Editing Tendai (section)

== History ==
[[File:Mt Hiei with Cherry Blossom.JPG|thumb|[[Mount Hiei]] in Spring from [[Umahashi]] over the [[Takano River|Takano river]]]]

=== Foundation by Saichō ===
The teachings of the Chinese Tiantai school founded by [[Zhiyi]] (538–597 CE) had been had brought to Japan as early as 754 by [[Jianzhen]] (Jp. ''Ganjin'').<ref name="groner">{{cite book | last1 = Groner | first1 = Paul | title = Saicho: The Establishment of the Japanese Tendai School | publisher = Hawaii University Press | year = 2000 |isbn=0-8248-2371-0 | page=7}}</ref> However, Tiantai teachings did not take root until generations later when the monk [[Saichō]] 最澄 (767–822) joined the [[Japanese missions to Imperial China]] in 804 and founded [[Enryaku-ji]] on [[Mount Hiei]]. The future founder of [[Shingon Buddhism|Shingon]] Buddhism, [[Kūkai]], also traveled on the same mission; however, the two were on separate ships and there is no evidence of their meeting during this period.<ref name=":4" />

From the city of [[Ningbo]] (then called Míngzhōu 明州), Saichō was introduced by the governor to [[Daosui|Dàosuì]] (道邃), who was the seventh Tiantai patriarch, and later he journeyed to [[Tiantai Mountain]] for further study.<ref name="groner2">{{cite book | last1 = Groner | first1 = Paul | title = Saicho: The Establishment of the Japanese Tendai School | publisher = Hawaii University Press | year = 2000 |isbn=0-8248-2371-0 | pages=41–47}}</ref> After receiving teachings and initiations on [[Chan Buddhism|Chan]], Precepts and [[Chinese Esoteric Buddhism|Chinese Esoteric]] Buddhism, Saichō devoted much of his time to making accurate copies of Tiantai texts and studying under Dàosuì. By the sixth month of 805, Saichō had returned to Japan along with the official mission to China.<ref name=":0">Hazama Jikō [http://www.tendai.or.jp/english/index.php “Dengyo Daishi’s Life and Teachings”] in “The Characteristics of Japanese Tendai.” ''Japanese Journal of Religious Studies'' 14/2-3 (1987): 101-112.</ref> Saichō was also influenced by his study of [[Huayan]] (Jp. Kegon) philosophy under Gyōhyō 行表 (720–797) and this was his initial training before going to China.<ref name=":10" /><ref name=":14">Forte, Victor. ''Saichō: Founding Patriarch of Japanese Buddhism'' In Gereon Kopf (ed.), ''The Dao Companion to Japanese Buddhist Philosophy''. Springer. pp. 307–335 (2019)</ref>

Because of the Imperial Court's interest in Tiantai as well as esoteric Buddhism, Saichō quickly rose in prominence upon his return. He was asked by [[Emperor Kanmu]] (735–806) to perform various esoteric rituals, and Saichō also sought recognition from the Emperor for a new, independent Tendai school in Japan.<ref name=":0" /> Because the emperor sought to reduce the power of the [[Hossō|Hossō school]], 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.<ref name=":10" />

The new Tendai school was therefore based on a combination of the doctrinal and meditative system of Zhiyi with esoteric Buddhist practice and texts. Tendai learning at Mount Hiei traditionally followed two curriculums:<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":10" />

* ''Shikan-gō'' 止觀業: Exoteric practice, mainly based on Zhiyi's ''[[Mohe Zhiguan|Mohezhiguan]]''
* ''Shana-gō'' 遮那業: Esoteric Buddhism, focused on the ''[[Mahavairocana Tantra|Mahāvairocana-sūtra]]'' and other tantric works

