, also known as the Tendai Dharma Flower School (天å°æ³Âè¯å®Â, Tendai hokke shà «, sometimes just Hokkeshà «), is a MahÃÂyÃÂna Buddhist tradition with significant esoteric elements that was officially established in Japan in 806 by the Japanese monk Saichà Â. The Tendai school, which has been based on Mount Hiei since its inception, rose to prominence during the Heian period (794âÂÂ1185). It gradually eclipsed the powerful Hossà  school and competed with the rival Shingon school to become the most influential sect at the Imperial court.
By the Kamakura period (1185âÂÂ1333), Tendai had become one of the dominant forms of Japanese Buddhism, with numerous temples and vast landholdings. During the Kamakura period, various monks left Tendai to found new Buddhist schools such as Jà Âdo-shà «, Jà Âdo Shinshà «, Nichiren-shà « and Sà Âtà  Zen. The destruction of the head temple of Enryaku-ji by Oda Nobunaga in 1571, as well as the geographic shift of the capital away from Kyoto to Edo, ended Tendai's dominance, though it remained influential.
In Chinese and Japanese, its name is identical to Tiantai (meaning "Celestial Platform"), its parent Chinese Buddhist tradition. Both traditions emphasize the importance of the Lotus Sutra and revere the teachings of the Tiantai patriarchs, especially Zhiyi. In English, the Japanese romanization Tendai is used to refer specifically to the Japanese school. According to Hazama Jikà Â, the main characteristic of Tendai is its comprehensive and universalist spirit, which is based on the "One Great Perfect Teaching", the idea that "all the teachings of the Buddha are ultimately without contradiction and can be unified in one comprehensive and perfect system."
Other unique elements include an exclusive use of the bodhisattva precepts for ordination (without the Pratimoká¹£a), a practice tradition based on the "Four Integrated Schools": (Shikan (meditation), Pure Land, Tantra and Precepts), and an emphasis on the study of Chinese Esoteric Buddhist sources. David W. Chappell sees Tendai as "the most comprehensive and diversified" Buddhist tradition which provides a religious framework that is "suited to adapt to other cultures, to evolve new practices, and to universalize Buddhism."
The teachings of the Chinese Tiantai school founded by Zhiyi (538âÂÂ597 CE) had been brought to Japan as early as 754 by Jianzhen (Jp. Ganjin). However, Tiantai teachings did not take root until generations later, when the monk Saichà  (767âÂÂ822) joined the Japanese missions to Imperial China in 804 and founded Enryaku-ji on Mount Hiei. The future founder of Shingon Buddhism, Kà «kai, also travelled on the same mission; however, the two were on separate ships, and there is no evidence they met in this period.
From the city of Ningbo (then called ), Saichà  was introduced by the governor to Dàosuì, the seventh Tiantai patriarch, and later he journeyed to Tiantai Mountain for further study. After receiving teachings and initiations on Chan, Precepts and Chinese Esoteric Buddhism, Saichà  devoted much of his time to making accurate copies of Tiantai texts and studying under Dàosuì. By the sixth month of 805, Saichà  had returned to Japan along with the official mission to China. Saichà  was also influenced by his study of Huayan (Jp. Kegon) philosophy under (720âÂÂ797), and this was his initial training before going to China.
Because of the Japanese imperial court's interest in Tiantai as well as esoteric Buddhism, Saichà  quickly rose in prominence upon his return. He was asked by Emperor Kanmu (735âÂÂ806) to perform various esoteric rituals, and Saichà  also sought recognition from the Emperor for a new, independent Tendai school in Japan. Because the emperor sought to reduce the power of the YogÃÂcÃÂrins, he granted this request, but with the stipulation that the new Tendai school would have two programs: one for esoteric Buddhism and one for exoteric Buddhist practice.
The new Tendai school was therefore based on a combination of Zhiyi's doctrinal and meditative system with esoteric practice and texts. Tendai learning at Mount Hiei traditionally followed two curricula:
However, Emperor Kanmu died shortly thereafter, and Saichà  was not allocated any ordinands until 809 with the reign of Emperor Saga. Saichà Â's choice of establishing his community at Mount Hiei also proved fortuitous because it was located at the northeast of the new capital of Kyoto and thus was auspicious in terms of feng shui (geomancy) as the city's protector.
The remainder of Saichà Â's life was spent in heated debates with notable YogÃÂcÃÂrins, particularly Tokuitsu, and maintaining an increasingly strained relationship with Kà «kai, from whom he received initiations to broaden his understanding of esoteric Buddhism. The debates with YogÃÂcÃÂrins were primarily centred on the doctrine of EkayÃÂna, 'the One School', found in the Lotus Sutra, which the YogÃÂcÃÂrins saw as not being an ultimate teaching. This was known as the San-Itsu Gon-Jitsu Ronsà  'EkayÃÂnaâÂÂThree Vehicle debate', and it had a great influence on Japanese Buddhism.
Saichà  also studied Mikkyà Â, esoteric practices, under Kà «kai, the founder of Shingon Buddhism. Saichà  borrowed esoteric texts from Kà «kai for copying, and they also exchanged letters for some time. However, they eventually had a falling out around 816 over their understanding of esotericism. This was because Saichà  attempted to integrate Mikkyà  into his broader Tendai schema, seeing it as equal to the Tendai's Lotus Sutra teaching. Saichà  would write that Tendai and Mikkyo "interfuse with one another" and that "there should be no such thing as preferring one to the other."
Kà «kai saw Mikkyà  as different from and fully superior to and was concerned that Saichà  had not finished his Mikkyà  under him.
Saichà Â's efforts were also devoted to developing a MahÃÂyÃÂna ordination platform that required the Bodhisattva Precepts of the Brahmajala Sutra only, and not the pratimoká¹£a of the Dharmaguptaka vinaya, which was traditionally used in East Asian monasticism. Saichà  saw the precepts of the so-called Hinayana ('Small Vehicle') as no longer necessary. His ideas were attacked by the more traditional Nara schools, as well as the Sà Âgà  (the Office of Monastic Affairs), and they were not initially approved by the Imperial Court. Saichà  wrote the Kenkairon, , to respond to their criticisms. By the time that Saichà  died in 822, his yearly petition was finally granted, and the traditional "Four-Part Vinaya" () was replaced by the Tendai Bodhisattva Precepts.
Seven days after Saichà  died, the Imperial Court granted permission for the new Tendai Bodhisattva Precept ordination process which allowed Tendai to use an ordination platform separate from the powerful schools in Nara. Gishin, Saichà Â's disciple and the first "zasu" , presided over the first allotted ordinands in 827. The appointments of the zasu typically only lasted a few years, and therefore among the same generation of disciples, a number could be appointed zasu in one's lifetime. After Gishin, the next zasu of the Tendai school were: Enchà  (Ã¥ÂÂæ¾Â), Ennin æ Â覺大師åÂÂä» (794âÂÂ864), An'e (å®Âæ §), Enchin æºèÂÂ大師åÂÂç (814âÂÂ891), Yuishu (æÂÂé¦Â), Yà «ken (ç·æ²) and Kà Âsai (康æ¸Â).
By 864, Tendai monks were now appointed to the powerful sà Âgà  with the naming of An'e (å®Âæ §) as the provisional vinaya master. Other examples include Enchin's appointment to the Office of Monastic Affairs in 883. While Saichà  had opposed the Office during his lifetime, within a few generations disciples were now gifted with positions in the Office by the Imperial Family. By this time, Japanese Buddhism was dominated by the Tendai school to a much greater degree than Chinese Buddhism was by its forebear, the Tiantai.
Philosophically, the Tendai school did not deviate substantially from the beliefs developed by the Tiantai school in China. However, Saichà  had also transmitted numerous teachings from China that were not exclusively Tiantai but also included Zen, Pure Land Buddhism, Mikkyà Â, and Kyeyul ('Vinaya school') elements. The tendency to include a range of teachings became more marked in the doctrines of Saichà Â's successors, such as Ennin, Enchin and Annen.
