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76-467: Tōdai-ji ( 東大寺 , Todaiji temple , "Eastern Great Temple") is a Buddhist temple complex that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples , located in the city of Nara , Japan. The construction of the temple was an attempt to imitate Chinese temples from the much-admired Tang dynasty . Though it was originally founded in the year 738 CE, Tōdai-ji was not opened until the year 752 CE. The temple has undergone several reconstructions since then, with

152-662: A Chinese Buddhist monk I-tsing on his pilgrim journey to India, witnessed the powerful maritime empire of Srivijaya based on Sumatra in the 7th century. A number of Buddhist historical heritages can be found in Indonesia, including the 8th century Borobudur mandala monument and Sewu temple in Central Java , Batujaya in West Java, Muaro Jambi , Muara Takus and Bahal temple in Sumatra, and numerous of statues or inscriptions from

228-605: A circular type. Ashoka also built the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya circa 250 BCE, a circular structure, in order to protect the Bodhi tree under which the Buddha had found enlightenment. The Bairat Temple is also a round structure, which can be seen through archaeological remains. Representations of this early temple structure are found on a 100 BCE relief sculpted on the railing of

304-495: A city's gates. On May 20, 1994, the international music festival The Great Music Experience was held at Tōdai-ji, supported by UNESCO . Performers included the Tokyo New Philharmonic Orchestra, X Japan , INXS , Jon Bon Jovi , Joni Mitchell , Bob Dylan , Tomoyasu Hotei , Roger Taylor , classic Japanese drummers , and a Buddhist monk choir. This event, organized by British producer Tony Hollingsworth ,

380-653: A context where temple and shrine staff are aging . Custodians of Todaiji temple also installed a donation box, stating "Let's Rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral", in the hallway behind the Great Buddha statue.  In June 2019, a sign next to the box, in Japanese and English, explained why Tōdai-ji, as headquarters of the Kegon sect of Buddhism, was soliciting funds in this way. The English version declared, "Todai-ji temple has been reconstructed every time it burned down by big fires thanks to

456-440: A fellow Buddhist monk who was sent to China on a similar mission though he was expected to stay much longer. When the ships set sail again, two sank during a heavy storm, but Saichō's ship arrived at the port of Ningbo , then known as Mingzhou ( Chinese : 明州 ; pinyin : Míngzhōu ), in northern Zhejiang in 804. Shortly after arrival, permission was granted for Saichō and his party to travel to Tiantai Mountain and he

532-637: A greater role. By the time Saichō had arrived in China, a number of Tiantai Buddhist centers provided esoteric training, and both Saichō and Gishin received initiation at a temple in Yue Prefecture . However, it's unclear what transmission or transmissions(s) they received. Some evidence suggests that Saichō did not receive the dual ( ryōbu ( 兩部 ) transmissions of the Diamond Realm and the Womb Realm . Instead, it

608-491: A human tooth, along with pearls, mirrors, swords, and jewels were discovered inside of the knee of the Great Buddha; these are believed to be the relics of Emperor Shomu . The statue weighs 500 tonnes (550 short tons). Various buildings of the Tōdai-ji have been incorporated within the overall aesthetic intention of the gardens' design. Adjacent villas are today considered part of Tōdai-ji. Some of these structures are now open to

684-507: A law stating that the people should become directly involved with the establishment of new Buddhist temples throughout Japan. The Emperor believed that such piety would inspire Buddha to protect his country from further disaster. Gyōki , with his pupils, traveled the provinces asking for donations. According to records kept by Tōdai-ji, more than 2,600,000 people in total helped construct the Great Buddha and its Hall, contributing rice, wood, metal, cloth, or labour, with 350,000 working directly on

760-498: A more central place in the Tendai tradition than it had been given by most Chinese monks. Like Kūkai, Saichō emphasized the importance of striving for enlightenment as an immediate goal to be attained in this existence ( sokushin-jōbutsu ). Tendai and Esoteric practices, he felt, provided a direct path ( jikidō ) to enlightenment, whereas the teachings of the Nara schools required aeons to bring