However, Emperor Kanmu died shortly thereafter, and Saichō was not allocated any ordinands until 809 with the reign of [[Emperor Saga]]. Saichō'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|Chinese geomancy]] as the city's protector.<ref name="groner3">{{cite book | last1 = Groner | first1 = Paul | title = Saicho: The Establishment of the Japanese Tendai School | publisher = Hawaii University Press | year = 2000 |isbn=0-8248-2371-0 | page=31}}</ref>

==== Disagreements with other schools ====
{{JapaneseBuddhism}}
The remainder of Saichō's life was spent in heated debates with notable Hossō figures, particularly [[Tokuitsu]], and maintaining an increasingly strained relationship with Kūkai (from whom he received esoteric initiations) to broaden his understanding of esoteric Buddhism. The debates with the Hossō school was primarily centered on the doctrine of the One Vehicle (''[[Ekayāna|ekayana]]'') found in the ''[[Lotus Sutra]]'' which the Hossō school saw as not being an ultimate teaching. This was known as the ''San-Itsu Gon-Jitsu Ronsō'' (the debate over whether the One-vehicle or Three-vehicles, were the provisional or the real teaching) and it had a great influence on Japanese Buddhism.<ref name=":0" />

Saichō also studied esoteric Buddhism under Kūkai, the founder of the [[Shingon Buddhism|Shingon]] school. Saichō borrowed esoteric texts from Kūkai for copying and they also exchanged letters for some time. However, they eventually had a falling out (in around 816) over their understanding of Buddhist esotericism.<ref name=":4" /> This was because Saichō attempted to integrate esoteric Buddhism (''mikkyo'') into his broader Tendai schema, seeing esoteric Buddhism as equal to the Tendai Lotus Sutra teaching. Saichō would write that Tendai and Mikkyo "interfuse with one another" and that "there should be no such thing as preferring one to the other."<ref name=":4" />  Meanwhile, Kūkai saw mikkyo as different from and fully superior to ''kengyo'' (exoteric Buddhism) and was also concerned that Saichō had not finished his esoteric studies personally under him.<ref name=":4">Ryuichi Abe. [https://nirc.nanzan-u.ac.jp/nfile/2562 ''Saichō and Kūkai: A Conflict of Interpretations Ryuichi Abe.''] Japanese Journal of Religious Studies 1995 22/1-2</ref>

Saichō's efforts were also devoted to developing a Mahāyāna ordination platform that required the [[Bodhisattva Precepts#Brahmajala Sutra|Bodhisattva Precepts of the ''Brahmajala Sutra'']] only, and not the [[pratimokṣa]] code of the [[Dharmaguptaka]] ''[[vinaya]]'', which was traditionally used in East Asian Buddhist monasticism. Saichō saw the precepts of the small vehicle (''[[hinayana]]'') as no longer being necessary.<ref name=":0" /> His ideas were attacked by the more traditional Nara schools as well as the Sōgō (the Office of Monastic Affairs) and they were not initially approved by the imperial court. Saichō wrote the ''Kenkairon'' to respond to their criticisms. By the time that Saichō died in 822, his yearly petition was finally granted and the traditional "Four Part Vinaya" ({{zh|c=四分律}}) was replaced by the Tendai Bodhisattva Precepts.<ref name=":0" />

=== Development after Saichō ===

[[File:Statue of Ennin.jpg|thumb|alt=A statue of [[Ennin]], an important disciple of [[Saicho]] with blue sky in the background, facing right|A statue of [[Ennin]], an important disciple of [[Saicho]]]]
[[File:Chisho Daishi (Konzoji Zentsuji).jpg|thumb|Chishō Daishi Enchin (814–891)]]
[[File:Priest Souou.jpg|thumb|Statue of Konryū Daishi Sōō (831–918), the creator of the practice of circumambulating Mt. Hiei, called ''[[kaihōgyō]]'' (回峰行) ("circling the mountain")]]
Seven days after Saichō 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, Nara|Nara]]. Gishin, Saichō's disciple and the first "''zasu''" {{nihongo||座主||"Head of the Tendai Order"}}, 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: Enchō (円澄), [[Ennin]] 慈覺大師圓仁 (794–864), An'e (安慧), [[Enchin]] 智證大師圓珍 (814–891), Yuishu (惟首), Yūken (猷憲) and Kōsai (康済).<ref name="天台宗">{{cite book|title=うちのお寺は天台宗 (双葉文庫)|date=July 2016|publisher=双葉社|isbn=978-4-575-71457-9|language=ja|trans-title=My Temple is Tendai}}</ref>