After Saichà Â, the Tendai order underwent efforts to deepen its understanding of teachings collected by the founder, particularly esoteric Buddhism. Saichà  had only received initiation in the Vajra Realm Mandala, and since the rival Shingon school under Kà «kai had received deeper training, early Tendai monks felt it necessary to return to China for further initiation and instruction. Saichà Â's disciple Ennin went to China in 838 and returned ten years later with a more thorough understanding of esoteric, Pure Land, and Tiantai teachings. Ennin brought important esoteric texts and initiation lineages, such as the SusiddhikÃÂra-sà «tra, the VairocanÃÂbhisaá¹Âbodhi Sà «tra and Vajraà Âekhara-sà «tra.
However, in later years, this range of teachings began to give rise to sub-schools within Tendai. By the time of Ryà Âgen, there were two distinct groups on Mt. Hiei, the Jimon and Sanmon: the Sammon-ha "Mountain Group" followed Ennin and the Jimon-ha "Temple Group" followed Enchin.
Konryà « Daishi Sà Âà  (831âÂÂ918), a student of Ennin, is another influential figure in Tendai. He is known for developing the ascetic practice of circumambulating Mount Hiei and living and practicing in the remote wilderness. This practice, which became associated with Acala (Fudà  Myà Âà Â) and Sà Âà Â's hermitage at Mudà Â-ji, became quite influential in Tendai. A more elaborate and systematized practice based on Sà Âà Â's simple mountain asceticism developed over time, and came to be called kaihà Âgyà Â. This remains an important part of Tendai Buddhism today.
Annen (841âÂÂ902?) is one of the most important post-Saichà  Tendai thinkers. He wrote around a hundred works on Tendai doctrine and practice. According to Annen's theory of , all Buddhas are ultimately a single Buddha, all temporal moments are one moment, all pure lands are also just one pure land, and all teachings are interfused into one teaching.
According to Lucia Dolce, Annen "systematized earlier and contemporary doctrines elaborated in both streams of Japanese esoteric Buddhism, Tà Âmitsu (i.e., Shingon) and Taimitsu (Tendai)", "critically reinterpreted Kà «kai's thought, offering new understandings of crucial esoteric concepts and rituals", and he also "elaborated theories that were to become emblematic of Japanese Buddhism, such as the realization of buddhahood by grasses and trees (sà Âmoku jà Âbutsu)" as well as original enlightenment thought.
These various post-Saichà  Tendai figures also developed the Tendai doctrine of "the identity of the purport of Perfect and Esoteric teachings" (enmitsu itchi Ã¥ÂÂå¯Âä¸Âè´), which, according to à Âkubo Ryà Âshun, "refers to the harmony and agreement between the Perfect teachings of the Lotus Sutra and Esoteric Buddhism."
During the later Heian period, Ryà Âgen è¯溠(912âÂÂ985) was an influential figure. He was the 18th abbot of Enryakuji, the Tendai head temple on Mount Hiei, and was an influential politician closely tied to the Fujiwara clan, as well as a learned scholar. Due to his influence, the Tendai school became the dominant Buddhist tradition in Japanese intellectual life and at the imperial court in Kyoto. Due to Ryà Âgen's influence, Fujiwara family members also came to occupy important positions at Tendai temples. Ryà Âgen is also said to have hired an army to protect Mt. Hiei, and some scholars see him as contributing the development of the warrior monk phenomenon (sà Âhei). However, other scholars argue that warrior monks developed due to various other social and political pressures, such as the decline of the imperial bureaucratic state, the rise of temple estates, and the rise of noblemen joining the clergy.
Whatever the case, the late Heian age also saw increased violence among Buddhist schools and temples (and sub-schools within Tendai as well), with armed groups resorting to violence to resolve disputes between Buddhist temples. During this period, the main Tendai temples of Enryakuji and Onjà Âji resorted to armed violence against each other on more than one occasion.
Ryà Âgen's most influential disciples where Genshin (Eshin sà Âzu 942-1017) and Kakuun (Danna sà Âzu 957-1007). The lineages established by Genshin and Kakuun developed into two main sects within Tendai, the Eshin school and the Danna school respectively. According to Shà Âshin Ichishima,<blockquote>Genshin's Eshin school espoused the doctrine of the original enlightenment, while Kakuun's Danna school espoused that of acquired enlightenment. The Eshinryà « school used the ninth consciousness as the basis of meditation, whereas the Dannaryà « used the sixth consciousness in the yogÃÂcÃÂra consciousness [system]. The Eshinryà « school valued oral transmission of doctrine and meditative insight, while Dannaryà « emphasized doctrine and texts. The Eshinryà « school favored the "origin teaching" (honmon), and the latter fourteen chapters of the Lotus Sà «tra over the "trace teaching" (shakumon), the first fourteen chapters, while the Dannaryà « school regarded both sections as equally important. These differences distinguish the two schools. </blockquote>
During the Heian period, Tendai Pure Land practice also developed into a significant and influential tradition. Early Pure Land Buddhism emphasized spiritual cultivation aimed at achieving birth in Amida Buddha's Pure Land at the time of death as well as the constantly walking samadhi, a Pratyutpanna SamÃÂdhi derived practice taught in Zhiyi's Mohe Zhiguan in which one would circumambulate a Buddha statue while meditating on the features of the Buddha Amitabha. Chinese Pure Land chanting methods, such as Fazhao's five tone nembutsu (go-e nembutsu, äºÂä¼Â念ä»Â) were also adopted into the Tendai tradition by figures like Ennin. In early Japanese Tendai Pure Land discourse, monks such as Zenyu and Senkan (918âÂÂ984) embraced this practice and focused their teaching on Pure Land elements, seeing it as the most viable kind of practice for the age of mappo (Dharma Decline). For them, adopting Pure Land practices did not signify abandoning the traditional Tendai path, rather the Pure Land path was seen as a practical and accessible method for entering the path, especially for those who felt incapable of advanced spiritual cultivation in their present lives. This interpretation allowed Pure Land devotion to align with the broader Tendai tradition, reinforcing the belief that all beings possess the potential for buddhahood.
Genshin (942âÂÂ1017), an influential student of Ryà Âgen, wrote the famous à Âjà Âyà Âshà « (Essentials of Birth in the Pure Land), which influenced later Pure Land Japanese figures. His work built upon the foundational ideas established by earlier monks like Senkan, emphasizing nenbutsu practice as a viable and effective path toward enlightenment in the era of Dharma decline. Genshin would later become a key figure for later Japanese Pure Land teachers like Hà Ânen.
Although the Tendai sect flourished under the patronage of the Imperial House of Japan and the noble houses like the Fujiwara, by the end of the Heian period, it experienced an increasing breakdown in monastic discipline. This was partly caused by political entanglements with rival factions of the Genpei War, namely the Taira and Minamoto clans. Due to its patronage and growing popularity among the upper classes, the Tendai sect became not only respected, but also politically and even militarily powerful, with major temples having vast landholdings and fielding their own monastic armies of sà Âhei (warrior-monks). This was not unusual for other major temples at the time, as major Buddhist temples (such as Kà Âfuku-ji) fielded armies to protect their estates from samurai armies and bandits. With the outbreak of the Genpei War (1180âÂÂ1185), major Tendai temples armed themselves and sometimes joined the war.