836-620: A protest. Saichō composed the Kenkairon ( 顕戒論 , "A Clarification of the Precepts") , which stressed the significance of the Bodhisattva Precepts, but his request was still rejected until 7 days after his death at the age of 56. Saichō traveled to China along with a number of other young monks, one of whom was named Kūkai . Saichō befriended him during his trip to China who traveled with him going and coming. This turned out to be pivotal to

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912-515: A syncretistic tradition, particularly at the T'ien-t'ai Yu-ch'uan monastery. Chinese monks had been interested in Ch'an and Esoteric Buddhism as well as in the Ssu-fen la and Fan wang precepts. Saichō inherited this tradition, but developed certain aspects of it in innovative ways. For example, Saichō considered Esoteric Buddhism to be essentially the same as Tendai (enmitsu itchi) and thus awarded Esoteric Buddhism

988-533: A total of eight months, his return was eagerly awaited by the court in Kyoto. On his return from China, Saichō worked hard to win recognition from the court and "in the first month of 806, Saichō's Tendai Lotus school ( Tendai-hokke-shū 天台法華宗) won official recognition when the court of the ailing emperor Kanmu issued another edict, this one permitting two annual ordinands ( nenbundosha ) for Saichō's new school on Mount Hiei. This edict states that, following Saichō's request,

1064-405: Is actually 30% smaller than its predecessor, being reduced from 11 to 7 bays wide due to lack of funds. Until 1998, it was the world's largest wooden building. It has been surpassed by modern structures, such as the Japanese baseball stadium Odate Jukai Dome , amongst others. The Great Buddha statue has been recast several times for various reasons, including earthquake damage. The current hands of

1140-590: Is most common in Buddhism , where it refers to a space with a stupa and a rounded apse at the end opposite the entrance, and a high roof with a rounded profile. Strictly speaking, the chaitya is the stupa itself, and the Indian buildings are chaitya halls, but this distinction is often not observed. Many of the early Chaitya were rock-cut , as in Karla caves or Ajanta . Some of the earliest free-standing temples may have been of

1216-510: Is thought he may have only received the Diamond Realm transmission, but the evidence is not conclusive one way or the other. Finally, on the tenth day of the fifth month of 805, Saichō and his party returned to Ningbo and after compiling further bibliographies, boarded the ship back for Japan and arrived in Tsushima on the fifth day of the sixth month. Although Saichō had only stayed in China for

1292-525: The sōrin finials was reproduced for the 1970 Osaka Expo and is standing at the spot where one of the pagodas used to stand. The Shōsōin was its storehouse, and now contains many artifacts from the Tenpyō period of Japanese history . The Great Buddha Hall ( Daibutsuden ) has been rebuilt twice after fire. The current building was finished in 1709, and although immense—57 metres (187 ft) long, 50 metres (160 ft) wide and 49 metres (161 ft) high—it

1368-666: The Ehyō tendaishū (DZ 1, pp. 343–366), which argues that the principal Buddhist masters of China and Korea all relied on T'ien-t'ai doctrine in composing their own works. By identifying numerous references to and quotes from T'ien-t'ai treatises in the works of Chi-tsang 吉蔵 of the San-lun 三論 school, Chih-chou of the Fa-hsiang 法相 school, Fa-tsang of the Huayen 華嚴 school, I-hsing of Mikkyō , and other prominent teachers, Saichō asserted that T'ien-t'ai formed

1444-691: The Phutthawat and the Sangkhawat . The Phutthawat ( Thai : พุทธาวาส ) is the area which is dedicated to Buddha. While the Sangkhawat is the area which is dedicated to Sangha Buddhist monastic community. Buddhist temples in Sri Lanla are known as 'Pansala' or 'Viharaya' in Sinhalese . Common features in Sri Lankan temples include Stupa , Bo Tree and Temple Buildings. Oldest living human-planted Bodhi Tree in