By 864, Tendai monks were now appointed to the powerful [[Sōkan|''sōgō'']] {{nihongo||僧綱||"Office of Monastic Affairs"}} with the naming of An'e (安慧) as the provisional vinaya master. Other examples include Enchin's appointment to the Office of Monastic Affairs in 883. While Saichō had opposed the Office during his lifetime, within a few generations disciples were now gifted with positions in the Office by the [[Imperial House of Japan|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.{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}}

=== Development of Tendai practice traditions ===
Philosophically, the Tendai school did not deviate substantially from the beliefs that had been created by the Tiantai school in China. However, Saichō had also transmitted numerous teachings from China was not exclusively Tiantai, but also included [[Zen]] (禪), Pure Land, the esoteric [[Mikkyō]] (密教), and [[Gyeyul|Vinaya School]] (戒律) elements. The tendency to include a range of teachings became more marked in the doctrines of Saichō's successors, such as [[Ennin]], [[Enchin]] and Annen (安然, 841–?).{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}}

After Saichō, the Tendai order underwent efforts to deepen its understanding of teachings collected by the founder, particularly esoteric Buddhism. Saichō had only received initiation in the [[Diamond Realm]] Mandala, and since the rival Shingon school under Kūkai had received deeper training, early Tendai monks felt it necessary to return to China for further initiation and instruction. Saichō's disciple [[Ennin]] went to China in 838 and returned ten years later with a more thorough understanding of esoteric, [[Pure Land Buddhism|Pure Land]], and Tiantai teachings.<ref name="天台宗" /> Ennin brought important esoteric texts and initiation lineages, such as the ''[[Susiddhikāra-sūtra]],'' the ''[[Mahavairocana Tantra|Mahāvairocana-sūtra]]'' and ''[[Vajrasekhara Sutra|Vajraśekhara-sūtra]].{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}}''

However, in later years, this range of teachings began to form sub-schools within Tendai Buddhism.  By the time of [[Ryōgen]], there were two distinct groups on Mt. Hiei, the [[Jimon and Sanmon]]: the Sammon-ha "Mountain Group" (山門派) followed [[Ennin]] and the Jimon-ha "Temple Group" (寺門派) followed [[Enchin]].<ref name="rhodes">{{cite book |last1=Rhodes |first1=Robert F. |title=Genshin's Ōjōyōshū and the Construction of Pure Land Discourse in Heian Japan (Pure Land Buddhist Studies) |last2=Payne |first2=Richard K. |publisher=University of Hawaii Press |year=2017 |isbn=978-0824872489 |pages=84–86, 111, 122–123}}</ref>

Konryū Daishi Sōō (831–918), a student of Ennin, is another influential Tendai figure. He is known for developing the ascetic practice circumambulating Mt. Hiei, living and practicing in the remote wilderness. This practice, which became associated with [[Acala|Fudō Myōō]] (Acala) and Sōō's hermitage at Mudō- ji, became quite influential in Tendai. A more elaborate and systematized practice based on Sōō's simple mountain asceticism developed over time, and came to be called ''[[kaihōgyō]]'' (回峰行). This remains an important part of Tendai Buddhism today.<ref>Rhodes, Robert F. [https://nirc.nanzan-u.ac.jp/nfile/2354 “ The Kaihogyo Practice of Mt. Hiei.”] ''Japanese Journal of Religious Studies'' 14/2-3 (1987): 185-202.</ref>

