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Tendai (天台宗 Tendai-shū?) is a Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism, a descendant of the Chinese Tiantai or Lotus Sutra school. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices The History of Buddhism spans the 6th century BCE to the present starting with the birth of the Buddha Siddhartha Gautama. Foundation to the Common Era Some sources give the date of the Buddha's birth as 563 BCE and others as 624 BCE Theravada Buddhist countries tend to use the latter figure Lists and numbering of Buddhist councils vary between and even within schools Several Buddhist terms and concepts lack direct translations into English that cover the breadth of the original term Background Why the Buddha is said to have taught in this way is illuminated by the social context of the time in which he lived In sramanic philosophy Nirvana (निर्वाण| Nirvāṇa; निब्बान Nibbāna; Prakrit: णिव्वाण The Three Jewels, also called the Three Treasures, the Three Refuges, or the Triple Gem, are the three things that Buddhists take refuge Several Buddhist terms and concepts lack direct translations into English that cover the breadth of the original term According to the Buddhist tradition all phenomena other than Nirvana, ( sankhara) are marked by three characteristics sometimes referred to as the Dharma seals In Buddhist phenomenology and Soteriology, the five skandhas ( Sanskrit) or khandhas ( Pāli) are five "aggregates" Buddhist cosmology is the description of the shape and evolution of the universe according to the canonical Buddhist scriptures and commentaries Rebirth in Buddhism is the doctrine that the consciousness of a person (as conventionally regarded upon the death or dissolution of the aggregates ( Skandhas Dhamma ( Pāli: धम्म or Dharma (धर्म in Buddhism has two primary meanings the teachings of the Buddha which lead to enlightenment The doctrine of pratītyasamutpāda (Sanskrit paticcasamuppāda; rten Karma ( Sanskrit: कर्मन karman, Pāli: कमा Kamma) means "action" or "doing" whatever A number of noted individuals have been Buddhists. Historical Buddhist thinkers and founders of schools Individuals are grouped by nationality except in cases where the Siddhārtha Gautama ( Sanskrit; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual Teacher from Ancient India and the founder A number of noted individuals have been Buddhists. Historical Buddhist thinkers and founders of schools Individuals are grouped by nationality except in cases where the In Buddhism, buddhahood ( Sanskrit: buddhatva. Pali: buddhatta. In the Buddhist context a bodhisattva (बोधिसत्त्व bodhisattva;; Vietnamese Bồ Tát; बोधिसत्त bodhisatta The four stages of Enlightenment in Buddhism are the four degrees of approach to full enlightenment as an Arahant which a person can attain in this life Theravada Buddhism Theravada Buddhism 's teachings on the paramitas can be found in late canonical books and post-canonical commentaries Buddhist meditation encompasses a variety of Meditation techniques that develop Mindfulness, concentration, tranquility and insight In English translations of Buddhist literature, householder denotes a variety of terms Obtaining exact numbers of practicing Buddhists can be difficult and may be reliant on the definition used Buddhist beliefs and practices vary according to region There are distinctions between and within the Buddhism practised in various regions including In South Asia Mahayana Buddhism is the State religion of Bhutan, and Buddhists comprise 98% of its population. History See also History of Buddhism in Cambodia Unconfirmed Singhalese sources assert that missionaries of King Asohka introduced Buddhism into Chinese Buddhism ( Pinyin fójiào refers collectively to the various schools of Buddhism that have flourished in China proper since ancient times Buddhism is a world religion which arose in Bihar, India and is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, who is known as the Buddha (literally Among the five official religions of Indonesia, according to the state ideology of Pancasila According to Suharto, Buddhism and Hinduism were Indonesia's classical The history of Buddhism in Japan can be roughly divided into three periods namely the Nara period (up to 784 the Heian period (794–1185 and the