In response to the perceived worldliness and elitism of the powerful Tendai school, a number of low-ranking Tendai monks became dissatisfied and began to teach radical new doctrines which focused on simpler, more popular practices. Soon, new schools of Buddhism emerged from this religious milieu. The major figures of "New Kamakura Buddhism"âÂÂNichiren, Hà Ânen, Ippen, Shinran, Eisai and Dà ÂgenâÂÂall initially trained as Tendai monks. Tendai practices and monastic organization were adopted to some degree or another by each of these new schools, but one common feature of each school was a more narrowly focused set of practices (e.g. daimoku for the Nichiren school, zazen for Zen, nembutsu for Pure Land schools, etc.) in contrast to the more eclectic and broad approach of Tendai. In spite of the rise of these new competing schools which saw Tendai as being "corrupt", medieval Tendai remained "a rich, varied, and thriving tradition" during the medieval period according to Jacqueline Stone.
Initially, the largest and most popular of these new traditionsâÂÂPure Land Buddhism and Nichiren BuddhismâÂÂdid not attempt create new "schools" or "sects" separate from Tendai, as many of their monastics continued to be ordained and trained in Tendai institutions. Over time however, these groups gradually differentiated themselves from the Tendai mainstream, eventually forming separate institutions. As a number of new sects began to develop during the Kamakura period, the Tendai school used its patronage to try to oppose the growth of these rival factions. The Tendai establishment often used brigades of sà Âhei (warrior monks) to repress these groups. In one such event, Tendai warrior monks destroyed the printing blocks of Hà Ânen's Senchakushà « and raided the tomb of Hà Ânen. Despite internal divisions, the Tendai establishment remained politically and militarily powerful throughout the Kamakura Period. Enryaku-ji maintained its network of warrior monks (sà Âhei) and its influence at the imperial court and among the aristocracy, even while internal divisions led to increasing doctrinal and institutional disputes.
Kamakura period Tendai also produced a number of important figures of its own, including Jien æ Âå (1155âÂÂ1225), known as a historian and a poet, who wrote the Gukanshà  (a religious history of Japan) and numerous devotional poems. Hà Âjibà  Shà Âshin 寶å°æ¿èÂÂç (active 1153âÂÂ1214) was a major Buddhist intellectual in medieval Japanese Buddhism and the head of the Tendai curriculum at Mount Hiei. Shà Âshin wrote numerous works and commentaries, and is most known for his commentaries on the writings of Zhiyi, the Personal Notes on the Three Major Works of Tendai (Tendai sandaibu shiki 天å°ä¸Â大é¨ç§Âè¨Â). This is "the most detailed study on Tendai doctrine until the twentieth century", according to Matthew Don McMullen. Shà Âshin also wrote on esoteric Buddhism, which he interpreted in line with classical Tiantai doctrine, instead of seeing it as a separate form of Buddhism. Notably, Shà Âshin rejected the view that esoteric or mantrayana Buddhism was superior to the Tendai MahÃÂyÃÂna teaching of the one vehicle.
Tendai maintained its prestige during the Muromachi period, but political instability and the weakening of the imperial court diminished its political influence. Tendai remained closely connected to the Ashikaga shogunate (1336âÂÂ1573), and its doctrines influenced esoteric and Pure Land practices. However, the school's warrior monks were drawn into larger conflicts, particularly during the à Ânin War (1467âÂÂ1477), which devastated Kyoto and disrupted religious institutions.
One response to the various conflicts of the time were reform movements aimed at restoring the bodhisattva precepts and reinforcing moral discipline among monks. Kà Âen (1263âÂÂ1317) formulated a ritual known as kaikanjà  (æÂÂçÂÂé Â), which integrated the observance of precepts with elements drawn from esoteric Buddhism. Ejin (1281âÂÂ1358) similarly advocated rigorous adherence to the precepts, gaining the respect and patronage of Emperor Go-Daigo. In the following century, Shinsei (çÂÂç 1443âÂÂ1492) stressed the combined importance of precept observance and the recitation of the nenbutsu, an approach articulated as the âÂÂtwo gates of precepts and invocationâ (kaishà  nimon æÂÂ称äºÂéÂÂ). Broadly speaking, however, the fourteenth through sixteenth centuries did not witness any major doctrinal innovations within Japanese Tendai.
Instead, the tradition experienced a severe crisis during the Sengoku period, when the wardlord Oda Nobunaga, seeking to break the political and military power of Tendai institutions, destroyed the Tendai headquarters on Mount Hiei, resulting in the deaths of many inhabitants. Despite this devastation, Tendai did not disappear from Japan, as it maintained strong institutional bases elsewhere. Even Mount Hiei itself was rapidly reconstructed with the backing of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and the Tokugawa shoguns. Particularly significant was the flourishing of Tendai institutions in the Kantà  region, especially after Edo (present-day Tokyo) became the political and cultural center under the Tokugawa shogunate.
Seeking to control religious institutions, the Tokugawa shogunate introduced a new temple registration system (Danka system). Tendai, like other Buddhist schools, was integrated into the state's religious structure. While Enryaku-ji was rebuilt with shogunal support, Tendai never regained the influence and power it had wielded in previous centuries. Tendai monks of this era refocused themselves on doctrinal study, ritual practice, and its esoteric (Taimitsu) traditions.
During this period, one of the most important Tendai leaders was Tenkai (1536âÂÂ1643). Tenkai helped restore the school's prestige by securing Tokugawa patronage, linking Tendai to the ideology of the shogunate and building new temples like Kita-in, and Kan'ei-ji near Tokyo, the new seat of the Tokugawa shogunate. Tenkai also worked to print and publish the entire Chinese Buddhist Canon comprising 6,323 fascicles. Completed in 1648, this edition became known as the Kan'ei-ji Edition (or Tenkai Edition). This printing project is considered one of the most significant achievements in Japanese printing history. Tenkai also served as the head of the Tendai temple complex at Nikkà Â, which later became IeyasuâÂÂs mausoleum. During this time, Tendai scholars also engaged in doctrinal debates with the emerging à Âbaku Zen school, which introduced new influences from China.
Another noteworthy development in the Edo period was the emergence of the Anraku school (å®Â楽派), associated with Myà Âryà « (1637âÂÂ1690) and Reikà « (1652âÂÂ1739). This movement called for a renewed emphasis on monastic discipline grounded in the Sifen lü (Ã¥ÂÂÃ¥ÂÂå¾Â), reacting against what its proponents viewed as moral laxity fostered by doctrines of original enlightenment. They also promoted the thought of Siming Zhili (ç¥礼, 960âÂÂ1028), a prominent figure in Chinese Tiantai, thereby contributing to the revival of Tendai philosophical study, particularly interpretations derived from ZhiliâÂÂs works. From this period onward, the Tiantai sijiao yi (天å°åÂÂæÂÂÃ¥ÂÂ, âÂÂOutline of the Fourfold TeachingsâÂÂ), attributed to Chegwan (諦観, tenth century), came to be widely employed as an introductory text for the study of Tendai doctrine.
The Meiji Restoration brought severe challenges to Tendai and other Buddhist institutions. The government's official promotion of Shinto, and the separation of Shinto from Buddhism, led to the confiscation of temple lands and a decline in patronage. The 19th and early 20th centuries saw efforts to modernize the Tendai school while maintaining its traditional teachings. In the 20th century, Tendai became part of the broader Buddhist revival movements in Japan, with renewed interest in its esoteric and Lotus Sutra-based teachings.
One of the most prominent Tendai figures of the 20th century was Shà Âchà  Hagami (1903âÂÂ1989). He served as President of the Japanese Religious Committee for World Federation and was a great practitioner of extenseive Kaihà Âgyà Â. Hagami, along with Etai Yamada (1900âÂÂ1999) were two major Tendai figures of the 20th century. They widely promoted religious dialogue with other world religions and traveled widely.
Today, the Tendai school remains active, with Enryaku-ji serving as its headquarters and major training center. Although the number of Tendai temples is smaller than that of other schools that developed broader popular followings (like Pure Land, Zen, and Nichiren) and although some influential temples, including Sensà Â-ji in Tokyo and Tennà Â-ji in Osaka, have become administratively independent, the main Tendai school persists. While no longer a dominant force in Japanese Buddhism, Tendai continues to influence various traditions through its doctrinal legacy and training system. Mount Hiei served as the focal point for commemorations in 1987 marking the 1,200th anniversary of Saichà ÂâÂÂs retreat to the mountains. Tendai thought also remains an object of academic study both within Japan and internationally, with Taishà  University in Tokyo retaining its affiliation with the Tendai school.