Akaku Daishi [[Annen (monk)|Annen]] (841–902?) is one of the most important post-Saichō Tendai thinkers. He wrote around a hundred works on Tendai doctrine and practice.<ref>Dolce, Lucia; Mano, Shinya (2011). ''Godai'in Annen''. Leiden: Brill NV. p. 770.</ref> According to Annen's theory of the "four ones" (''shiichi kyōhan'' 四一教判), 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.<ref>Dolce, Lucia; Mano, Shinya (2011). ''Godai'in Annen''. Leiden: Brill NV. p. 771.</ref>

According to Lucia Dolce, Annen "systematized earlier and contemporary doctrines elaborated in both streams of Japanese esoteric Buddhism, Tōmitsu (i.e., Shingon) and Taimitsu (Tendai)," "critically reinterpreted Kūkai'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 (''sōmoku jōbutsu'')" as well as ''hongaku shisō'' thought.<ref name=":15" />

These various post-Saichō Tendai figures also developed the Tendai doctrine of "the identity of the purport of Perfect and Esoteric teachings" (''enmitsu itchi'' 円密一致) which according to Ōkubo Ryōshun "refers to the harmony and agreement between the Perfect teachings of the Lotus Sutra and Esoteric Buddhism."<ref name=":5">Ōkubo Ryōshun 大久保良峻. [https://nirc.nanzan-u.ac.jp/nfile/4331 “The Identity between the Purport of the Perfect and Esoteric Teachings.”] ''Japanese Journal of Religious Studies'' 41/1 (2014): 83–102.</ref>

=== Later Heian ===
[[File:Mii-dera_Otsu_Shiga_pref01s5s4592.jpg|thumb|Golden Hall of [[Mii-dera|Onjōji]], also known as Mii-dera, a National Treasure of Japan.]]
During the later [[Heian period]], [[Ryōgen]] 良源 (912–985) 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|imperial court in Kyoto]]. Due to Ryōgen's influence, Fujiwara family members also came to occupy important positions at Tendai temples. Ryōgen 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 ([[sōhei]]). 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.<ref>Groner, Paul. ''Ryōgen and Mt. Hiei: Japanese Tendai in the Tenth Century''. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2002.</ref><ref name=":27">Adolphson, Mikael S. 2007. ''The Teeth and Claws of the Buddha: Monastic Warriors and Sōhei in Japanese History'', pp. 7-12. Honolulu: University of Hawai‘i Press.</ref> Whatever the case, the late [[Heian period|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.<ref name=":27" /> During this period, the main Tendai temples of [[Enryaku-ji|Enryakuji]] and [[Mii-dera|Onjōji]] resorted to armed violence against each other on more than one occasion.<ref>Adolphson, Mikael S. 2007. ''The Teeth and Claws of the Buddha: Monastic Warriors and Sōhei in Japanese History'', p. 19. Honolulu: University of Hawai‘i Press.</ref>   

[[Ryōgen]]'s most influential disciples where [[Genshin]] (''Eshin sōzu'' 942-1017) and Kakuun (''Dannasōzu'' 957-1007).<ref name=":26" /> The lineages of these two figures developed into two main sects within Tendai, the Eshin school and the Danna school respectively. According to Shōshin Ichishima "Genshin's Eshin school espoused the doctrine of the original enlightenment, while Kakuun's Danna school espoused that of acquired enlightenment. The Eshinryū school used the [[Paramartha#Pure consciousness|ninth consciousness]] as the basis of meditation, whereas the Dannaryū used the [[Eight Consciousnesses|sixth consciousness]] in the [[Yogachara|yogācāra]] consciousness [system]. The Eshinryū school valued oral transmission of doctrine and meditative insight, while Dannaryū emphasized doctrine and texts. The Eshinryū school favored the "origin teaching" (''honmon''), and the latter fourteen chapters of the ''Lotus Sūtra'' over the "trace teaching" (''shakumon''), the first fourteen chapters, while the Dannaryū school regarded both sections as equally important. These differences distinguish the two schools."<ref name=":26" /> 