1520-822: The Ritsuryō system of government in the Nara period , Buddhism was heavily regulated by the state through the Sōgō ( 僧綱 , Office of Priestly Affairs ) . During this time, Tōdai-ji served as the central administrative temple for the provincial temples and for the six Buddhist schools in Japan at the time: the Hossō , Kegon , Jōjitsu , Sanron , Ritsu and Kusha . Letters dating from this time also show that all six Buddhist schools had offices at Tōdai-ji, complete with administrators, shrines and their own library. Japanese Buddhism during this time still maintained

1596-609: The Tendai sect, and when the centre of political power in Japan moved from the emperor's capital to the shōgun's base in Kamakura in the aftermath of the Genpei war , Tōdai-ji's role in maintaining authority declined. In later generations, the Vinaya lineage also died out, despite repeated attempts to revive it; thus no more ordination ceremonies take place at Tōdai-ji. In 743, Emperor Shōmu issued

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1672-532: The Tenpyō era the Emperor commissioned the Daibutsu to be built in 743. Tōdai-ji (still Kinshōsen-ji at the time) was appointed as the provincial temple of Yamato Province and the head of all the provincial temples. With the alleged coup d'état by Nagaya in 729, a major outbreak of smallpox around 735–737, worsened by several consecutive years of poor crops, followed by a rebellion led by Fujiwara no Hirotsugu in 740,

1748-487: The Tōdai-ji , thus becoming a fully ordained monk in the official temple system. A few months later he abruptly retreated to Mount Hiei for an intensive study and practice of Buddhism, though the exact reason for his departure remains unknown. Shortly after his retreat, he composed his Ganmon ( 願文 , "Saichō's Prayer") which included his personal vows to: In time, Saichō attracted other monks both on Mount Hiei, and from

1824-596: The Vairocana school ( shanashu 遮那宗) and Tendai interfuse with one another. They also share the same commentary.... There should be no such thing as preferring one to the other. The Lotus and the Golden Light are those texts to which the previous emperor [ Kanmu ] devoted himself, and there exists no difference between the One Unifying Vehicle [of Tendai] and Shingon. Paul Groner states, Chinese T'ien-t'ai had been

1900-451: The eye-opening ceremony was held with an attendance of 10,000 monks and 4,000 dancers to celebrate the completion of the Buddha. The Indian priest Bodhisena performed the eye-opening for Emperor Shōmu . The project cost Japan greatly, as the statue used much of Japan's bronze and relied entirely on imported gold. 48 lacquered cinnabar pillars, 1.5 m in diameter and 30 m long, support

1976-617: The Buddhist community in Nara , and a monastic community developed on Mount Hiei, which eventually became Enryaku-ji . Saichō was said to have carved an image of the Bhaiṣajyaguru and enshrined it. Additionally, he lit a lamp of oil before the Buddha and prayed that the lamp would never be extinguished. This lamp is now known as the Fumetsu no Hōtō ( 不滅の法灯 , "Inextinguishable Dharma Lamp") and has remained lit for 1200 years. The capital of Japan

2052-538: The Great Buddha statue in a haiku (1689–1670): 初雪や / いつ大仏 / の柱立. "First snow!/ When Buddha's great statue/ pillar-erection" And, "First snow and / there stands the great Buddha / a pillar of strength" Tōdai-ji has been used as a location in several Japanese films and television dramas. It was also used in the 1950s John Wayne movie The Barbarian and the Geisha when Nandaimon, the Great South Gate, doubled as

2128-561: The Japanese reading of Chih-i's central practice of chih-kuan [cessation and contemplation]) ( Kenkairon engi , DZ 1, pp. 294–296). Thus from its very inception the Tendai Lotus school was equally based on Mikkyō and T'ien-t'ai. It was as a subdivision of Saichō's new school that Mikkyō first received the official acknowledgment of the imperial court and became a proper subject of study in Japanese Buddhism. [I]n 813 Saichō composed

