Ryo¯gen and Mount Hiei Map of Mount Hiei A. To Kyoto E. Western Pagoda area I. Mount Hachioji 4. Sojiin B. To Otsu F. Lake Biwa 1. Benten Hall 5. Precepts Platform C. Mudojidani G. Sakamoto 2. Myoo Hall 6. Lecture Hall D. Eastern Pagoda area H. Yokawa area 3. Peak of Mount Hiei 7. Central Hall 8. Mañju4ri’s Tower 12. Ninai Halls 16. Ganzan Daishi Hall 20. Hiyoshi Shrine 9. Pure Land Hall 13. $akyamuni Hall 17. Central Hall 10. Camellia Hall 14. Sorin Tower 18. Nyoho Pagoda 11. Constant-walking Hall 15. Eshin’in 19. Ganzan Daishi Mausoleum Kuroda Institute Studies in East Asian Buddhism Studies in Ch’an and Hua-yen Robert M. Gimello and Peter N. Gregory, editors Dogen Studies William R. LaFleur, editor The Northern School and the Formation of Early Ch’an Buddhism John R. McRae Traditions of Meditation in Chinese Buddhism Peter N. Gregory, editor Sudden and Gradual: Approaches to Enlightenment in Chinese Thought Peter N. Gregory, editor Buddhist Hermeneutics Donald S. Lopez, Jr., editor Paths to Liberation: The Marga and Its Transformations in Buddhist Thought Robert E. Buswell, Jr., and Robert M. Gimello, editors Soto Zen in Medieval Japan William M. Bodiford The Scripture on the Ten Kings and the Making of Purgatory in Medieval Chinese Buddhism Stephen F. Teiser The Eminent Monk: Buddhist Ideals in Medieval Chinese Hagiography John Kieschnick Re-Visioning “Kamakura” Buddhism Richard K. Payne, editor Original Enlightenment and the Transformation of Medieval Japanese Buddhism Jacqueline I. Stone Buddhism in the Sung Peter N. Gregory and Daniel A. Getz, Jr., editors Coming to Terms with Chinese Buddhism: A Reading of The Treasure Store Treatise Robert H. Sharf Studies in East Asian Buddhism 15 Ryo¯gen and Mount Hiei Japanese Tendai in the Tenth Century Paul Groner A Kuroda Institute Book University of Hawai‘i Press Honolulu © 2002 Kuroda Institute All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America 08 07 06 05 04 03 6 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Ryogen and Mount Hiei : Japanese Tendai in the tenth century / Paul Groner. p. cm.—(Studies in East Asian Buddhism ; 15) “A Kuroda Institute book.” Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn 0-8248-2260-9 (alk. paper) 1. Ryogen, 912–985. 2. Tendai (Sect)—History. 3. Priests, Tendai—Japan—Biography. I. Series. BQ982 .Y944 G76 2002 294.3'92—dc21 2002004637 Publication of this book was made possible by a generous grant from the Tendai School’s Office of General Affairs The Kuroda Institute for the Study of Buddhism and Human Values is a nonprofit, educational corporation founded in 1976. One of its primary objectives is to promote scholarship on the historical, philosophical, and cultural ramifications of Buddhism. In association with the University of Hawai‘i Press, the Institute also publishes Classics in East Asian Buddhism, a series devoted to the translation of significant texts in the East Asian Buddhist tradition. Frontis map: This map is based on a typical modern tourist map of Mount Hiei; no maps survive that reflect Mount Hiei during Ryogen’s tenure. University of Hawai‘i Press books are printed on acid-free paper and meet the guidelines for permanence and durability of the Council on Library Resources. Designed by Integrated Composition Systems Printed by The Maple-Vail Book Manufacturing Group Contents List of Tables and Figures ix Preface xi Abbreviations xv 1. Ryogen’s Place in the History of the Tendai School 1 2. The Early History of Factionalism within the Tendai School: From Saicho through the Mid-tenth Century 15 3. Ryogen’s Early Years 45 4. Ryogen’s Rise to Prominence 56 5. Ryogen and the Fujiwaras: Patronage and Esoteric Buddhist Ritual 71 6. The Owa Debates 94 7. Ryogen’s Appointments as Head of the Tendai School and to the Office of Monastic Affairs 118 8. The Significance of Ryogen’s Revival of the Examination System 128 9. Rebuilding the Tendai Establishment on Mount Hiei 167 10. Ryogen as Zasu: Financing the Spread of Tendai Influence 190 11. Factionalism and Ryogen’s Efforts to Control the Order 218 12. Ryogen and the Role of Nuns in Ninth- and Tenth- century Japan 245 13. Epilogue: Ryogen’s Posthumous Career 289 Appendix 1. Ennin and Yokawa 305 Appendix 2. A Note on Morosuke’s Interests 311 Appendix 3. Dying Instructions of the Great Archbishop Jie 313 vii viii Contents Appendix 4. Takamitsu’s Retreat to Tonomine 327 Appendix 5. A Record of the Owa Debates 331 Appendix 6. Ten Doubts concerning the Hosso School 337 Appendix 7. Zoga as an Eccentric 341 Appendix 8. Invocation of Tendai Abbot Ryogen 345 Notes 367 Glossary 463 Bibliography 491 Index 511 Tables and Figures Tables 1. Social