post-Heian period Korean Buddhism is distinguished from other forms of Buddhism by its attempt to resolve what it sees as inconsistencies in Mahayana Buddhism Buddhism is the primary religion of Laos. The Buddhism practiced in Laos is of the Theravada tradition Buddhism is the second largest religion in Malaysia after Islam, with 19 Buddhism in Mongolia is essentially Tibetan Buddhism of the Gelugpa school History The history of Buddhism in Burmaextends nearly a millennium Buddha was born in Shakya kingdom which lies in Rupandehi district Lumbini zone of Nepal Historically Buddhism was incorporated into Russian lands as early as the late 16th century, when Russian explorers travelled to and settled in As of 2000 425% of the Singaporeans register themselves as Buddhist by religion General Buddhism in Sri Lanka is primarily of the Theravada school and constitutes the religious faith of about 70% of the populationAccording to traditional Buddhism in Thailand is largely of the Theravada school Nearly 95% of Thailand 's population is Buddhist of the Theravada school though Buddhism Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including Buddhism came to Vietnam in the first century CE By the end of the second century Vietnam developed a major Buddhist centre in the region commonly known as the Luy Lâu Buddhism in the West broadly encompasses the knowledge and practice of Buddhism outside of Asia. The Schools of Buddhism. Buddhism is classified in various ways History Origin of the school The Theravāda school is ultimately derived from the Vibhajjavāda (or 'doctrine of analysis' grouping which was a continuation Mahayana ( Sanskrit: mahāyāna, Devanagari: महायान 'Great Vehicle' is one of the two main existing schools of Buddhism and a term for Vajrayana Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayāna, Mantrayana, Mantranaya, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and The Early Buddhist schools are those schools into which according to most scholars the Buddhist monastic Sangha initially split due originally to differences in The term pre-sectarian Buddhism is used by some scholars to refer to the Buddhism that existed before the various subsects of Buddhism came into being Buddhist texts can be categorized in a number of ways The Western terms "scripture" and "canonical" are applied to Buddhism in inconsistent ways by Western scholars Historicity and Background Place in the Canon Various Mahayana Sutras have been included in the Tibetan Canon and the Chinese Canon. The Tibetan Buddhist canon is a loosely defined list of Sacred texts recognized by various sects of Tibetan Buddhism. The cultural elements of Buddhism vary by region and include Buddhist Festivals and Observances Vesak The following is a List of Buddhist topics: A Abhidharma Aggañña Sutta Ahimsa The history of Buddhism in Japan can be roughly divided into three periods namely the Nara period (up to 784 the Heian period (794–1185 and the post-Heian period Shingon Buddhism (眞言 真言 " true words " is a major school of Japanese Buddhism, and is the other branch of Vajrayana Buddhism Pure Land Buddhism ( Jìngtǔzōng; 浄土教 Jōdokyō; Korean: ko-Hang 정토종 jeongtojong; Vietnamese: 浄土宗 vi Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism, referred to in Chinese as Chan. The founder Nichiren From the age of 16 until 32 Nichiren studied in numerous temples in Japan especially Mt (767&ndash822 was a Japanese Buddhist monk credited with founding the Tendai school in Japan based around the Chinese Tiantai tradition he was exposed Kūkai (ja 空海 or also known posthumously as Kōbō-Daishi (ja 弘法大師 774&ndash835 CE was a Japanese monk, Scholar Hōnen (法然 1133-1212 is the founder of the first independent branch of Japanese Pure Land Buddhism known as Jōdo Shū. Shinran 親鸞 ( May 21, 1173 – January 16, 1263) was a Japanese Buddhist monk who was born in Hino (now a part of Fushimi, Myōan Eisai (明菴栄西 ( April 20, 1141 – July 5, 1215) was a Japanese Buddhist priest credited with bringing the Ingen Ryuki ( Chinese 隱元隆琦 Yinyuan Longqi) ( Fuqing, Fujian, 1592 - Uji, 1673 was a Chinese Linji Nichiren (日蓮 ( February 16, 1222 &ndash October 13, 1282) born, later, and finally Nichiren, was a Buddhist The Avataṃsaka Sūtra ( Japanese: Kegon Kyō) is one of the most influential Mahayana Sutras of East Asian Buddhism. The