2204-641: The North, A Lake to the South, Paths to the West, A River to the East" ("Északról hegy, Délről tó, Nyugatról utak, Keletről folyó") by László Krasznahorkai . Following the catastrophic Notre-Dame de Paris fire in April 2019, Japanese authorities declared plans to expand fire prevention measures at several historic locations, including Tōdai-ji in Nara, partly by hiring new, younger employees in

2280-585: The Sōgō, additional ordination ceremonies were added to Tōdai-ji, including the ordination of the Bodhisattva Precepts from the Brahma Net Sutra and the esoteric Precepts, or Samaya , from Kukai's own newly established Shingon school of Buddhism. Kūkai added an Abhiseka Hall to use for initiating monks of the six Nara schools into the esoteric teachings by 829 CE. As the center of power in Japanese Buddhism shifted away from Nara to Mount Hiei and

2356-561: The Takaosanji lectures, plus Saichō's association with Wake no Hiroyo soon caught the attention of Emperor Kanmu who consulted with Saichō about propagating his Buddhist teachings further, and to help bridge the traditional rivalry between the East Asian Yogācāra and East Asian Mādhyamaka schools. The emperor granted a petition by Saichō to journey to China to further study Tiantai doctrine in China and bring back more texts. Saichō

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2432-632: The Tendai school, which was primarily focused on the Lotus Sutra . However, unlike the Shingon school (which saw esoteric practice as superior to the Lotus Sutra), Saichō held to the "identity of the purport of Perfect and Esoteric teachings" ( enmitsu itchi 円密一致) which means there is a unity and agreement among the teachings of the Lotus Sutra and Esoteric Buddhism." Saichō, in a letter to Kukai, wrote: But

2508-505: The blue tiled roof of the Daibutsu-den. Maps that include some of the original structures of Tōdai-ji are rare, though some still exist today. Some of these structures include, the two pagodas, the library, lecture hall, refectory, and the monk's quarters located behind the main hall. Tōdai-ji functioned not only as a place of worship and Buddhist practice, but as a place of higher learning and study. Much of what contemporaries now know about

2584-553: The city of Nara. Emperor Shomu (r. 724–749) ordered the monk-architect Roben to build a temple at Nara between 728 and 749. This decree represented an attempt to imitate Chinese temples from the much-admired Tang dynasty . Todaiji is well-known for the Nara Daibutsu, also known as "The Great Buddha of Nara," which is an image of the Buddha Birushana. The current Buddha was repaired after suffering significant damage in 1692. Under

2660-420: The country was in a chaotic situation. Emperor Shōmu had been forced to move the capital four times, indicating a certain level of instability during this period. According to legend, the monk Gyōki went to Ise Grand Shrine to reconcile Shinto with Buddhism. He spent seven days and nights reciting sutras until the oracle declared Vairocana Buddha compatible with worship of the sun goddess Amaterasu . Under

2736-483: The court. Saichō also endorsed the court's bequest to Kūkai of the mountain temple of Takaosan-ji northwest of Kyoto as the first center for Kūkai's Shingon Buddhism . Kūkai, in turn, responded to Saichō's wish to incorporate Mikkyō into the eclectic system of Tendai by training Saichō and his disciples in the esoteric Buddhist rituals and by lending Saichō various Mikkyō texts that he had brought with him from China." Thus esoteric Buddhism became an important aspect of

2812-731: The earlier history of Indonesian Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms. During the era of Kediri , Singhasari and Majapahit empire, Buddhism—identified as Dharma ri Kasogatan —was acknowledged as one of kingdom's official religions along with Hinduism. Although some of kings might favour Hinduism over another, nevertheless the harmony, toleration and even syncretism were promoted as manifested in Bhinneka Tunggal Ika national motto, coined from Kakawin Sutasoma , written by Mpu Tantular to promotes tolerance between Hindus (Shivaites) and Buddhists . The classical era of ancient Java also had produces some of

2888-464: The established communities in Nara, in addition to the monks at the Court, further enhancing his prestige. One of Saichō's earliest supporters in the Court was Wake no Hiroyo, who invited Saichō to give lectures at Takaosan-ji along with fourteen other eminent monks. Saichō was not the first to be invited, indicating that he was still relatively unknown in the Court, but rising in prominence. The success of