Tendai has also expanded to Western countries. Though not as widespread as other Japanese Buddhist schools like Zen and Shinshu, some Tendai temples have been founded in the West, including the Tendai Mission of Hawaii Betsuin, which was founded before WWII and received its first bishop, Ryokan Ara, in the 70s. Furthermore, the Tendai Buddhist Institute in Canaan, New York, founded by Abbot Monshin Paul Naamon and his wife, Rev. Shumon Tamami Naamon, has become the first Tendai Buddhist training center authorized to train priests in North America.
According to Jiko Hazama, the Tendai Buddhist worldview advocates a comprehensive form of Buddhism which sees all Buddhist teachings as being unified under an inclusive reading of the ekayÃÂna teaching of the Lotus Sutra. This holistic and inclusive form of Buddhism is based on the doctrinal synthesis of Tiantai Zhiyi, which was ultimately based on the Lotus Sutra. Tendai's inclusive view of religion allowed it to reconcile Buddhist doctrine with aspects of Japanese culture such as Shinto and Japanese aesthetics. Tendai doctrines like original enlightenment and honji suijaku contributed to the integration of native Japanese religion with Tendai Buddhism.
In the major Tendai institutions like Taisho University and Mount Hiei, the main subjects of study are the Lotus Sutra, the works of the Tiantai Patriarch Zhiyi, the works of the founder Saichà  and some later Tendai figures like Ennin.
The thought of the Japanese Tendai school is founded on the classic Chinese Tiantai doctrines found in the works of patriarchs Zhìyàand Zhanran. These foundational doctrines include:
Tendai Buddhism reveres the Lotus Sutra as the highest teaching in Buddhism. In Saichà Â's writings, he frequently used the terminology hokke engyà  to imply it was the culmination of the previous sermons given by Gautama Buddha. Because of the central importance of the Lotus Sutra, Tendai Buddhism sees all Buddhist teachings and practices as being united under the One Vehicle (ekayÃÂna) taught in the Lotus Sutra. Saichà  frequently used the term ichijà  bukkyà  and referred to the Lotus Sutra as his main scriptural basis.
Saichà  taught that there were "three kinds of Lotus Sutra". According to Jacqueline Stone, these can be explained as follows:
Stone writes that Saichà  saw all Buddhist teachings as being the true "Lotus Sutra" and he therefore attempted to integrate all Buddhist teachings he had studied within a single framework based on the Lotus Sutra<nowiki/>'s One Vehicle.
Hazama Jikà  writes that the central feature of Tendai thought is its advocacy of the "One Great Perfect Teaching" (ä¸Â大åÂÂæÂÂ), "the idea that all the teachings of the Buddha are ultimately without contradiction and can be unified in one comprehensive and perfect system." This idea was used by Saichà  as a basis for his integration of the various schools of Buddhism into a single comprehensive synthesis. Hazama writes that "Saichà  included both esoteric and exoteric teachings, and avoided an obsession with any one category of the Buddhist tradition such as Zen or the precepts. He sought instead to unite all of these elements on the basis of a single fundamental principle, the comprehensive and unifying ekayana spirit of the Lotus Sutra."
Saichà  believed that by consolidating all Buddhist ideas and practices and including all the varieties of Buddhism, his new school would allow all to "enter the great sea of Thusness which has a single flavor" (çÂÂå¦Âä¸Âå³ã®大海) by following the path of goodness, and that this would protect the nation. According to Hazama Jikà  "these themes run throughout Saichà Â's work" including his Hokke shuku æ³Âè¯秠åÂÂ¥ and Shugo kokkai sho å®Âè·å½çÂÂç« .
Tendai thought also frames its understanding of Buddhist practice on the Lotus Sutra<nowiki/>'s teaching of upÃÂya or . Furthermore, Tendai uses a similar hierarchy as the one used in Chinese Tiantai to classify the various other sutras in the Buddhist canon in relation to the Lotus Sutra, and it also follows Zhiyi's original conception of Five Periods Eight Teachings or gojihakkyà  . This doctrinal classification system (panjiao) is based on the doctrine of expedient means, but was also a common practice among East Asian schools trying to sort the vast corpus of writing inherited from India.
Later Tendai thinkers like Annen provided a new doctrinal classification system (based on Zhiyi's system) for Japanese Tendai. All Buddhist teachings are seen as being included into the following categories. The first major group are those teachings that rely on the three vehicles:
The highest teachings are those who derive from the one vehicle:
Tendai thought vigorously defends the idea that all beings have the potential for full buddhahood and thus that the Lotus Sutra was a teaching for all sentient beings. This teaching in particular was a major point of contention with the Japanese Hossà  (Yogacara) school in Japan who espoused the which argues that not all being can become Buddhas, since some do not have the seeds for Buddhahood. The heated debates between Saichà  and the Hossà  scholar Tokuitsu frequently addressed this controversy as well as other related issues, such as how to categorize the various Buddhist teachings, and the value of certain Tendai teachings. The debates continued after Saichà Â's passing, with figures like Ryà Âgen and Genshin taking part in official court debates against Hossà  scholars, and writing treatises defending the Tendai position.
Another element of Tendai buddha-nature thought was the notion that the phenomenal world, the world of our experiences, fundamentally is an expression of the Dharma. Tendai Buddhism claims that each and every sense phenomenon just as it is is the expression of Dharma. This idea comes from Zhanran's view of buddha nature as an all-pervasive reality that also includes insentient things (like mountains, rivers etc). Drawing on this, Saichà  also argued that insentient things possess Buddha-nature and that the distinction between sentient and insentient is ultimately illusory, since buddha-nature pervades all things through the principle of mutual inclusion, in which each dharma realm contains all others. Thus for Saichà  ultimate reality, the Dharmakaya, actively manifests in the phenomenal world as the world itself.
The medieval Tendai school was the locus of the development of the Japanese doctrine of hongaku æ¬覠(innate or original enlightenment), which holds that all beings are enlightened inherently. This theory developed in Tendai from the cloistered rule era (1086âÂÂ1185) through the Edo period (1688âÂÂ1735). According to Jacqueline Stone, the term "original enlightenment" itself (Chn. pen-chileh) is first found in the Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana, "where it refers to true suchness considered under the aspect of conventional deluded consciousness and thus denotes the potential for enlightenment in unenlightened beings." The idea developed in the Chinese Huayen tradition and influenced Chan Buddhism, as well as the thought of Saichà  and Kà «kai.
Stone writes that the medieval Tendai doctrine regards "enlightenment or the ideal state as inherent from the outset and as accessible in the present, rather than as the fruit of a long process of cultivation." Scholars also refer to the doctrinal system associated with this idea as "original enlightenment thought". Stone defines this as the "array of doctrines and concepts associated with the proposition that all beings are enlightened inherently." According to Stone, as these teachings developed, they grew to include the idea that:<blockquote>Not only human beings, but ants and crickets, mountains and rivers, grasses and trees are all innately Buddhas. The Buddhas who appear in sutras, radiating light and endowed with excellent marks, are merely provisional signs. The "real" Buddha is the ordinary worldling. Indeed, the whole phenomenal world is the primordially enlightened TathÃÂgata.</blockquote>Tamura Yoshirà  argued that hongaku was a non-dual teaching which saw all existents as interpenetrating and mutually identified. This negates any ontological difference between Buddhas and common people as well as between pure lands and mundane worlds. Tamura argued that this move re-affirms the relative phenomenal world as an expression of the ultimate nondual reality and is found in phrases like "the worldly passions are precisely enlightenment" and "birth and death are precisely nirvana". These lineages also transmitted their teachings through transmission rituals which made use of mirrors to illustrate nonduality and the interpenetration of all phenomena.