Lotus Sutra or Sutra on the White Lotus of the Sublime Dharma (Sanskrit sa सद्धर्मपुण्डरीकसूत्र Saddharma " Perfection of Wisdom " is a translation of the Sanskrit term prajñā pāramitā ( Devanagari: प्रज्ञा पारमिता The Heart of Perfect Wisdom Sutra or Heart Sutra or Essence of Wisdom Sutra ( Sanskrit: प्रज्ञापारमिताहृदयसूत्र The Infinite Life Sutra, or Larger Pure Land Sutra, a Mahayana Buddhist text is the primary text of Pure Land Buddhism, and For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Mahayana ( Sanskrit: mahāyāna, Devanagari: महायान 'Great Vehicle' is one of the two main existing schools of Buddhism and a term for China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Tiantai (天台宗 Wade-Giles: T'ien T'ai) is one of the important sects of Buddhism in China, Korea and Japan, also called The Lotus Sutra or Sutra on the White Lotus of the Sublime Dharma (Sanskrit sa सद्धर्मपुण्डरीकसूत्र Saddharma
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History
The Tiantai teaching was first brought to Japan by the Chinese monk Jianzhen (鑑眞 Jp: Ganjin) in the middle of the 8th century, but it was not widely accepted. Jianzhen or Ganjin (鑒真 or 鑑真 688&ndash763 was a Chinese monk who helped to propagate Buddhism in Japan. The 8th century is the period from 701 to 800 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. In 805, the Japanese monk Saichō (最澄; also called Dengyō Daishi 伝教大師) returned from China with new Tiantai texts and made the temple that he had built on Mt. Hiei (比叡山), Enryakuji (延暦寺), a center for the study and practice of what became Japanese Tendai. Events By Place Byzantine Empire Emperor Nicephorus I of Byzantium suffers a major defeat against the Saracens at (767&ndash822 was a Japanese Buddhist monk credited with founding the Tendai school in Japan based around the Chinese Tiantai tradition he was exposed is a mountain to the northeast of Kyoto city lying on the border between the Kyoto and Shiga prefectures Japan. Not to be confused with Engaku-ji in Kamakura., a Monastery on Mount Hiei overlooking Kyoto, was founded
Philosophically, the Tendai school did not deviate substantially from the beliefs that had been created by the Tiantai school in China. However, what Saichō transmitted from China was not exclusively Tiantai, but also included Zen (禅, trad. Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism, referred to in Chinese as Chan. 禪), esoteric Mikkyō (密教), and Vinaya School (戒律) elements. Introduction for Mikkyo Mikkyo is the contraction for Himitsu-Bukkyo which translates into esoteric buddism The Vinaya (a word in Pāli as well as in Sanskrit, with literal meaning 'leading out' 'education' 'discipline' is the regulatory framework for the Buddhist The tendency to include a range of teachings became more marked in the doctrines of Saichō's successors, such as Ennin (圓仁) and Enchin (圓珍). Ennin (圓仁 or 円仁 (AD 793 or 794 - 864 who is better known in Japan by his Posthumous name, Jikaku Daishi (慈覺大師 was a priest of the (814 &ndash 891 was a Japanese Buddhist monk the founder of the Jimon School of Tendai Buddhism, and Chief Abbot of Miidera at However, in later years, this range of teachings began to form sub-schools within Tendai Buddhism. By the time of Ryogen, there were two distinct groups on Mt. (912 &ndash January 31, 985 AD) was a chief Abbot of Enryakuji in the 10th century and the founder of the tradition of Hiei: the Sammon, or Mountain Group who followed Ennin, and the Jimon or River Group who followed Enchin. and, also known as the Enchin and Ennin factions respectively were rival branches of Tendai Buddhism created in the 9th century Ennin (圓仁 or 円仁 (AD 793 or 794 - 864 who is better known in Japan by his Posthumous name, Jikaku Daishi (慈覺大師 was a priest of the and, also known as the Enchin and Ennin factions respectively were rival branches of Tendai Buddhism created in the 9th century (814 &ndash 891 was a Japanese Buddhist monk the founder of the Jimon School of Tendai Buddhism, and Chief Abbot of Miidera at
