Ryogen and Mount Hiei focuses on the transformation of the Tendai School from a small and impoverished group of monks in the early ninth century to its emergence as the most powerful and influential school of Japanese Buddhism in the last half of the tenth century—a position it would maintain throughout the medieval period. This is the first study in a Western language of the institutional factors that lay behind the school's success. At its core is a biography of a major figure behind this transformation, Ryogen (912–985). The discussion, however, extends well beyond a simple biography as Ryogen's activities are placed in their historical and institutional context. Unlike the recluses and eccentrics that have so often attracted Western readers of Buddhism, Ryogen was a consummate politician and builder. Because he lost his major monastic sponsor at an early age, he was forced to find ways to advance his career with little support. His activities reveal much about the path to success for monks during the tenth century. Skill in debate, the performance of Esoteric Buddhist ritual, and strategic alliances with powerful lay and monastic figures were important to his advance. In 966 Ryogen was appointed head of the Tendai School and served until his death nineteen years later. He has been vilified at times for his loyalty to his own faction within Tendai at the expense of other groups. Careful analysis of the political and social factors behind his attitudes, however, places his activities in their appropriate context. The study concludes with a discussion of the ordinations and roles of nuns during the early Heian period. An examination of Ryogen's close relation with his mother helps define the ambiguities of a school that prohibited women from the precincts of its temple yet performed rituals to insure safe childbirth and frequently attracted their patronage. A number of primary sources are translated in the appendices.

The first three centuries of the Heian period (794-1086) saw some of its most fertile innovations and epochal achievements in Japanese literature and the arts. This work examines the early Heian from a variety of multidisciplinary perspectives.

First published in 2000. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

This book contains thirty numbers of the renowned Bodhi Leaves Publication series, dealing with various aspects of the Buddha’s teaching. 31 Meditation—First Steps to Control of the Senses—P. M. Rao 32 The Threefold Division of the Noble Eightfold Path—Piyadassi Thera 33 Extinction Without Remainder—Buddhadasa Bhikkhu 34 Protection Through Satipatthana—Nyanaponika Thera 35 The Four Cankers (Asava)—T. H. Perera 36 Renunciation—T. Prince 37 The Preparatory Path—John D. Ireland 38 The Advantages of Merit—Bhikkhu Khantipalo 39 The Supreme Conqueror—Francis Story 40 Right Understanding—Bhikkhu Silabhadra 41 Applications of Dhamma—Siri Buddhasukh 42 Buddhism: A Method of Mind Training—Leonard Bullen 43 The Relevance of Buddhism in the Modern World—Princess Poon Pismai Diskul 44 Three Mental Faculties and Guarding the Doors of the Senses—Dr. Elizabeth Ashby 45 This Self Business and Other Essays—M. O’C. Walshe/Natasha Jackson/Dr. Elizabeth Ashby 46 The Way to Happiness—H. L. B. Ellegala 47 Women in Ancient India—C. D. Weerasinghe 48 Buddhist Observances and Practices—Piyadassi Thera 49 Saísara and The Way of Dispassion—Francis Story 50 Buddhist Ideas in English Poetry—Cyril Moore 51 Meditation: The Inward Journey—John Andrew Storey 52 Mindfulness: An All-Time Necessity—C. F. Knight and Reg McAuliffe 53 Why Buddhism? Why Theravada? Theravada, Mahayana, Hinayana—M. O'C. Walshe 54 Rebirth—John Andrew Storey 55 The Scientific Approach to Buddhism and The Appeal of Buddhism—Francis Story 56 Three Buddhist Tales—Various Authors 57 The Story of the Mahinda, Sanghamitta and the Sri Maha-Bodhi—Piyadassi Thera 58 An Actual Religion—Bhikkhu Silacara 59 Buddhist Lay Ethics—Francis Story 60 Mindfulness and Awareness—Nyanavira Thera