2964-476: The exquisite examples of Buddhist arts , such as the statue of Prajnaparamita and the statue of Buddha Vairochana and Boddhisttva Padmapani and Vajrapani in Mendut temple. In contemporary Indonesian Buddhist perspective, Candi refers to a shrine, either ancient or new. Several contemporary viharas in Indonesia for example, contain the actual-size replica or reconstruction of famous Buddhist temples, such as

3040-510: The foundation for all major Buddhist schools in East Asia. Before Saichō, all monastic ordinations took place at Tōdai-ji temple under the ancient Vinaya code, but Saichō intended to found his school as a strictly Mahayana institution and ordain monks using the Bodhisattva Precepts only. Despite intense opposition from the traditional Buddhist schools in Nara , his request was granted by Emperor Saga in 822, several days after his death. This

3116-433: The future development of Buddhism. During the last month of his stay on Chinese soil, while awaiting the arrival of his ship at the port city of Ming-chou, Saichō traveled to Yüeh-chou to collect additional Buddhist texts. At Lung-hsing ssu 龍興寺 Saichō chanced to meet the priest Shun-hsiao" , and likewise returned with esoteric ( tantric ) Buddhist texts. Saichō was entranced with the new material and wanted to learn more. On

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3192-679: The intention of bringing them back to Japan with him. While some works existed in Japan already, Saichō felt that they suffered from copyist errors or other defects, and so he made fresh copies. Once the task was completed, Saichō and his party returned to Ningbo, but the ship was harbored in Fuzhou at the time, and would not return for six weeks. During this time, Saichō went to Yuezhou (越州, modern-day Shaoxing ) and sought out texts and information on Vajrayana (Esoteric) Buddhism. The Tiantai school originally only utilized "mixed" ( zōmitsu ( 雑密 ) ) ceremonial practices, but over time esoteric Buddhism took on

3268-614: The latest dated from the 12th century. Subsequently, significant numbers of Buddhist sites were found in Jambi , Palembang and Riau provinces in Sumatra, as well as in Central and East Java . The Indonesian archipelago has, over the centuries, witnessed the rise and fall of powerful Buddhist empires, such as the Sailendra dynasty, the Mataram and Srivijaya empires. According to some Chinese source,

3344-481: The leadership of Abbot Shunjobo Chogen (1121–1206), numerous structures at Todaiji were rebuilt in 1180 in the fashion of the Southern Song dynasty of China . During the Tenpyō era, Japan suffered from a series of disasters and epidemics. It was after experiencing these problems that Emperor Shōmu issued an edict in 741 to promote the construction of provincial temples throughout the nation. Later in 743 during

3420-504: The lineage of the Vinaya and all officially licensed monks were required to take their ordination under the Vinaya at Tōdai-ji. In 754 CE, ordination was given by Ganjin , who arrived in Japan after traveling over 12 years and six attempts of crossing the sea from China, to Empress Kōken , former Emperor Shōmu and others. Later Buddhist monks, including Kūkai and Saichō received their ordination here as well. During Kūkai's administration of

3496-630: The most significant reconstruction (that of the Great Buddha Hall) taking place in 1709. Its Great Buddha Hall ( 大仏殿 Daibutsuden ) houses the world's largest bronze statue of the Buddha Vairocana , known in Japanese as Daibutsu ( 大仏 ). The temple also serves as the Japanese headquarters of the Kegon school of Buddhism. The temple is a listed UNESCO World Heritage Site as one of the " Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara ", together with seven other sites including temples, shrines and places in

3572-429: The newcomer, went so far as to deny the validity of transmission through writing (hitsuju Ù4)" (DZ 3, p. 344). In this comment Saichō denounced Kūkai and Shingon for their approach to Buddhism and religious study." Saichō's late life criticisms were ignored by his own leading disciples, and the Tendai would continue to teach Mikkyō and Shikangō ( śamatha-vipaśyanā ). Saichō's public condemnation of Kūkai would later form