The Tendai sect flourished under the patronage of the imperial family and nobility in Japan, particularly the Fujiwara clan; in 794, the Imperial capital was moved to Kyoto. The Imperial House of Japan (also referred to as the Imperial Family or kōshitsu, 皇室 comprises those members of the extended family of the reigning Emperor of The Fujiwara clan (藤原氏 Fujiwara-shi) descending from the Nakatomi clan, was a powerful family of Regents in Japan that monopolized the regent positions Events By Place Asia Kyoto becomes the Japanese capital ending the Nara period, and beginning the Heian period. (IPA /kʲoːto / is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. Tendai Buddhism became the dominant form of main-stream Buddhism in Japan for many years, and gave rise to most of the developments in later Japanese Buddhism. Nichiren, Hōnen, Shinran, and Dogen—all famous thinkers in non-Tendai schools of Japanese Buddhism—were all initially trained as Tendai monks. Nichiren (日蓮 ( February 16, 1222 &ndash October 13, 1282) born, later, and finally Nichiren, was a Buddhist Hōnen (法然 1133-1212 is the founder of the first independent branch of Japanese Pure Land Buddhism known as Jōdo Shū. Shinran 親鸞 ( May 21, 1173 – January 16, 1263) was a Japanese Buddhist monk who was born in Hino (now a part of Fushimi, Japanese Buddhism was dominated by the Tendai school to a much greater degree than Chinese Buddhism was by its forebearer, the Tiantai.
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. During the Kamakura Period, the Tendai school used its patronage to try to oppose the growth of rival factions—particularly the Nichiren school, which began to grow in power among the merchant middle class, and the Pure Land school, which eventually came to claim the loyalty of many of the poorer classes. The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 by the first Kamakura Shogun The founder Nichiren From the age of 16 until 32 Nichiren studied in numerous temples in Japan especially Mt Pure Land Buddhism ( Jìngtǔzōng; 浄土教 Jōdokyō; Korean: ko-Hang 정토종 jeongtojong; Vietnamese: 浄土宗 vi Enryakuji, the temple complex on Mt. Not to be confused with Engaku-ji in Kamakura., a Monastery on Mount Hiei overlooking Kyoto, was founded Hiei, became a sprawling center of power, attended not only by ascetic monks, but also by brigades of warrior monks (sohei) who fought in the temple's interest. were Buddhist warrior monks of feudal Japan. At certain points of history they held considerable power obliging the imperial and military governments to collaborate As a result, in 1571 Enryakuji was razed by Oda Nobunaga as part of his campaign to unify Japan. ( June 23, 1534 &ndash June 21, 1582) was a major Daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japanese history Nobunaga regarded the Mt. Hiei monks as a potential threat or rival, as they could employ religious claims to attempt to rally the populace to their side. The temple complex was later rebuilt, and continues to serve as the head temple of the Tendai school today.
Tendai doctrine
Tendai Buddhism has several philosophical insights which allow for the reconciliation of Buddhist doctrine with aspects of Japanese culture such as Shinto and traditional aesthetics. is the native religion of Japan and was once its State religion. Aesthetics or esthetics ( also spelled æsthetics) is commonly known as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values sometimes called It is rooted in the idea, fundamental to Mahayana Buddhism, that Buddha-hood, the capability to attain enlightenment, is intrinsic in all things. Mahayana ( Sanskrit: mahāyāna, Devanagari: महायान 'Great Vehicle' is one of the two main existing schools of Buddhism and a term for Also central to Mahayana is the notion that the phenomenal world, the world of our experiences, fundamentally is an expression of the Buddhist law (Dharma). The Sanskrit term ( Devanāgarī: धर्म Pali transliteration dhamma) is an Indian spiritual and religious This notion poses the problem of how we come to have many differentiated experiences. Tendai Buddhism claims that each and every sense phenomenon just as it is is the expression of Dharma. For Tendai, the ultimate expression of Dharma is the Lotus Sutra. The Lotus Sutra or Sutra on the White Lotus of the Sublime Dharma (Sanskrit sa सद्धर्मपुण्डरीकसूत्र Saddharma Therefore, the fleeting nature of all sense experiences consists in the Buddha's preaching of the doctrine of Lotus Sutra. The existence and experience of all unenlightened beings is fundamentally equivalent and undistinguishable from the teachings of the Lotus Sutra.
Tendai and Esoteric Buddhism
One of the adaptations by the Tendai school was the introduction of esoteric ritual (Mikkyo) into Tendai Buddhism, which was later named Taimitsu by Ennin. Introduction for Mikkyo Mikkyo is the contraction for Himitsu-Bukkyo which translates into esoteric buddism Ennin (圓仁 or 円仁 (AD 793 or 794 - 864 who is better known in Japan by his Posthumous name, Jikaku Daishi (慈覺大師 was a priest of the Eventually, according to Tendai Taimitsu doctrine, the esoteric rituals came to be considered of equal importance with the exoteric teachings of the Lotus Sutra. Therefore, by chanting Mantras, maintaining Mudras, or performing certain meditations, one is able to see that the sense experiences are the teachings of Buddha, have faith that one is inherently an enlightened being, and one can attain enlightnenment within this very body. A mantra ( Devanāgarī मन्त्र (or mantram is a religious or mystical syllable or poem typically from the Sanskrit language A mudrā ( Sanskrit: मुद्रा lit "seal" is a symbolic or ritual gesture in Hinduism and Buddhism.
The origins of Taimitsu are found in China, similar to the lineage that Kukai encountered in his visit to China during the Tang Dynasty, and Saicho's disciples were encouraged to study under Kukai. Kūkai (ja 空海 or also known posthumously as Kōbō-Daishi (ja 弘法大師 774&ndash835 CE was a Japanese monk, Scholar The Tang Dynasty ( Middle Chinese: dhɑng (June 18 618&ndashJune 4 907 was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by [1] Thus, Tendai esoteric ritual bears much in common with Shingon Buddhist ritual, though the underlying doctrines may differ somewhat. Shingon Buddhism (眞言 真言 " true words " is a major school of Japanese Buddhism, and is the other branch of Vajrayana Buddhism
Tendai and Shinto
Tendai doctrine allowed Japanese Buddhists to reconcile Buddhist teachings with the native religion of Japan, Shinto, and with traditional Japanese aesthetics. is the native religion of Japan and was once its State religion. In the case of Shinto, the difficulty is the reconciliation of the heavenly pantheon of Japanese gods, as well as with the myriad spirits associated with places, shrines or objects, with the Buddhist doctrine that one should not concern oneself with any religious practice save the pursuit of enlightenment. However, priests of the Tendai sect argued that Kami are simply representations of the truth of universal buddha-hood that descend into the world to help and teach mankind. Thus, they are actually equivalent with Buddhas. This doctrine, however, regards Kami as more sacred. While Buddhas represent the possibility of attaining enlightentment through many lifetimes of work and devotion to Dharma, Kami are manifest representations of the universal buddha-hood. Therefore, they exemplify the ultimate truth that all things are inherently enlightened and that it is possible for a person of sufficient religious faculties to attain enlightenment instantly within this very body. Thus are they of more holy nature than Buddhas. Those Kami that Shinto regards as violent or antagonistic to mankind are considered as simply supernatural beings that reject the Buddhist law and have not attained enlightenment. Thus are they violent and evil.
Tendai and Japanese Aesthetics
The fundamental teaching of Buddhism is that one must shed away worldly attachments and desires in order to attain enlightenment. This has created a conflict with the culture of every society into which Buddhism was introduced. If one is to shed worldly pleasures and attachments, this requires that such flowers of culture as poetry, literature, and visual arts be discarded. Japanese literature spans a period of almost two millennia Early works were heavily influenced by cultural contact with China and Chinese literature, often written Japanese art covers a wide range of art styles and media including ancient pottery sculpture in wood and bronze ink painting on silk and paper and a myriad of other types of works of By claiming that the phenomenal world is not distinct from Dharma, Tendai doctrine allows for the reconciliation of beauty and aesthetics with Buddhist teachings. Poetry, which once was a sin to be cast away, now in fact can lead to enlightenment. When Japanese poets first encountered Chinese poetry, it was at its peak in the Tang Dynasty. Contemplation of poetry, provided that it is done in the context of Tendai doctrine, is simply contemplation of Dharma. This same thing can be said of every other form of art. Therefore, it is possible to construct an aesthetic that is not in conflict with Buddhism.
Notable Tendai Scholars
In the history of Tendai school, a number of notable monks have contributed to Tendai thought and administration of Mt. Hiei:
- Saicho - Founder. is a mountain to the northeast of Kyoto city lying on the border between the Kyoto and Shiga prefectures Japan. (767&ndash822 was a Japanese Buddhist monk credited with founding the Tendai school in Japan based around the Chinese Tiantai tradition he was exposed
- Ennin - Saicho's successor, established esoteric or Taimitsu practices, as well as promotion of the nembutsu. Ennin (圓仁 or 円仁 (AD 793 or 794 - 864 who is better known in Japan by his Posthumous name, Jikaku Daishi (慈覺大師 was a priest of the Nianfo ( Chinese: 念[[wikt 佛|佛]] Pinyin: nianfo; Japanese: 念佛 nembutsu; Korean: 염불 yeombul
- Enchin - Ennin's successor, and notable administrator. (814 &ndash 891 was a Japanese Buddhist monk the founder of the Jimon School of Tendai Buddhism, and Chief Abbot of Miidera at
- Annen - Enchin's successor, and influential thinker.
- Ryogen - Annen's successor, and skilled politician who helped ally the Tendai school with the Fujiwara clan. (912 &ndash January 31, 985 AD) was a chief Abbot of Enryakuji in the 10th century and the founder of the tradition of The Fujiwara clan (藤原氏 Fujiwara-shi) descending from the Nakatomi clan, was a powerful family of Regents in Japan that monopolized the regent positions
See also
- Tiantai Buddhism, the Chinese sect that Tendai developed from
- Nichiren Buddhism, which developed the Tendai emphasis on the Lotus Sutra into a distinctive Japanese Buddhist school
References
- ^ Abe, Ryuichi (1999). Tiantai (天台宗 Wade-Giles: T'ien T'ai) is one of the important sects of Buddhism in China, Korea and Japan, also called The founder Nichiren From the age of 16 until 32 Nichiren studied in numerous temples in Japan especially Mt The Lotus Sutra or Sutra on the White Lotus of the Sublime Dharma (Sanskrit sa सद्धर्मपुण्डरीकसूत्र Saddharma The Weaving of Mantra: Kukai and the Construction of Esoteric Buddhist Discourse. Columbia University Press, 45. ISBN 0231112866.
- Brook Ziporyn, Tiantai School in Encyclopedia of Buddhism, Robert E. Buswell, Ed. , McMillan USA, New York, NY, 2004. ISBN 0-02-865910-4.
- Stone Jacqueline Original Enlightenment and the Transformation of Medieval Japanese Buddhism, University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, HI, 1999 ISBN 0-8248-2026-6.
External links
- Digital Dictionary of Buddhism (log in with userID "guest")
- Tendai Buddhist Institute - Tendai-shu New York Betsuin
- Buddha Dendo - California Tendai Monastery
- Tendai Buddhism in Denmark
- Tendai Lotus Teachings
- Blue Lotus Assembly
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