Young Matsuwakamaru loses his father as an infant, and when he is eight his beloved mother Kikkou dies. Confronted with the mystery of what happens after death, he wonders whether the cycle of heaven, hell, and rebirth can be escaped. Determined to seek answers, he joins a Buddhist monastery on Mt. Hiei at the age of nine and takes the name Shinran. The story follows his journey toward becoming the founder of the Jōdo Shinshū sect of Buddhism.