Hongaku teachings were passed down through various exoteric teaching lineages (which often involved secrecy), the largest of which were the Eshin-ryu and the Danna-ryu. At the core of these doctrinal systems was the Tendai practice of the "threefold contemplation in a single thought" (isshin sangan ä¸Âå¿ ä¸Â観) which is taught in Zhiyi's Mohezhiguan. According to Stone, this practice is based on seeing "that all phenomena are empty of substance, provisionally existing, and the middle, or both empty and provisionally existing simultaneously."
While certain scholars have seen hongaku thought as denying the need for Buddhist practice, Stone notes that Tendai hongaku based texts like the Shinnyokan ç 妠観 (Contemplation of true suchness) and the Shuzenji-ketsu ä¿® 禠宠传(Decisions of HsiuchâÂÂan-ssu) deny this idea. Instead, these texts teach various kinds of Buddhist practices, including nenbutsu, contemplation of emptiness (kukan 空観), meditations using Buddhist icons and mirrors, practicing the threefold contemplation in the midst of daily activities and recitation of the daimoku during when one is approaching death.
Hongaku thought was also influential on the development of New Kamakura Buddhism and the founders of these schools, though they had their own unique understandings. However, not all Tendai thinkers embraced hongaku thought. For example, the more conservative commentator Hà Âjibà  Shà Âshin criticized hongaku ideas as a denial of causality.
Another important doctrine in Japanese Tendai is that it is possible to attain "Buddhahood with this very body" (å³身æÂÂä½ sokushin jà Âbutsu). This is closely related to the idea of original enlightenment. This idea was introduced by Saichà Â, who held that this described certain advanced practitioners who had realized the fifth degree of identity, though this attainment was a rare thing. Saichà  understood the Lotus Sutra to be the "great direct path" to Buddhahood which could be attained in this very body. Saichà  saw the story of the Dragon king's daughter in the Lotus Sutra<nowiki/>'s Devadatta chapter as evidence for this direct path (jikidà Â) to Buddhahood which did not require three incalculable eons (as was taught in some forms of Mahayana Buddhism), but could be achieved in three lives or even one lifetime. Later Tendai scholars sent questions to Chinese Tiantai masters asking about this issue, and the answers also tended to be conservative. Tiantai monks like Tsung-ying accepted the idea that one could attain the fifth degree of identity in this life, but that this was applicable primarily to advanced practitioners who had already reached a high degree of spiritual maturity.
However, the influence of esoteric Buddhism and the need to compete with the Shingon school led Tendai scholars to continue to explore ways to "shorten the path" and attain Buddhahood swiftly in one lifetime. Later Tendai scholars like Rinshà Â, and Annen were much more optimistic about sokushin jà Âbutsu, claiming certain esoteric practices could lead to Buddhahood rapidly in only one lifetime, while de-emphasizing the concern with achieving Buddhahood in future lives. They also further extended the application of this idea to individuals at the lower levels of the degrees of identity, arguing that one could jump over bodhisattva stages and attain Buddhahood without fully eradicating defilements. This idea, known as "realization by worldlings" (bon'i jà Âbutsu), posited that practitioners could gain Buddha-wisdom through the power of the Buddha's presence and the Taimitsu esoteric practices. According to Groner, this allowed "for the possibility that worldlings who still have some of the coarser defilements might experience sokushin jà Âbutsu."
Other Tendai figures like Hà Âjibà  Shà Âshin (1136âÂÂ1220 or 1131âÂÂ1215), an important Tendai commentator on Zhiyi's works, were more traditional and critical of ideas concerning the rapid realization of Buddhahood for everyone (without outright denying the possibility of Buddhahood in this body). For Shà Âshin, sokushin jà Âbutsu applied to those who had "superior religious faculties" because they "have previously practiced the various provisional teachings" in many previous lives.
Another important theory which developed in the Japanese Tendai school during the early Heian period was the theory of honji suijaku (æΡåÂÂ迹, traces from the original ground). This idea facilitated the integration of native Japanese deities (kami) into the Buddhist pantheon, with buddhas seen as representing the âÂÂoriginal groundâ (honji æΡ) and the kami as their âÂÂtracesâ (suijaku Ã¥ÂÂ迹). Although this theory became prominent on Mount Hiei, its conceptual roots can be traced to the Chinese Tiantai tradition, particularly its teaching of the two gates: the 'gate of the essential teaching' (benmen æÂŽÂÂ) and the 'gate of the trace' (jimen 迹éÂÂ), as outlined in the Lotus Sà «tra. Esoteric Buddhism also played a key role in shaping this theory by distinguishing between Dainichi's body of fundamental nature (honji-shin 挰身). This framework positioned all buddhas, bodhisattvas, wisdom kings, and celestial beings as manifestations of Dainichi (Mahavairocana). Initially, the honji suijaku theory aimed to incorporate indigenous deities into a two-tiered structure; however, its reliance on 'oral transmissions' (kuden) eventually fostered a proliferation of localized interpretations.
The theory influenced the understanding of sacred figures at Enryakuji and Hie Taisha (now Hiyoshi Taisha). Additionally, the honji suijaku concept contributed to reimagining Mount Hiei's geographical landscape as a symbolic cosmology. This is reflected in the Hie Sannà  maá¹Âá¸Âala, which visually illustrates the two-tiered structure by positioning buddhas above Mount Hiei and corresponding deities below. The integration of Esoteric Buddhism with local religious practices ultimately resulted in the formation of Sannà  Shintà Â, a distinct Shintà  tradition associated with Mount Hiei. This tradition developed within the dual institution formed by Enryakuji and Hie Shrine.
The Tendai school emphasizes the unity of study and practice. The curriculum includes a comprehensive approach to Buddhist study that reflects its foundation in the Chinese Buddhist tradition. The Tendai curriculum is distinctive for its breadth, combining scriptural study, debate, and exegesis.
The primary textual foundation of the Tendai school is the Threefold Lotus Sà «tra (Japanese: Hokke-kyà Â), which is regarded as the supreme teaching of the Buddha and the main scriptural authority of the Tendai tradition. In addition to the Lotus Sutra, the Tendai curriculum includes several other key Indic sources which are used to support the Lotus Sutra which are: the Daichido-ron (Great Wisdom Treatise), the MahÃÂparinirvÃÂá¹Âa Sà «tra (Jp: Daihatsunehan-kyà Â), the PrajñÃÂpÃÂramitàSà «tra in 25000 slokas (Daihannya-kyà Â) and the Book of the Original Acts that Adorn the Bodhisattva (Bosatsu Yà Âraku Hongyà  Kyà Â, T. 24, No. 1485). Other sutras are also studied, such as the BrahmajÃÂla Sà «tra (Bonmà Â-kyà Â), which provides the school with its bodhisattva precepts.
There are also numerous Chinese Tiantai Treatises studied in Tendai Buddhism. The writings of the Chinese Tiantai patriarch Zhiyi (538âÂÂ597) are also central. Three key works: Makashikan (æ©訶æ¢観), Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra (Hokke Gengi, æ³Âè¯çÂÂ義), and Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra (Hokke Mongu, æ³Âè¯æÂÂÃ¥ÂÂ¥) â form the core of Tendai scholastic study. These are always read with the commentaries by Zhanran. Another important work by Zhiyi for Tendai is the Commentary on the Meaning of the Bodhisattva Precepts, which is a key work for novices seeking to understand the Tendai approach to the precepts. There are also various other works which are important, including other works by Zhiyi, Zhanran and Siming Zhili.
Regarding Japanese sources, the works of Saichà Â, especially his works on the bodhisattva precepts like the Kenkairon (Clarifying the Precepts), are central to the Tendai understanding of ordination and precepts.
