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TiantaiTendai

Tiantai-Tendai refers to the East Asian Buddhist tradition that encompasses the Chinese Tiantai school and its Japanese offshoot, Tendai. The term reflects the historical lineage from the Chinese Tiantai school to its Japanese continuation, both centered on the Lotus Sutra as the core teaching and the aim of integrating diverse Buddhist teachings into a single cohesive path.

In China, Tiantai was founded by Zhiyi (c. 538–597 CE) on Tiantai Mountain in Zhejiang. Zhiyi developed

Tendai in Japan derives from Chinese Tiantai through the monk Saichō (767–822), who established the Enryaku-ji

Today, Tiantai-Tendai remains active in China, Taiwan, and Japan, maintaining monastic communities, academic study, and liturgical

an
organized
doctrinal
system
that
emphasizes
the
Lotus
Sutra
as
the
complete
and
ultimate
teaching
of
the
Buddha.
A
hallmark
of
Tiantai
thought
is
its
classification
of
Buddhist
teachings
into
a
hierarchical
framework,
including
the
Five
Periods
and
Two
Phases,
and
the
practice
of
aligning
study
and
meditation
with
the
Lotus
Sutra’s
message.
The
tradition
also
articulated
a
comprehensive
view
of
reality
and
mind,
stressing
the
unity
of
all
dharmas
and
the
interpenetration
of
teachings.
temple
on
Mount
Hiei
near
Kyoto
and
founded
the
Tendai
school
there.
Tendai
became
one
of
Japan’s
most
influential
Buddhist
traditions,
known
for
its
broad
scholastic
program
and
its
openness
to
a
wide
range
of
practices,
including
esoteric
(mikkyō)
rites,
as
well
as
the
later
developments
that
gave
rise
to
Zen,
Shingon,
and
Nichiren
schools.
In
Japan,
Tendai
functioned
as
an
umbrella
tradition
that
encouraged
the
study
of
multiple
sutras
and
practices
as
complementary.
life
that
uphold
the
Lotus
Sutra-centered
approach
and
the
integrative
doctrinal
method
characteristic
of
the
tradition.