Buddhists around the world celebrate the benefits of worshipping Kannon (Avalokiteśvara), a compassionate savior who is one of the most beloved in the Buddhist pantheon. When Kannon appears in multiple manifestations, the deity’s powers are believed to increase to even greater heights. This concept generated several cults throughout history: among the most significant is the cult of the Six Kannon, which began in Japan in the tenth century and remained prominent through the sixteenth century. In this ambitious work, Sherry Fowler examines the development of the Japanese Six Kannon cult, its sculptures and paintings, and its transition to the Thirty-three Kannon cult, which remains active to this day. An exemplar of Six Kannon imagery is the complete set of life-size wooden sculptures made in 1224 and housed at the Kyoto temple Daihōonji. This set, along with others, is analyzed to demonstrate how Six Kannon worship impacted Buddhist practice. Employing a diachronic approach, Fowler presents case studies beginning in the eleventh century to reinstate a context for sets of Six Kannon, the majority of which have been lost or scattered, and thus illuminates the vibrancy, magnitude, and distribution of the cult and enhances our knowledge of religious image-making in Japan. Kannon’s role in assisting beings trapped in the six paths of transmigration is a well-documented catalyst for the selection of the number six, but there are other significant themes at work. Six Kannon worship includes significant foci on worldly concerns such as childbirth and animal husbandry, ties between text and image, and numerous correlations with Shinto kami groups of six. While making groups of Kannon visible, Fowler explores the fluidity of numerical deity categorizations and the attempts to quantify the invisible. Moreover, her investigation reveals Kyushu as an especially active site in the history of the Six Kannon cult. Much as Kannon images once functioned to attract worshippers, their presentation in this book will entice contemporary readers to revisit their assumptions about East Asia’s most popular Buddhist deity.

Collected Bodhi Leaves Publications Volume I (includes Bodhi Leaves 31-60) This book contains 30 of the Bodhi Leaves Publication series, dealing with various aspects of the Buddha's teaching. BL31: Meditation - First Steps to Control of the Senses P.M. Rao BL32: The Threefold Division of the Noble Eightfold Path Piyadassi Thera BL33: Extinction Without Remainder Buddhadasa Bhikkhu BL34: Protection through Satipatthana Nyanaponika Thera BL35: The Four Cankers (Asava) T.H. Perera BL36: Renunciation T. Prince BL37: The Preparatory path John D. Ireland BL38: The Advantages of Merit Bhikkhu Khantipalo BL39: The Supreme Conquerer Francis Story BL40: Right Understanding Bhikkhu Silabhadra BL41: Application of Dhamma Siri Buddhasukh BL42: Buddhism: A Method of Mind Training Leaornard Bullen BL43: The Relevance of Buddhism the in Modern World Princess Poon Pismai Diskul BL44: Three Mental Faculties and Guarding the Doors of the Senses Dr. Elizabeth Ashby BL45: This Self Business and Other Essays M. O'C. Walshe/ Natasha jackson/ Dr. Elizabeth Ashby BL46: The Way to Happiness H.L.B. Ellegala BL47: Woman in Ancient India C.C. Weerasinghe BL48: Buddhist Observances and Practices Piyadassi Thera BL49: Samsara and The Way of Dispassion Francis Story BL50: Buddhist Ideas in English Poetry BL51: Meditation: The Inward Journey John Andrew Storey BL52: Mindfulness - An All-Time Necessity C.C. Knight and Reg McAuliffe BL53: Why Buddhism? Why Theravada? Theravada, Mahayana, Hinayana M.O'C. Walshe BL54: Rebirth John Andrew Storey BL55: The Scientific Approach to Buddhim and the Appeal of Buddhism Francis Story BL56: Three Buddhist Tales various authors BL57: The Story of the Mahinda, Sanghamitta and the Sri Maha-Bodhi Piyadassi Thera BL58: An Actual Religion Bhikkhu Silacara BL59: Buddhist Lay Ethics Francis Story BL60: Mindfulness and Awareness Nanavira Thera