tendai chanting and nenbutsu practitioner. An original thinker who fused the Kegon worldview — where one practice benefits all — with nenbutsu, deepening his realization in the stillness of Ōhara.

Yūzū Nenbutsu-shū holds a unique place as a pioneer of Japanese Pure Land Buddhism, with Dainenbutsuji continuing as its head temple today. Also celebrated as a master of shōmyō, the Ōhara chanting tradition he perfected is a candidate for UNESCO intangible heritage.