Apart from these sources, the Tendai school also maintains a tradition of Esoteric Buddhism (Taimitsu, Mikkyà Â). The key esoteric scriptures in the Tendai esoteric curriculum are: VairocanÃÂbhisaá¹Âbodhi Sà «tra (Dainichi Kyà Â), Vajrasekhara Sà «tra (Kongà Âchà Âkyà Â), and the Susiddhikara Sà «tra (Soshitsujikara-kyà Â). These are read alongside various traditional commentaries by Yixing, Ennin, Enchin and Annen.
A feature unique to Japanese Tendai Buddhism from its inception was the concept of . Senior Tendai teachers, or ajari, train in various practice traditions, especially the "Shishà « Sà Âjà Â" (Four-fold transmission).
Under the umbrella of the Lotus Sutra, Tendai integrates four main aspects of Mahayana Buddhist practice. This is often described with the compound En-Mitsu-Zen-Kai (Ã¥ÂÂå¯Â禪æ âÂÂPerfect-Secret-Meditation-PreceptsâÂÂ). To these four key elements, the Pure Land Dharma Gate is often added. The main elements of Tendai practice are thus:
To this, one can also add other elements that became integrated to Tendai practice, including Shinto and Shugendà  practices. It is due to this syncretic aspect of Tendai that it is sometimes termed Integrated Buddhism (ç·ÂÃ¥ÂÂä½Âæ Sà Âgà Âbukkyà Â).
According to Saichà  and other later Tendai scholars, the Perfect teaching of the Lotus Sutra and the tantric doctrines and practices of Esoteric Buddhism had the same ultimate intent. This view of the equality and compatibility between the Tiantai Lotus teachings and Esoteric Buddhism was important for Saichà Â. Unlike the Shingon founder Kà «kai, Saichà  did not see esoteric teachings as more powerful or superior to exoteric Tendai teaching and practice. Instead, Saichà  held that all Buddhist teachings are included in the single intent of the Lotus Sutra. This idea is reflected in the saying "Shingon (esoteric Buddhism) and (Tien-tai) shikan are essentially one; therefore both traditions are propagated on one mountain" (from Shà Âshin's Tendai Shingon nishii doi sho).
Certain later Tendai figures like Ennin also argued that esoteric practices led to Buddhahood faster than exoteric (non-esoteric) practices and some (such as Annen) argued that they were the only way to full Buddhahood. These figures also often saw the Lotus Sutra (which refers itself as "the secret essential of the buddhas" and "the secret treasure of the Tathagatha") as an esoteric text and this view has some precedent in the Chinese Tiantai tradition.
Tendai's Shikan-gà  (æ¢è§Âæ¥Â) tradition focuses on shikan (à Âamatha-vipaà ÂyanÃÂ) meditation, especially on the Four Samadhis (Ã¥ÂÂ種ä¸Âæ§, shishu zanmai) as taught in Zhiyi's MóhàzhÃÂguÃÂn (Great Cessation [and] Contemplation). Saichà  emphasized the importance of the Four SamÃÂdhis in his Kanjà  Tendai-shà « Nenbun Gakushà Â-shiki (Regulations for Tendai School Annual Ordinands), and he sought to establish special halls as a place for these practices. The Four SamÃÂdhis are foundational to Tendai Buddhism and are designed to cultivate deep states of meditative absorption (samÃÂdhi).
The Four-fold SamÃÂdhi (Ã¥ÂÂ種ä¸Âæ§ shishu-zammai) is outlined as follows:
Other forms of Tendai meditation include the famous hiking meditation practice of Kaihà Âgyà  (Ã¥ÂÂå³°è¡ Circling the mountain).
Practices related to and veneration of AmitÃÂbha and his pure land of Sukhavati in the Tendai tradition began with Saichà Â's disciple, Ennin. After journeying to China for further study and training, he brought back a practice called the "five-tone nembutsu" or , which was a form of intonation practiced in China for reciting the Buddha's name. This contrasted with earlier practices in Japan starting in the Nara period, where meditation on images of the Pure Land, typically in the form of mandala, were practiced.
However, both meditation on the Pure Land (kansà  nenbutsu 観æ³念ä»Â) and recitation of the Buddha's name (shà Âmyà  nenbutsu 称åÂÂ念ä»Â) became an integral part of Pure Land practices in the Tendai tradition. In addition to the five-tone nembutsu brought back from China, Ennin also integrated a special monastic training program called the originally promulgated by Zhiyi. In this practice, monks spend 90 days in retreat, circumambulating a statue of AmitÃÂbha constantly reciting his name.
In addition to increasing monastic practices related to the Pure Land, monks also taught Pure Land practices to the lay community in the form of reciting the Buddha's name. The most famous of these was a monk named Kà «ya (空ä¹Â, 903âÂÂ972).
Pure Land Buddhist thought was further developed by a Tendai monk named Genshin (æºÂä¿¡, 942âÂÂ1017) who was a disciple of Ryà Âgen, the 18th chief abbot or zasu (座主) of Mount Hiei. Genshin wrote an influential treatise called , which vividly contrasted the Sukhavati Pure Land of AmitÃÂbha with the descriptions of the hell realms in Buddhism. Further, Genshin promoted the popular notion of the Latter Age of the Dharma, which posited that society had degenerated to a point when they could no longer rely on traditional Buddhist practices, and would instead need to rely solely on AmitÃÂbha's grace to escape saá¹ÂsÃÂra. Genshin drew upon past Chinese Pure Land teachers such as Daochuo and Shandao.
Finally, Pure Land practices in Tendai were further popularized by former Tendai monk Hà Ânen, who established the first independent Pure Land school, the Jà Âdo-shà «, and whose disciples carried the teachings to remote provinces in one form or another. This includes another ex-Tendai monk named Shinran, who eventually established the related Jà Âdo Shinshà «.
A key element of Tendai is esoteric Buddhist practice and theory. This was originally known as "the shingon (or mikkyà Â) of the Tendai lineages" and was later named Taimitsu ("Tendai Esotericism", å°å¯Â), distinguishing it from the Shingon (Mantra) school, which is known as "Tà Âmitsu" (æ±å¯Â, literally, "the esotericism of the Tà Âji lineages"). Taimitsu, as a form of East Asian Esoteric Buddhism, holds that by making use of mantras, mudras, and mandalas (known as "the three mysteries"), one is able to attain Buddhahood within this very body. Eventually, these esoteric rituals came to be considered of equal importance with the teachings of the Lotus Sutra, which was also seen as an esoteric sutra (but only "in principle", not "in practice", since it did not include the practice of the three mysteries).
The origins of Taimitsu are found in Chinese Esoteric Buddhism. As a result, Tendai esoteric ritual bears much in common with Shingon, though some of the underlying doctrines and practices differ. Regarding textual basis, while Shingon mainly uses the Mahavairocana Tantra and the Vajrasekhara Sutra (seeing these as the highest and most superior texts), Tendai uses a larger corpus of texts, including the Lotus Sutra and esoteric Lotus Sutra texts. Other differences mainly relate to lineages and outlook. There are several lineages of Taimitsu, the main ones being the Sanmon å±±é (Mountain branch of Ennin's lineage, which has a further 13 sub-branches) and Jimon 寺é (Temple branch of Enchin's lineage, which is more unified).
