Saichō and Kūkai: A Conflict of Interpretations
This article reappraises the interaction between Saichō (767-822) and Kūkai (774-835), founders, respectively, of the Japanese Tendai and Shingon schools of Buddhism. This new appraisal is based on the historical conditions in which these two men sought to introduce new types of Buddhism at the clos...
| Published in: | Japanese journal of religious studies |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Nanzan Institute
[1995]
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| In: |
Japanese journal of religious studies
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| Further subjects: | B
Mantras
B Buddhism B Calligraphy B Deities B Religious Studies B Priests B Religious rituals B Curricula B Dharma B Mandalas |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | This article reappraises the interaction between Saichō (767-822) and Kūkai (774-835), founders, respectively, of the Japanese Tendai and Shingon schools of Buddhism. This new appraisal is based on the historical conditions in which these two men sought to introduce new types of Buddhism at the close of the age of Nara Buddhism, rather than on the conventional, idealized characterizations of the two figures as the founding fathers of their respective schools. What emerges is the unbridgeable difference between Saichō and Kūkai in their interpretive strategies for delineating the role of esoteric Buddhism (Mikkyō) in establishing a new order in the early Heian Buddhist community, a difference that presented itself as a persistent tension that underlay Saichō's alliance with Kūkai from the very outset of their relationship. |
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| Contains: | Enthalten in: Japanese journal of religious studies
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