Tendai Buddhism (天台宗, Tendai-shū) is a major school of Japanese Buddhism, established in the 9th century by the monk Saichō (最澄). It is an adaptation of the Tiantai (天台宗, Tiāntái zōng) school of Chinese Buddhism, founded by Zhiyi (智顗) in the 6th century. Tendai Buddhism is known for its inclusive approach, integrating a wide range of Mahayana teachings, especially those centered around the Lotus Sutra (妙法蓮華経, Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra), which it views as the highest and most complete expression of the Buddha’s teachings. Tendai emphasizes the inherent potential for enlightenment in all beings, and its teachings include elements of meditation, philosophy, and ritual practices.
Key Features of Tendai Buddhism:
Centrality of The Lotus Sūtra: The Lotus Sutra is regarded as the most profound and final teaching of the Buddha in Tendai Buddhism. It emphasizes the universality of Buddha Nature and the potential for all beings to achieve Buddhahood. According to the Tendai school, the Lotus Sutra reveals the ultimate truth that the Buddha’s wisdom is available to everyone, and that all paths lead to enlightenment. This inclusiveness reflects the core of Tendai philosophy, which seeks to harmonize and unify various Buddhist doctrines under the understanding that all teachings are expressions of a single, ultimate truth.
Ekayana (One Vehicle): A key concept in Tendai Buddhism is Ekayana (一乗, “One Vehicle”), derived from the Lotus Sutra. This idea posits that while different schools and practices may appear distinct, they all lead to the same goal: Buddhahood. Tendai teaches that all Buddhist paths, whether they focus on meditation, ethical conduct, or wisdom, are ultimately expressions of the same truth, and thus there is no contradiction between various approaches. This inclusive view allows Tendai to incorporate a wide range of Buddhist practices, including both Mahayana and Hinayana teachings, into a cohesive framework.
Original Enlightenment (本覚, Hongaku): Original Enlightenment is a central doctrine in Tendai Buddhism. It refers to the idea that enlightenment is inherent in all beings from the very beginning, and the task of practice is to realize and manifest this innate Buddha Nature. Rather than viewing enlightenment as something to be achieved through a long process of cultivation, Tendai teaches that all beings are already enlightened at their core, but this enlightenment is obscured by ignorance and delusion. Through practice, one can awaken to this original enlightenment and live in accordance with it.
Comprehensive Practice (四種三昧, Shishūzanmai): Tendai Buddhism advocates a balanced and comprehensive approach to practice, combining meditation, ethics, and wisdom. It encourages a range of practices, including: • Sitting meditation (zazen) for calming the mind. • Walking meditation (kinhin) for integrating mindfulness into daily life. • Chanting and ritual practices to cultivate devotion and purify negative karma. • Study of scriptures, particularly the Lotus Sutra, to develop wisdom and insight. This integrated approach reflects Tendai’s belief that all methods are valuable and can lead to enlightenment when applied appropriately.
Meditation Practices: The Tendai school places significant emphasis on meditation, particularly practices such as shikan (止観), which combines calming meditation (shamatha) and insight meditation (vipassana). Shikan aims to stabilize the mind and develop direct insight into the nature of reality. The balance of these two types of meditation is seen as essential for cultivating wisdom and seeing into the true nature of all phenomena.
Monastic and Lay Practice: Tendai Buddhism places importance on both monastic and lay practice, encouraging all practitioners to engage in Buddhist practices according to their capacities and circumstances. Tendai monks often engage in rigorous training, including the famous kaihōgyō, a form of marathon walking meditation practiced by Tendai monks at Mount Hiei (the school’s head temple). At the same time, Tendai Buddhism provides accessible practices for laypeople, including chanting and rituals, that allow all individuals to cultivate their inherent enlightenment.
Influence of Esoteric Practices: Tendai incorporates esoteric Buddhist practices (密教, Mikkyo), influenced by Shingon Buddhism. These esoteric elements, including the use of mantras, mandalas, and rituals, are integrated into Tendai’s broader framework. Esoteric teachings are seen as a way to directly experience the cosmic nature of the Buddha and realize the interconnectedness of all phenomena.
Mount Hiei: Mount Hiei (比叡山, Hieizan), near Kyoto, is the spiritual center of Tendai Buddhism. Founded by Saichō, it remains one of the most important monastic training centers in Japan. The monks of Mount Hiei follow rigorous training regimens, including the famous kaihōgyō, a physically demanding practice where monks walk long distances around the mountain in a form of walking meditation, sometimes for 1,000 consecutive days. This practice is intended to cultivate deep concentration, endurance, and insight into the nature of suffering and liberation.
Saichō and the Foundation of Tendai:
Saichō (最澄, 767–822) was a Japanese monk who traveled to China to study Tiantai Buddhism. Upon his return to Japan, he founded the Tendai school, introducing its teachings and practices to the country. Saichō was deeply influenced by the Lotus Sutra and emphasized the universality of enlightenment, teaching that all beings have the potential to attain Buddhahood. His vision of an inclusive, unified form of Buddhism laid the foundation for the spread of Tendai in Japan, where it became one of the most influential schools during the Heian period.
Saichō also worked to establish the first ordination platform in Japan based on the Mahayana precepts, as opposed to the earlier Hinayana precepts that had been used. This shift reflected Saichō’s emphasis on the bodhisattva ideal, where practitioners take vows to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all beings.
Tendai’s Influence on Japanese Buddhism:
Tendai Buddhism played a crucial role in shaping the development of Japanese Buddhism. It served as a foundation for several other major schools, as many influential Buddhist teachers—including Honen (founder of Pure Land Buddhism), Shinran (founder of Jodo Shinshu), Nichiren (founder of Nichiren Buddhism), and Dōgen (founder of Soto Zen)—were originally trained in the Tendai tradition. Each of these figures took different aspects of Tendai thought and developed new schools based on their interpretations.
Philosophical Approach:
Tendai Buddhism is characterized by its inclusive philosophy, often described as “one taste” or “one vehicle” (Ekayana). This inclusivity allows it to embrace various Buddhist doctrines and practices, seeing them as different expressions of the same underlying truth. Tendai’s approach emphasizes the interconnectedness of all phenomena and the non-duality of practice and realization. Enlightenment is seen as something that can be experienced in everyday life, and all actions—when performed with mindfulness and insight—can lead to awakening.
The school’s emphasis on the Lotus Sutra and Buddha Nature teachings aligns it with the original enlightenment (hongaku) doctrine, which holds that all beings are inherently enlightened and that spiritual practice serves to realize this innate truth.
Conclusion:
Tendai Buddhism is a major school of Japanese Buddhism that emphasizes the universality of enlightenment, the centrality of the Lotus Sutra, and the inclusiveness of various Buddhist teachings. Founded by Saichō, it incorporates a wide range of practices, including meditation, ritual, esoteric practices, and scriptural study, in the belief that all paths ultimately lead to enlightenment. Tendai’s influence on later developments in Japanese Buddhism, as well as its inclusive and comprehensive approach to practice, make it one of the most significant schools in the history of East Asian Buddhism.