According to Linda Dolce, "Saichà  regarded esoteric Buddhism as equal to the Lotus-based Buddhist system that had been developed in China by Tiantai, as both embodied the soteriological idea of 'one vehicle'". Later Taimitsu scholars, like Ennin, classified esoteric scriptures into two types: those containing the principles of esoteric Buddhism (i.e. the non-duality of ultimate truth and worldly truth) were called rimitsu, and those that teach the principles and practices (i.e. the three mysteries) were called riji gumitsu. The first category was initially said to include the Nirvana, Lotus Sutra, Vimalakërti, and Huayan sà «tras, all of which were seen as esoteric in principle. The second category includes the tantric scriptures like the Mahavairocana, Vajrasekhara, the SusiddhikÃÂra Sà «tra (Soshitsujikara), the Pudichang jing è©æÂÂå ´çµ (Bodaijà  kyà Â, T. 950), and the Yuqi jing çÂÂç¥Âçµ (Yugi kyà Â, T. 867). Some Tendai scholars like Annen even elevated the esoteric teachings further, seeing them as the highest teachings of the Buddha, and the only way to enlightenment. According to Paul Groner, this view subordinated the Lotus Sutra to the esoteric scriptures. According to Dolce, Annen "displaced other practices existent in Tendai as soteriologically incomplete practices", and turned esoteric rituals into the very embodiments of the ultimate truth (rather than just another type of skillful means).
This view was not accepted by all Tendai lineages however, and later figures like Hà Âjibà  Shà Âshin (fl. 1153âÂÂ1214) rejected the idea that esoteric practice was higher or superior to Tendai Mahayana practice (as taught in the Mohe Zhiguan), since both of these traditions are ultimately founded on the middle way and both teach the contemplation of the emptiness of dharmas. Shà Âshin held that mantras and other esoteric practices were merely another skillful means for contemplating the middle way, and thus, the exoteric and esoteric were just different expressions of the same principle. Shà Âshin also argued that these teachings both derive from the same Buddha, since MahÃÂvairocana and the Buddha of the Lotus Sà «tra are ultimately the same. In some cases, Shà Âshin goes further, arguing that certain esoteric practices, such as those that make use of images like mandalas or lunar discs, were designed for those with dull faculties, while the Tendai practice of "discerning one's own mind" (Jp. kanjin, è§Âå¿Â) is for those who are more advanced and do not require images.
Later Tendai developments would also make the Lotus Sutra a full "Practice Esotericism" (Jimitsu) sutra through the development of esoteric practices and texts that placed the Lotus on the same level as the tantrism of the Mahavairocana sutra. To defend this view, Tendai scholars pointed to passages in the Lotus Sutra itself, such as when the sutra refers to itself as "the secret essential of the buddhas" and "the secret treasure of the Thus-Come One". They also relied on the interpretations of Yixing.
The Lotus Sutra underwent a process of "esotericization" in the medieval Tendai school, fueled by the tradition's engagement with Esoteric Buddhism. This esotericism did not originate in Japan, since there were esoteric sources written in China that Tendai relied on for their interpretations of the Lotus Sutra. However, Lotus Esotericism became much more central in Japanese Tendai than in the mainland. The most important Chinese sources for this tradition are Yixing's (683âÂÂ727) Darijing Shu (Commentary on the MahÃÂvairocana Sutra), which integrates Tiantai ideas with Chinese mantrayana, and the Ritual Manual for the Contemplation of the Lotus Sutra (Fahua guanzhi yigui, æ³Âè¯çµÂ観æºåÂÂè»Â), an esoteric manual. This manual describes a deity yoga practice based on the Lotus Sutra which relies on reciting passages and mantras from the sutra, and arranging a ritual altar and a Lotus Maá¹Âá¸Âala. The Lotus Contemplation Manual derives from Amoghavajra's circle and was likely composed by him or his disciples. In Japan, this rite was later adapted into important esoteric "Lotus Ritual" (Hokke Hà Â).
Tendai monks developed these esoteric Lotus practices further, one of the most important ones being the Lotus Ritual (Hokke Hà Â), which combined recitations of the Lotus Sutra with esoteric mantras and visualizations. These rituals center on reciting and contemplating the "Life Span of the TathÃÂgata" chapter and on visualizing Prabhutaratna and à ÂÃÂkyamuni in a mandala (along with mudras and mantras). Both Buddhas became equated with MahÃÂvairocana (of the VairocanÃÂbhisaá¹Âbodhi Sà «tra), corresponding to the two aspects of MahÃÂvairocana embodied in the VajradhÃÂtu and GarbhadhÃÂtu Maá¹Âá¸Âalas respectively. The rite also relies on the use of mantras and dhÃÂraá¹Âës, including the dhÃÂraá¹Âës taught in the Lotus Sutra, the daimoku (the Lotus Sutra<nowiki/>'s title), along with the "Root Mantra of the Lotus Sutra" (æ³Âè¯根æÂÂè¨Â), which were believed to encapsulate the sutra's profound esoteric meaning.
The Lotus rite's visual focus is the Lotus Sutra Maá¹Âá¸Âala (Hokkekyo mandara æ³Âè¯çµÂæ¼è¼羠), which is rooted in an esoteric interpretation of the Lotus Sà «tra, specifically the chapter concerning the Treasure Stà «pa where à ÂÃÂkyamuni and Prabhà «taratna sit side by side. Its design features an eight-petaled lotus, a motif adapted from the Womb realm maá¹Âá¸Âala. The maá¹Âá¸Âala's structure, which arranges deities hierarchically around a central focus, draws on the dual-realm maá¹Âá¸Âalas of Esoteric Buddhism, and symbolizes the non-duality of the Lotus Sutra with the mantrayana teaching. A unique element of Tendai esotericism is the concept of unifying the dual-realm maá¹Âá¸Âalas (and the teachings of their respective tantric scriptures) through a third element which was associated with the Susiddhikara sà «tra. This interpretation was also understood through the Tendai doctrine of the three truths. The third element of susiddhi (perfect realization) was considered to be like the third truth of the middle, the non-dual unity of the reality of the dual-world mandalas. Since the Susiddhikara sà «tra did not teach a specific mandala, the Lotus mandala was often used to represent this third esoteric truth. In the Lotus mandala, the stà «pa represents the Dharma-body (dharmakÃÂya), Prabhà «taratna corresponds to the Retribution body (sambhogakÃÂya), and à ÂÃÂkyamuni aligns with the Manifestation body (nirmanakÃÂya). The central court is identified with Dainichi of the VajradhÃÂtu Maá¹Âá¸Âala, while the eight bodhisattvas correspond to the Eight Worthies of the GarbhadhÃÂtu Maá¹Âá¸Âala's eight-petaled lotus. In this interpretation, à ÂÃÂkyamuni is associated with Dainichi of the GarbhadhÃÂtu, Prabhà «taratna with Dainichi of the VajradhÃÂtu, and the stà «pa itself symbolizes the principle of susiddhi, representing a synthesis including all elements of both mandalas.
The Tendai school's ethical teachings focus exclusively on the Bodhisattva Precepts (C. pusajie, J. bostasukai è©è©æÂÂ) drawn from the Brahmajala Sutra. Tendai ordinations do not make use of the traditional Dharmaguptaka Vinaya Pratimoksha set of monastic rules. Saichà  argued in favor of this idea in his Kenkairon (é¡ÂæÂÂè«Â, "On promoting the MahÃÂyÃÂna precepts"). This was a revolutionary change in East Asian Buddhism that was without precedent. These bodhisattva precepts do not make a distinction between monastics and laypersons, and they do not discuss the minutiae of monastic life like the Pratimoksha does.
The bodhisattva precepts in Tendai are all said to rely on three types of :
According to Hazama Jikà Â:<blockquote>The first category includes the prohibitions against the ten major and forty-eight minor transgressions as explained in the Bonmokyo 梵è¾Âçµ (T24, 997âÂÂ1010). It also includes general restrictions against any kind of evil activity, whether physical, verbal, or mental. Any and all kinds of moral cultivation are included. The second category entails every kind of good activity, including but not limited to acts associated with the Buddhist categories of keeping precepts, the practice of concentration (samadhi), and the cultivation of wisdom. Also included are such worldly pursuits as dedication to scholarly excellence, or any effort aimed at self improvement. The third category refers not only to the effort to help and save all sentient beings through the perfection of the six Mahayana virtues (paramita, charity, morality, patience, diligence, meditation, and wisdom), but also includes such mundane activity as raising one's children with loving care, living for the sake of others, and dedicating oneself to the good of society.</blockquote>The Tendai school made extensive use of the Lotus Sutra in its interpretation of the bodhisattva precepts, even though the sutra does not itself contains a specific list of precepts. Also, various passages from the sutra were used to defend the Tendai position not to follow the pratimoksha, since they state, for example, "we will not follow à ÂrÃÂvaka ways."
