Teaching, Practice, Faith, and Proof, The ［教行信証］ ( Kyō-gyō-shin-shō): A major work by Shinran (1173–1262), the founder of the True Pure Land (Jōdo Shin) school in Japan. In it, Shinran sought to systematize the doctrine of his teacher, Hōnen, in the context of all Buddhist teachings. In contrast to Hōnen, however, Shinran emphasized the element of faith. The True Pure Land school regards this work as its fundamental doctrinal text. It consists of six volumes, the first four of which respectively discuss the teaching, practice, faith, and proof in terms of the Pure Land teachings. (For example, the first volume defines the Buddha Infinite Life Sutra as the sutra of the true teaching and therefore as foremost among all the sutras.) The fifth volume explains the true Buddha and true land from the standpoint of the Pure Land teachings. The sixth volume deals with provisional Buddhas and provisional lands. To support his arguments, Shinran quotes from sutras, treatises, and commentaries. These quotations comprise the greater part of the work.