3648-585: The niches in which they were originally installed. This complex preservation project, costing $ 4.7 million, involved a restoration team of 15 experts from the National Treasure Repairing Institute in Kyoto. The temple gives the following dimensions for the statue: The statue's shoulders are 28 meters across and there are 960 six curls atop its head. The Birushana Buddha's golden halo is 27 m (87 ft) in diameter with 16 images each 2.4 m (8 ft) tall. Recently, using x-rays,

3724-586: The ordinands would be divided between two curricula: the shanagō course, centering on the study of the Mahavairocana Sūtra (this was the Mikkyō curriculum, shana being the abbreviation for Birushana, the Japanese transliteration of Vairocana), and the shikangō course, based on the study of the Mo-ho chih-kuan , the seminal work of the T'ien-t'ai patriarch Chih-i 智顗 (538–597) (this was the Tendai curriculum, shikan being

3800-436: The original layout of the temple comes from the writings of monks who lived and studied there. The original complex contained two 100 m pagodas , making them some of the tallest structures at the time. They were located on either side of the complex, one on the western (西塔) and one on the eastern side (東塔). The pagodas themselves were surrounded by a walled courtyard with four gates. These were destroyed by an earthquake. One of

3876-402: The place of Tendai within Japanese Buddhism, and in the process composed almost all of his major works. In 816, Saichō added a new introduction to the work. This introduction chides Sanron, Hossō, and Kegon—the leading schools of Nara Buddhism—for ignoring the influence of T'ien-t'ai on the works of their Chinese patriarchs, but its criticism of Shingon stands out: "The esoteric Shingon Buddhist,

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3952-563: The practitioner to enlightenment. However, During the years that Saichō studied Esoteric Buddhism (from 805–815), more than half of the Tendai yearly ordinands left Mount Hiei. Many of them defected to the Hosso school ; others departed in order to study Esoteric Buddhism with Kūkai or to support their ailing mothers. It became clear that if Tendai were to survive, Saichō would have to retain many more of his students on Mount Hiei. Moreover, Saichō began to realize that his own idea of "enmitsu itchi"

4028-481: The public. Over the centuries, the buildings and gardens have evolved together as to become an integral part of an organic and living temple community. The Tōdai-ji Culture Center opened on October 10, 2011, comprising a museum to exhibit the many sculptures and other treasures enshrined in the various temple halls , along with a library and research centre, storage facility, and auditorium. The architectural master-works are classified as: Matsuo Bashō refers to

4104-451: The replica of Pawon and Plaosan 's perwara (small) temples. In Buddhism, the role of a candi as a shrine is sometimes interchangeable with a stupa , a domed structure to store Buddhist relics or the ashes of cremated Buddhist priests, patrons or benefactors. Japanese Buddhist temples typically include a Main Hall . A distinctive feature is the chinjusha , a Shinto shrine devoted to

4180-413: The same time by the artists Unkei , Kaikei , and their workshop staff. The Nio are an A-un pair known as Ungyo , which by tradition has a facial expression with a closed mouth, and Agyo , which has an open mouthed expression. The two figures were closely evaluated and extensively restored by a team of art conservators between 1988 and 1993. Until then, these sculptures had never before been moved from

4256-557: The second century. The history of Buddhism in Indonesia is closely related to the history of Hinduism, as a number of empires influenced by Indian culture were established around the same period. The oldest Buddhist archaeological site in Indonesia is arguably the Batujaya stupas complex in Karawang , West Java. The oldest relic in Batujaya was estimated to originate from the 2nd century, while

4332-427: The seed of esoteric Buddhism (mikkyō) to the cultural soil of Japan. Saichō, for example, prepared the way for Kūkai—still largely unrecognized after his return from T'ang China—to perform the Mikkyō initiation ritual of abhiṣeka ( kanjō 灌頂) for the high priests of the Nara Buddhist establishment and the dignitaries of the imperial" Heian court . It was Saichō who performed the abhiṣeka , or initiatory ritual, for

