Shodo-mon (Gateway of the Holy Path) (聖道門)
Shodo-mon (Gateway of the Holy Path) is the religious doctrine preaching to become a Buddha by self-power through various practices.
Honen used the word "Shodomon"in "{Senchaku hongan nenbutsu shu}" (the holy writings of the Jodo Sect), as two kinds of shobo (Buddhism), 'Shodo' (the Holy Path) and 'Ojo Jodo' (Birth in the Pure Land) were preached in "Anrakushu" (a collection of passages concerning birth in the Pure Land) by Doshaku. It is an antonym of 'Jodo-mon' (Gateway of the Pure Land) (Jodo (Pure Land) sect) and often appears in the books by Shinran who was Jodo sect and the disciple of Honen.
Buddhism meant mainly two sects, Tendai sect and Shingon sect from Esoteric Buddhism group when Honen established Jodo sect. However, Zen sect which generated right after it is included in Buddhism as well. This word is not usually used in the religious doctrine other than Jodo sect.
Honen preached how excellent Tariki Hongwan (salvation through the benevolence of Buddha) (promotion of original vow by Amida Nyorai (Amitabha Tathagata)) is in Mappo (age of the Final Dharma), and encouraged all living things to invocation of the Buddha's name.
Citing that "Daiju gatsuzokyo" shows 'Though so many people in Mappo (Age of the Final Dharma) practice and learn, no one has achieved.' ("Jodo Shinshu Seiten (Shichiso hen) (original version and commentary version)", cited from Hongwanji Publishing Company) from "Anrakushu" in "Senchaku-shu" (Passages on the Selection of the Nenbutsu in the Original Vow) to show that the opposite 'Shodo-mon' was difficult to be the main doctrine and to prove, he considered this as the reason to enter Jodo-mon instead of Shodo-mon,.
Therefore, Honen has been criticized by the religious doctrines other than Jodo sect since old times (the past) up to the modern age.