Special Exhibition Commemorating the 1200th Anniversary of Saichō’s Death

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Buddhist Art of the Tendai School

Tendai (Ch. Tiantai) Buddhism was first established in China by a Sui-dynasty (581–618) priest named Zhiyi, who based its teachings on the Lotus Sutra. It gained a foothold in Japan after Japanese monk Saichō who, having studied Zhiyi’s teachings, established Enryakuji Temple on Mt. Hiei. In this section, we take a look at Saichō’s eventful life as told by historical artifacts.

Two of the most prominent of Saichō’s disciples were Ennin (794–864) and Enchin (814–91), who later went on to succeed him. Both traveled to the Tang Chinese capital of Chang’an to gain a deeper grounding in Esoteric Buddhism, which Saichō had himself studied in China. They subsequently established the foundations of Tendai Esoteric Buddhism. This section covers the development of the Tendai school in Japan after incorporating elements from Esoteric Buddhism.

Tendai Buddhism places great emphasis on the central idea that the path to enlightenment is open to everyone, a doctrine that formed the basis for its propagation throughout Japan. The exhibits in this section offer a glimpse into the blossoming of Tendai Buddhism across the country.

In the mid-tenth century, Enryakuji was restored by priest Ryōgen (912–85) after a series of fires destroyed much of the complex. Following this, Ryōgen led the temple and the Tendai school to new heights, with devoted spiritual and economic patronage of the emperor and the powerful Fujiwara clan. This section features Tendai treasures associated with the religious devotion of the nobility, whose patronage and academic exchange with monks have shaped Japanese Buddhism.

As Buddhist thought permeated the Japanese consciousness, the Lotus Sutra and its doctrine of universal salvation inspired Hōnen (1133–1212), Shinran (1173–1263), Nichiren (1222–82), and other priests to found several new schools that became collectively known as New Kamakura Buddhism. This section examines how the teachings of the Lotus Sutra led to the blossoming of a rich variety of Tendai schools during Japan’s medieval period.

In 1571, Enryakuji was razed to the ground by Oda Nobunaga, though it was later restored by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and the Tokugawa shogunate. Playing a pivotal role in the temple’s restoration was Tenkai (1536?–1643), a priest who had served under the Tokugawa shogunate. In this last section, we explore the history of Tendai Buddhism in the Edo period (17th–19th century) through resplendent treasures produced during that time under the patronage of the Tokugawa shogunate.