4408-565: The significant effort of many people.  We sincerely express our deepest sympathy for the tragedy that hit the Notre-Dame de Paris. Going beyond the creed, we would like to ask everyone for your support to reconstruct the cathedral." Buddhist temple Its architecture and structure varies from region to region. Usually, the temple consists not only of its buildings, but also the surrounding environment. The Buddhist temples are designed to symbolize five elements: fire, air, water, earth and void (space). The design of temples in India

4484-425: The statue were made in the Momoyama Period (1568–1615), and the head was made in the Edo period (1615–1867). The existing Nandaimon (Great South Gate) was constructed at the end of the 12th century based on Daibutsuyō style , after the original gate was destroyed by a typhoon during the Heian period. The dancing figures of the Nio , the two 8.5-metre-tall (28 ft) guardians at the Nandaimon, were built around

4560-406: The statue's construction. The 16 m (52 ft) high statue was built through eight castings over three years, the head and neck being cast together as a separate element. The making of the statue was started first in Shigaraki . After enduring multiple fires and earthquakes, the construction was eventually resumed in Nara in 745, and the Buddha was finally completed in 751. A year later, in 752,

4636-435: The stupa at Bhārhut , as well as in Sanchi . From that period the Diamond throne remains, an almost intact slab of sandstone decorated with reliefs, which Ashoka had established at the foot of the Bodhi tree . These circular-type temples were also found in later rock-hewn caves such as Tulja Caves or Guntupalli . Buddhism is the second oldest religion in Indonesia after Hinduism , which arrived from India around

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4712-527: The temple and headquarters of Tendai at Enryaku-ji on Mount Hiei near Kyoto . He is also said to have been the first to bring tea to Japan. After his death, he was awarded the posthumous title of Dengyō Daishi (伝教大師). Saichō was born in the year 767 in the city of Ōmi, in present Shiga Prefecture , with the given name of Hirono. According to family tradition, Saichō's ancestors were descendants of emperors of Eastern Han China ; however, no positive evidence exists for this claim. The region where Saichō

4788-499: The temple's kami . Buddhism co-existed with Shinto , but in the 8th century Buddhism became the state religion and Buddhist temples were built. High concentration of important Japanese Buddhist temples can be found in Japanese culture heartland of Kansai region , especially in Nara and Kyoto . Buddhist temples in Thailand are known as wat , from the Pāḷi vāṭa, meaning "enclosure". Wat architecture adheres to consistent principles. A wat, with few exceptions, consists of two parts:

4864-442: The trip back he found that Kukai had studied these teachings in depth and had an entire library of vajrayana materials. This friendship would influence the future of Tendai. Saichō 最澄 and Kūkai 空海 are renowned as the founders, respectively, of the Japanese Tendai and Shingon schools, both of which grew into influential institutions of continuing importance even today. The two figures cooperated, moreover, in an effort to transplant

4940-510: The work of laying the foundation of the new Tendai school awaited him. Saichō continued to study and copy Mikkyō texts borrowed from Kūkai, but despite Kūkai's repeated requests he did not return to Takaosan-ji to resume his studies. Their rapport finally terminated when Kūkai harshly condemned Saichō's approach to Mikkyō as a transgression of the esoteric precept of samaya [the promise to keep the oral/esoteric teachings private], and Saichō retorted by denouncing Kūkai's manner of instruction Thus it

5016-461: The world Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi and some of the largest Stupa in the world including Ruwanwelisaya , Jetavanaramaya and Abhayagiri vihāra located in Sri Lankan temples. Saich%C5%8D Saichō ( 最澄 , September 15, 767 – June 26, 822) was a Japanese Buddhist monk credited with founding the Tendai school of Buddhism based on the Chinese Tiantai school he was exposed to during his trip to Tang China beginning in 804. He founded