=== Tendai Pure Land ===
During the Heian period, Tendai [[Pure Land Buddhism|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 Samādhi Sūtra|Pratyutpanna Samādhi]]'' derived practice taught in Zhiyi's ''[[Mohe Zhiguan]]'' in which one would circumambulate a Buddha statue while meditating on the features of the Buddha [[Amitābha|Amitabha]]''.''<ref name=":20">Rhodes, Robert F. ''Genshin’s Ōjōyōshū and the Construction of Pure Land Discourse in Heian Japan'' p. 103. (2017, University of Hawaii Press)</ref> Chinese Pure Land chanting methods, such as [[Fazhao|Fazhao's]] five tone nembutsu (go-e nembutsu, 五会念仏) were also adopted into the Tendai tradition by figures like [[Ennin]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Profile of Jikaku Daishi |url=https://www.tendai.or.jp/daihoue/profile/jikaku.html |accessdate=2022-02-12 |website=www.tendai.or.jp |language=Japanese}}</ref> In early Japanese Tendai Pure Land discourse, monks such as Zenyu and [[Senkan]] (918–984) embraced this practice and focused their teaching on Pure Land elements, seeing it as the most viable kind of practice for the age of [[Decline of the Dharma|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.<ref>Rhodes, Robert F. ''Genshin’s Ōjōyōshū and the Construction of Pure Land Discourse in Heian Japan'' pp. 89-103. (2017, University of Hawaii Press)</ref> 

[[Genshin]] (942–1017), an influential student of Ryōgen, wrote the famous ''Ōjōyōshū'' 往生要集 ("Essentials of Birth in the Pure Land"), a treatise on Pure Land practice which influenced later Pure Land Japanese figures.<ref>Stone, Jacqueline Ilyse (1999). ''Original Enlightenment and the Transformation of Medieval Japanese Buddhism''. Honolulu, Hawaii: University of Hawaii Press. p. 118. {{ISBN|0-8248-2026-6}}.</ref> His work built upon the foundational ideas established by earlier monks like Senkan, emphasizing Pure Land practice as a viable and effective path toward enlightenment. Genshin’s approach integrated these earlier teachings, presenting Pure Land birth as a powerful tool for advancing along the bodhisattva path in the quest for buddhahood.<ref name=":20" /> Genshin would later become a key figure for Japanese Pure Land teachers like [[Hōnen]].

=== Kamakura Period (1185–1333) ===
[[File:Cape BenKei.JPG|thumb|A statue of the famed warrior monk (sōhei) [[Benkei]]. Benkei trained at [[Enryaku-ji|Enryakuji]] before entering the service of [[Minamoto no Yoshitsune]]. His exploits captured the public imagination, becoming a famous character in art and samurai lore.<ref>Adolphson, Mikael S. 2007. ''The Teeth and Claws of the Buddha: Monastic Warriors and Sōhei in Japanese History'', p. 117. Honolulu: University of Hawai‘i Press.</ref>]]

Although the Tendai sect flourished under the patronage of the [[Imperial House of Japan]] and the noble classes, 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 clan|Taira]] and [[Minamoto clan|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 [[sōhei]] (warrior-monks).<ref name="Stone" /> This was not unusual for major temples at the time, as major Buddhist temples (such as [[Kōfuku-ji]]) fielded armies to protect their estates from [[samurai]] armies and bandits. With the outbreak of the [[Genpei War]] (1180–1185), major Tendai temples armed themselves and sometimes joined the war.<ref>Adolphson, Mikael S. 2007. ''The Teeth and Claws of the Buddha: Monastic Warriors and Sōhei in Japanese History'', pp. 46-48. Honolulu: University of Hawai‘i Press.</ref> 

