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...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Japanese journal of religious studies 1995-04, Vol.22 (1/2), p.103-137
Main Authors: Abé, Ryūichi, 安 部 龍 一
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Buddhism
Curricula
Deities
Dharma
Japan
Kukai
Mandalas
Mantras
Priests
Religious history
Religious rituals
Religious studies
Saicho
Texts
Vehicles
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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.
ISSN:0304-1042
DOI:10.18874/jjrs.22.1-2.1995.103-137