5092-407: Was Mikkyō that brought Saichō and Kūkai together; it was also Mikkyō that drove them apart. The break between Saichō and Kūkai left a long-lasting legacy in the Tendai and Shingon schools, whose complex relationship, constantly oscillating between affiliation and rivalry, shaped the contours of Buddhist history in the Heian period. During the last five or six years of his life, Saicho strove to secure

5168-424: Was a disciple of Dao-xuan (702–760, 道璿, Dōsen in Japanese), a prominent monk from China of the Tiantai school who had brought the East Mountain Teaching of Chan Buddhism , Huayan teachings and the Bodhisattva Precepts of the Brahmajala Sutra to Japan in 736 and served as the "precept master" for ordination prior to the arrival of Jianzhen . By the age of 20, he undertook the full monastic precepts at

5244-432: Was born did have a large Chinese immigrant population, so Saichō likely did have Chinese ancestry. During Saichō's time, the Buddhist temples in Japan were officially organized into a national network known as the provincial temple system, and at the age of 13, Saichō became a disciple of one Gyōhyō (722–797, 行表). He took tonsure as a novice monk at the age of 14 and was given the ordination name "Saichō". Gyōhyō in turn

5320-567: Was expected to only remain in China for a short time however. Saichō could read Chinese but was unable to speak it at all, thus he was allowed to bring a trusted disciple along named Gishin ( 義眞 ) , who apparently could speak Chinese. Gishin would later become one of the head monks of the Tendai order after Saichō. Saichō was part of the four-ship diplomatic mission to Tang China in 803. The ships were forced to turn back due to heavy winds, where they spent some time at Dazaifu, Fukuoka . During this time, Saichō likely met another passenger, Kūkai ,

5396-402: Was influenced by the idea of a place of worship as a representation of the universe. For Buddhist temple complexes one tall temple is often centrally located and surrounded by smaller temples and walls. This center surrounded by oceans, lesser mountains and a huge wall. A Chaitya , Chaitya hall or Chaitya-griha refers to a shrine, sanctuary, temple or prayer hall in Indian religions . The term

5472-433: Was introduced to the seventh Patriarch of Tiantai , Daosui ( Chinese : 道邃 ; pinyin : Dàosuì ), who became his primary teacher during his time in China. Daosui was instrumental in teaching Saichō about Tiantai methods of meditation, monastic discipline and orthodox teachings. Saichō remained under this instruction for approximately 135 days. Saichō spent the next several months copying various Buddhist works with

5548-426: Was moved from Nara to Nagaoka-kyō in 784, and then to Kyoto in 795. Because Mount Hiei was coincidentally located to the northeast of Kyoto, a direction considered dangerous according to Chinese geomancy , Saichō's presence on the mountain was thought to protect the new capital and brought him to the attention of the court. Saichō and his community on Mount Hiei also started to correspond and exchange ceremonies with

5624-474: Was not exactly shared by the esoteric Shingon school, and especially its founder Kūkai (Kōbō Daishi). Ryuichi Abe writes, [W]hat makes the relationship between Saichō and Kūkai decisive in Japanese Buddhist history is not so much their cooperation as the manner in which it came to an end. Their alliance began to deteriorate when Saichō, after receiving abhiseka from Kūkai, hurried back to Mount Hiei, where

5700-524: Was simultaneously broadcast in 55 countries on May 22 and 23, 1994. The 2007 animation series Mononoke (モノノ怪), which is a spin-off of the 2006 horror anthology series Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales , references the Tōdai-ji, particularly the treasure room Shōsōin , in Episodes 8 and 9. The Tōdai-ji is used as the Japanese wonder in Age of Empires II . The Tōdai-ji is the subject of the 2003 novella "A Mountain to

5776-425: Was the fruit of years of effort and a formal debate. By 822, Saichō petitioned the court to allow the monks at Mount Hiei to ordain under the Bodhisattva Precepts rather than the traditional ordination system of the prātimokṣa , arguing that his community would be a purely Mahayana , not Hinayana one. This was met with strong protest by the Buddhist establishment who supported the kokubunji system, and lodged

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