In response to the perceived [[Secularity|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 and more popular practices. The major figures of "New [[Kamakura period|Kamakura]] Buddhism" like [[Nichiren]], [[Hōnen]], [[Shinran]], [[Eisai]] and [[Dōgen]], were all initially trained as Tendai monks.<ref name="Stone" /> 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, [[nianfo|nembutsu]] for Pure Land schools, etc.) in contrast to the more integrated approach of the Tendai. In spite of the rise of these new competing schools which saw Tendai as being "corrupt", medieval Tendai remained a "a rich, varied, and thriving tradition" during the medieval period according to Jacqueline Stone.<ref name="Stone" />
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Initially, the largest and most popular of these new traditions—[[Jōdo-shū|Pure Land Buddhism]] and [[Nichiren Buddhism]]—did 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 [[sōhei]] (warrior monks) to repress these groups as well as drawing on their political influence. In one such event, Tendai warrior monks destroyed the printing blocks of [[Hōnen|Hōnen's]] ''Senchakushū'' and raided the tomb of Hōnen''.<ref name="jones">{{cite book |last1=Jones |first1=Charles B. |title=Pure Land: History, Tradition, and Practice (Buddhist Foundations) |publisher=Shambhala |year=2021 |isbn=978-1-61180-890-2 |pages=123–135}}</ref><ref name=":02">Jodo Shu Research Institute. [https://web.archive.org/web/20150703024558/http://www.jsri.jp/English/Jodoshu/disciples/eras/4eras.html The 4 Eras of Honen's Disciples]</ref><ref name=":73">{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=E5IQbJ8qBEKQ5mqX&v=K7AyxJlX8fY&feature=youtu.be |title=Honen Shonin And His Modern Legacy |date=2021-02-14 |last=Blum |first=Mark |access-date=2025-02-14 |via=BCA: Center for Buddhist Education {{!}} YouTube}}</ref>'' Despite internal divisions, the Tendai establishment remained politically and militarily powerful throughout the Kamakura Period. Enryaku-ji maintained its network of warrior monks (sōhei) 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]] 慈圓 (1155–1225), known as a historian and a poet, who wrote the ''Gukanshō'' (a religious history of Japan) and numerous devotional poems.<ref>Morrell, Robert E. ''Early Kamakura Buddhism: A Minority Report''. Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture, 1987.</ref> Hōjibō Shōshin 寶地房證眞 (active 1153–1214) was a major Buddhist intellectual in medieval Japanese Buddhism and the head of the Tendai curriculum at Mount Hiei. Shōshin 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 天台三大部私記). This is "the most detailed study on Tendai doctrine until the twentieth century," according to Matthew Don McMullen.<ref>McMullen, Matthew Don (2016). [https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4866n1tb ''The Development of Esoteric Buddhist Scholasticism in Early Medieval Japan.'' University of California, Berkeley.]
</ref> Shōshin also wrote on esoteric Buddhism, which he interpreted in line with classical Tiantai doctrine, instead of seeing it as a separate form of Buddhism. Shōshin rejected the view that esoteric or [[Vajrayana|mantrayana]] (''shingon'') Buddhism was superior to the Tendai Mahāyāna teaching of the one vehicle.<ref>McMullen, Matthew Don (2016). [https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4866n1tb ''The Development of Esoteric Buddhist Scholasticism in Early Medieval Japan.'' University of California, Berkeley.] p. 223.</ref>

=== Muromachi and Sengoku Periods (1333–1600) ===
The [[Muromachi period]] saw Tendai Buddhism continue to hold prestige, but political instability and the weakening of the imperial court diminished its influence. Tendai remained closely connected to the [[Ashikaga shogunate]], and its doctrines influenced esoteric and Pure Land practices. However, the school’s warrior monks were drawn into larger conflicts, particularly during the [[Ōnin War]] (1467–1477), which devastated Kyoto and disrupted religious institutions.