Saichà ÂâÂÂs rejection of the HënayÃÂna vinaya precepts stemmed from his understanding of the Lotus Sutra as the ultimate expression of the Buddha's teachings. In his biography, Eizan Daishi den, Saichà  expressed his commitment to abandoning the 250 HënayÃÂna precepts and focused on the bodhisattva path. His interpretation of the Lotus Sutra, particularly in the "Comfortable Practices" chapter, provided a basis for rejecting à ÂrÃÂvaka practices and precepts. Saichà ÂâÂÂs reforms eventually led to the development of the "Perfect-Sudden Precepts", which emphasized the inherent Buddha-nature in all beings and allowed for a more flexible approach to monastic discipline.
The bodhisattva precepts were thus seen in Tendai as being based on the Lotus Sutra's teaching that all beings have the potential for Buddhahood and that they have a fundamental goodness, or Buddha-nature. This was the fundamental ethical teaching for Tendai thought. Saichà  also believed that the world had entered the age of Dharma decline (mappà Â) and that because of this, the Hinayana precepts were no longer able to be practiced and no longer needed. He also believed that the Japanese people were naturally inclined to the Mahayana Buddhism. Because of this, Saichà  argued that only Mahayana precepts were needed.
Some of Saichà Â's views on Mahayana precepts were drawn from the Tiantai masters Huisi and Daosui and the teachings Chan masters like Bodhidharma, Dao-xuan (Dà Âsen, especially his commentary on the BrahmÃÂ's Net Sà «tra) and Daoxin (Dà Âshin, particularly his "Manual of Rules of Bodhisattva Precepts"). These Chinese Chan masters emphasized formless practice (ç¡ç¸è¡Â) or attribute-less practice also known as anrakugyà  (Ch. anlexing å®Âæ¨Âè¡Â, serene and pleasing activities), both in Chan meditation and in precept training. This refers to a way of contemplation that applies in all activities. These various Chinese ideas about the integration of practice and precepts were integrated into Saichà Â's view of the "Perfect and Sudden Precepts" (Endonkai).
During the Kamakura and Muromachi periods, Tendai monks such as Ninkà « (1307âÂÂ1388) and Annen (841âÂÂ?) further developed the concept of the Perfect-Sudden Precepts. Annen, for example, argued that the precepts were rooted in the non-dual nature of reality, suggesting that even actions traditionally considered evil could be seen as expressions of the precepts if performed with the right intention. This interpretation, while controversial, highlighted the Tendai emphasis on the transformative power of the Lotus Sutra and its ability to reveal the ultimate truth of the Buddha's teachings.
Tendai doctrine allowed Japanese Buddhists to reconcile Buddhist teachings with the native religious beliefs and practices of Japan (now labeled "Shinto"). In the case of Shinto, the difficulty is the reconciliation of the pantheon of Japanese gods (kami), as well as with the myriad spirits associated with places, shrines or objects, with Buddhist teachings. These gods and spirits were initially seen as local protectors of Buddhism.
Sannà  Shintà  å±±çÂÂç¥Âé was a specifically Tendai branch of syncretic Buddhist-Shinto religious practice, which revered kamis called the Mountain Kings (Sannà Â) or Sanno Sansei å±±çÂÂä¸Âè (The Three Sacred [Deities] of Sanno) and was based on Hie Taisha æÂ¥åÂÂ大社 a shrine on Mount Hiei. The Togakushi Shrine (æ¸é ç¥Â社, Togakushi Jinja) was also associated with the Tendai school before it was separated from Buddhist institutions by the Japanese state during the separation of Shinto from Buddhism in the 19th century.
These religious ideas eventually led to the development of a Japanese current of thought called honji suijaku (æΡåÂÂ迹), which argued that kami are simply local manifestations (the suijaku or "traces") of the Buddhas (honji, "true nature"). This manifestation of the Buddhas was explained through the classic Mahayana doctrines of skillful means and the Trikaya.
Some Tendai Buddhist temples and mountains are also sites for the practice of the syncretic Shugendà  tradition. Shugendà  is a mountain ascetic practice which also adopted Tendai and Shingon elements. This tradition focuses on ascetic practices on mountainous terrain. The practice of Shugendà  is most prominent among certain Tendai branches, like the Jimon-ha 寺éÂÂæ´¾ (the Onjà Âji branch). It is based on Shà Âgoin Temple, which houses the Honzan group (Honzanha), the Shugendà  tradition most closely associated with Tendai.
The classic Buddhist understanding of the Four Noble Truths posits that craving for pleasure, worldly desire and attachment must be cut off to put an end to suffering (dukkha). In early Buddhism, the emphasis, especially for monastics, was on avoiding activities that might arouse worldly desires, including many artistic endeavors like music and performance arts. This tendency toward rejecting certain popular art forms created a potential conflict with mainstream East Asian cultures.
However, later Mahayana views developed a different emphasis which embraced all the arts. In Japan, certain Buddhist rituals (which were also performed in Tendai) grew to include music and dance, and these became very popular with the people. Doctrinally, these performative arts were seen as skillful means (hà Âben, Skt. upaya) of teaching Buddhism. Monks specializing in such arts were called yà «sà  ("artistic monks"). The writing of religious poetry was also a major pursuit among certain Tendai as well as Shingon figures, like the Shingon priest Shukaku and the Tendai monk Jien (1155âÂÂ1225). These poets met together to discuss poetry in poetry circles (kadan). According to Deal and Ruppert, "Shingon, Tendai and Nara cloisters had a great impact on the development of literary treatises and poetry houses."
Another influential poet monk from the Tendai tradition was Fujiwara no Shunzei (1114âÂÂ1204). His son, Fujiwara no Teika was also influenced by the classic Tendai thought of Zhiyi. These two figures were central to the development of the aesthetic concept of yà «gen (å¹½çÂÂ, profound grace and subtlety). According to William R. LaFleur, the development of yà «gen aesthetic theory was also influenced by the Tendai practice of shikan meditation. According to LaFleur, for Shunzei's poetics, the beauty of yà «gen manifests a deep tranquility which reflects and is akin to shikan practice. This link is asserted by Shunzei in his Kurai futeisho. These poets also understood the depth of yà «gen through the holistic Tendai metaphysics of interfusion.
The following ancestors or patriarchs (ç¥Â) form the main line of the Chinese Tiantai lineage:
The Japanese Tendai founder Saichà  (æÂÂæ¾Â, 767âÂÂ822) was a student of the last two patriarchs on the list, Daosui (806-820) and Xingman (?âÂÂ823), both of whom studied under Zhanran. Saichà  received Tiantai teachings and texts from them at Guoqing temple on Mt. Tiantai. Saichà  also studied Chinese Esoteric Buddhism under two Chinese esoteric masters (ÃÂcÃÂryas): Shunxiao and Weixiang, from whom he received initiation into the dual-realm mandalas. Furthermore, Saichà  received Chan (Zen) teachings in China from the Oxhead (Jp. Gozu) school and Northern schools. He was a student of the Oxhead master Shunian (Shukunen), who resided at Chanlinsi (Zenrinji) Temple. Saichà  also brought over the first copy of the Platform Sutra to Japan.
A number of notable monks contributed to Tendai thought and its history after Saichà Â, including:
During the Kamakura period, numerous Tendai monastics founded new schools of Japanese Buddhism, today known as the schools of New "Kamakura Buddhism". All of them were initially ordained and trained at the Tendai center on Mount Hiei. Key figures include: