2015 Centro de Rehabilitación Infantil

capital after Nagaoka which had been plagued with series of problems. As already mentioned, M tHiei is situated in the direction of north-east, the kimon (demon entrance) of Heian-kyo and having a temple there was considered to be a good omen. The imperial visit to the temple took place in 794 prior to the official establishment of the capital on the twenty-second day of the ninth month.44 The fact that Saicho and his temple were

independent from the old Buddhist institutions in Nara well suited the new government which was anxious to maintain a fresh start. The imperial patronage secured the

prosperous future of the Emyaku-ji as a temple of chingo kokka (the protection of the nation), and Tendai Buddhism flourished in the Heian period.

In 804, Saicho travelled to the Tang as a member of kentdshi (the official envoy to the Tang) to further his knowledge of the Tiantai doctrine. Prior to his voyage, he is said to have visited the Usa Hachiman Shrine and the Kawara Jingu-in in Kyushu to pray for the protection of kami during his travel. The sea journey to China was hazardous and only two of four kentdshi ships that left Japan that year managed to arrive safely. The legend tells that eveiy time the ship Saicho travelled on was in danger on stormy sea, Kawara

Daimyojin manifested himself in a form of divine light and saved the ship from sinking.45 This anecdote provides an interesting insight into the relationship of the kami with

Japanese monks who had no philosophical difficulties in justifying the help from the kami. It is intriguing that it was not the Buddha or bodhisattva who saved the ship, but the kami.

While in the Tang, Saicho studied the Tiantai doctrine, received the Mahayana

bodhisattva ordination {Daijo bosatsu~kai) from Dao sui, the initiation rite (kanjo) in

44 Kyoto National Museum, Hieizan to Tendai no bijutsu, 1986, p. 10. 45 MasudaHidemitsu (ed)M ikkyd no hon, Gakushu kenkyusha, 1998, p.39.

Esoteric Buddhism from Shun xiao, and also practised Chan (J.Zen) meditation 46 His extensive travels and enthusiasm can be judged by the large amount of Buddhist texts he obtained, four hundred and sixty scrolls, which he brought back to Japan the following year. The imperial permission was granted from Emperor Kanmu to establish the Japanese Tendai sect on MtHiei. The Tendai teaching is broad and progressive, reflecting Saicho's all embracing approach which incorporated varied elements of Buddhist teachings he had encountered in the Tang as well as the Japanese belief in kami. The practice of Chan meditation, rituals in the Esoteric tradition, orthodox monastic rules, and the respect towards the indigenous kami were integrated into the doctrinal framework based on the

Lotus Sutra. The contribution to the history of Japanese Buddhism by Saicho was often

misinterpreted as a mere eclecticism in the past, and the Esoteric aspects of Tendai Buddhism introduced by the Saicho's followers, Ennin (794 - 864) and Enchin (814-91), were emphasized. Furthermore, the establishment of new sects in the Kamakura period by Honen (1133 - 1212), Shinran (1173 - 1262), Eisai (1141 -1215), Dogen (1200 - 53), Nichiren (1222 - 82), and Ippen (1239 - 89), all of whom once studied on MtHiei, eclipsed the importance of fundamental changes Saicho had achieved to alter the conservative and insular Buddhism ofNara.47

The most radical philosophical departure from the traditional view proposed by Saicho was the 'Hokke ichijo' (One Vehicle doctrine of the Lotus Sutra) which stressed the existence of the Buddha nature in every living things. Saicho also accepted the essentially Esoteric concept o f sokushin jobutsu (Buddhahood in this very body) which claimed the possibility of attaining the immediate Buddhahood without going through the lengthy

46 Enryaku-ji, Hieizcm konpon chudb, p. 3.

47 The significance o f Saicho's contribution in reforming the conservative Nara Buddhism is attracting a new wave of scholarly interests. See Sueki Fumihiko, Nihon bukkyd shisoshi ronko, Okura shuppan, 1993, and

Heian shoki bukkyd shiso no kenkyu,

cycle of reincarnation. This view was vigorously challenged by the monk Tokuitsu (780? - 842?) of the En'ichi-ji in Aizu who held the conservative Hosso sect's position. Tokuitsu maintained that the nirvana (extinction / escape from the cycle of reincarnation) was only obtainable by the chosen few after long study, training and many cycle of rebirth. The dogmatic Hosso view unequivocally opposed the Tendai philosophy of universal Buddha nature, and claimed that some sentient beings lacked the ultimate Buddha nature.48

The acknowledgement of Buddha nature in every sentient being was advanced even further in the Esoteric teachings of both Tendai and Shingon which claimed that the omnipotence of the Buddha's Dharma was extended to non-sentient beings as well. The idea developed into the philosophy of 'sansen somoku shitsukai jobutsu' (Mountains and rivers, trees and grass, every thing can attain Buddhhood), which was particularly suited to the natural environment of MtHiei or MtKdya where monks lived and trained amongst the mountains imbued with the presence of the kami. The idiosyncratic combination of the Buddhist philosophy of compassion and the deep respect towards nature of the indigenous

kami belief characterized the essence of Japanese cultural values.

Though there is no contemporary textual source to confirm it, Saicho is said to have adopted the name 'Sanno', literally ’Mountain King' for the kami of Mt.Hiei from the legendary Mountain King of Mt.Tiantai in China. According to the Hiesha Shinto himitsu-

ki (1571) by Hafuribe Yukimaro, Sanno is the protector of three sacred mountains, the

Vulture Peak in India, Mt.Tiantai in China, and Mt.Hiei.49 The significance of Mt.Tiantai in China derived from the indigenous Daoist ideas which regarded certain mountains as sacred, and immortals with superhuman ability were believed to live in those remote

48 Sato Hiroo, Tendai shiso no tenkai' Hokke-kyd no shinri, Shueisha, 1989, pp. 77 - 8. 49 Hafuribe Yukimaro, Hiesha Shinto himitsn-ki, ST. (J) 29, Hiyoshi, p.331.

mountains. Just as the combination of Buddhism and the kami belief was crucial to the religious development of Japan, the Daoist elements played an important role in China. The ambiguous identity of the Mountain King may be the result of such a syncretism.

Several textual references to the kami are attributed as Saicho's words, one of the most well known being the inscription dated 820 on the sbrinto (the tower with nine decorative rings) situated in the Sai-to (the Western Pagoda) area of MtHiei.50 The inscription, composed from sixteen lines, each consisting of sixteen Chinese characters in the groups of four, includes the following passage.

The peak of MtHiei surpasses all,

and casts a shadow over the capital in the north in the morning. The sacred mountain [shingakn. literally kamts peak] is sublime, and gazes the lake in the east in the evening.

The august Sanno, the mountain king, Contemplates beyond the horizon. He is called the Hoshuku [Buddha]

And vows to the Biru [Birushana Buddha].51

Oyama Kojun points out another passage attributed to Saicho, "Kami of the Heaven and Earth, the Great Kami of six places, will compassionately protect all spirit and wisdom" which is recorded in the Hieizan To-to engi.52 Although none of the texts can be

confirmed concretely as the Saicho's own words, many other later texts quote similar passages, indicating Saicho's deep respect towards the indigenous kami.

The appellation 'Sann5 Gongen' (Avatar of the Mountain King) was used as a collective name of all the kami of Hie as the shrine developed to include more and more kami during the late Heian period. However, when Saicho adopted the name Sanno in the early ninth centuiy, it is not clear just how many kami were already in situ at Hie. As most of the

50 The sbrinto is similar in shape to the decorative rings on the top o f pagodas. The original tower has been