During this time, some Tendai figures sought to revive the fractured tradition in various ways. One such figure was [[Shinsei Shōnin|Shinsei]] 眞盛 (1443–1495), who emphasized the practice of nembutsu.<ref name=":22">Payne, Richard K. [http://www.shin-ibs.edu/documents/pwj-new/new7/06Payne.pdf ''Shinzei’s Discourse on Practicing the Samadhi of Meditating on the Buddha''.] Pacific World Journal  New Series Number 7 Fall 1991</ref>

During the Sengoku period, the power of Enryaku-ji was directly challenged by [[Oda Nobunaga]]. In 1571, seeking to break the political and military power of Buddhist institutions, Nobunaga launched a brutal assault on Mount Hiei, burning Enryaku-ji and massacring thousands of monks and laypeople. This event severely weakened Tendai’s influence and authority, though its doctrines and traditions persisted in smaller temples and through its connection with the imperial lineage. 

=== Edo Period (1603–1868) ===
[[file:Five-storied Pagoda - Kan'ei-ji.jpg|thumb|[[Kan'ei-ji]]'s original Five-storied Pagoda]]
The [[Tokugawa shogunate]] sought to control religious institutions, and under its temple registration system (the [[Danka system]]). Tendai, like other Buddhist schools, was integrated into the state’s religious structure. Enryaku-ji was rebuilt with shogunal support, but 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]] (1536–1643). 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.<ref name="PHP">{{Cite news |author=宮元健次 |date=2013-03-28 |title=江戸を大都市にした天海は、何を仕掛けたのか |url=http://shuchi.php.co.jp/article/1389 |publisher=PHPビジネスオンライン衆知}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-10-05 |title=【戦国こぼれ話】現在は学者受難の時代？戦国時代は重要だった知識人たち！(渡邊大門) |url=https://news.yahoo.co.jp/expert/articles/fb0524b5d11aec66c8e1de540563e66c37da487b |accessdate=2020-12-22 |publisher=Yahoo!ニュース}}</ref> Tenkai also worked to print and publish the entire [[Chinese Buddhist canon|Chinese Buddhist Canon]]. 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.<ref name="TNM2011">{{Cite web |title=東叡山寛永寺 |url=https://www.tnm.jp/common/fckeditor/editor/filemanager/connectors/php/transfer.php?file=/exhibition/201110/uid000067_32303131313031326B616E65696A692E706466 |accessdate=2019-10-28 |publisher=[[東京国立博物館]]}}</ref> Tendai scholars also engaged in doctrinal debates with the emerging [[Ōbaku|Ōbaku Zen]] school, which introduced new influences from China.

=== Meiji Period to Present (1868–Present) ===
The [[Meiji Restoration]] brought severe challenges to Tendai and other Buddhist institutions. The government’s promotion of [[Shinto]] led to the confiscation of temple lands and a decline in patronage. The 19th and early 20th centuries saw efforts to modernize the 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 [[Shōchō Hagami]] (1903–1989). He served as President of the Japanese Religious Committee for World Federation and was a great practitioner of extenseive [[Kaihōgyō]].<ref name=":19">Shocho Hagami, ''Kaihogyo No Kokoro'' (Kyoto: Shunju, 1996); Ichijo Miyamoto and Taisho Yokoyama, eds., ''Zansho'' (Otsu: Zenpon Sha, 1990), esp. 372-74.</ref> Hagami, along with [[Etai Yamada]] (1900–1999) were two major Tendai figures of the 20th century who widely promoted religious dialogue with other world religions and traveled widely.<ref name=":19" /> 

Today, the Tendai school remains active, with Enryaku-ji serving as its headquarters. While no longer a dominant force in Japanese Buddhism, it continues to influence various traditions through its doctrinal legacy and training system. Tendai temples in Japan and abroad promote both traditional monastic practice and lay-oriented teachings.