Background of Tendai Zasu 47 2. Social Background of Abbots of Kofukuji 47 3. Social Background of Lecturers at the Three Major Assemblies in Nara 48 4. Social Background for Appointments to High Monastic Offices 48 5. Ryogen’s Esoteric Buddhist Lineage 65 6. Initial List of Participants in the Owa Debates from the Nara Schools 98 7. List of Initial Invitees from the Tendai School and Their Monastic Affiliations 100 8. Lecturers and Questioners at the Owa Debates 101 9. Ryogen’s Appointments to the Office of Monastic Affairs 121 10. Jinzen’s Appointments to the Office of Monastic Affairs 122 11. Membership of the Sogo according to School 126 12. Lecturers at the Yuima-e according to Temple Affiliation and Date 135 13. Early Tandai for Tendai Debates 149 14. Topics for Tendai Debates 161 15. The Sixteen Gika 163 16. Six Additional Gika 164 17. The Six Shuyo 165 18. Chronology of Ryogen’s Rebuilding of Mount Hiei 170 19. Funding for the Monks of the Sojiin 183 ix xTables and Figures 20. Jinzen’s Tenure as Zasu 195 21. Support for the Myokoin 198 Figures 1. Ryogen’s Tendai Lineage 50 2. Lineage of Tadahira’s Major Descendants 223 3. Lineage for Kaneie 225 Preface The idea for this book first came from Professor Sonoda Koyu of Wakayama University who told me about Ryogen when I went to visit him in Wakayama as I was finishing my doctoral dissertation on Saicho. Professor Sonoda kindly sent me copies of two documents from the Heian ibun: Ryogen’s will and a set of twenty-six rules, both of which are translated in the appendixes of this book. I did not begin working on Ryogen until 1982–83, when I held a Japan Foundation Fellowship. Around the same time, a friend arranged an introduction to Hirabayashi Moritoku, the author of a biography of Ryogen who was kind enough to discuss several issues with me. A good friend, Ichishima Masao of Taisho University, told me of a childhood illness that had been cured through prayers to Ganzan Daishi (Ryogen). As a result, he named his son Gen, taking the character “gan” from Ryogen’s posthumous title Ganzan Daishi. Such stories helped me to understand the role of Ryo- gen in contemporary Japan. I had initially intended to write one or two short articles on Ryogen to help with my tenure. The deeper I went into Ryogen’s biography, however, the more issues I found that interested me. My short project gradually evolved into a much longer work that lasted for many years. My studies of Ryogen have been sporadic; I’ve worked intensively for short periods then put the manuscript away for considerable time as I worked on other projects. The result is a book that is somewhat idio- syncratic as it reflects my changing interests over the years. Recently, several events helped me decide that it was time to publish this work. My own interests have taken me in other directions, and I came to feel that additional time spent on this study would not neces- sarily improve it. Thus I decided that the time had come to publish it so that others could use and build on it. In addition, the contingencies of the academic calendar and promotion to full professor necessitated xi xii Preface distributing the text to readers. In the process of being considered for promotion, I became aware that Eisho Nasu of the Institute of Buddhist Studies in Berkeley had just finished a doctoral dissertation on Ryogen: “Doctrine and Institution in Japanese Tendai Buddhism: A Study of Jie Daishi Ryogen (912–985).” After meeting with Professor Nasu, we agreed that I would include three of his translations in my book: (1) the major source for the Owa debates, the Owa shuronki; (2) Ryogen’s will; and (3) Ryogen’s compilation of twenty-six rules. I am deeply in- debted to Professor Nasu for agreeing to this arrangement and help- ing us to overcome what could have been an awkward situation. His fine translations enhance this study. Although I have edited his translations by eliminating notes that were already covered in the body of my book and adding a very few of my own, the translations are still substantially as I received them. I have been deeply impressed by his rendering of some of the more difficult passages. An earlier version of chapter 12 is scheduled to be published in En- gendering Faith: Women and Buddhism in Premodern Japan, volume 1: New Directions in Western Research, edited by Barbara Ruch (Ann Arbor: Cen- ter for Japanese Studies, University of Michigan, forthcoming). I thank Professor Ruch for permission to use a revised version in this volume. The General Administration of the Tendai School (Tendai shumu- cho) graciously provided a generous subvention that aided in the pub- lication of the book.