Enryaku-ji

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Konpon-chūdō

Not to be confused with Engakuji in Kamakura.

Enryaku-ji (延暦寺, Enryaku-ji^? Enryaku Temple), a monastery on Mount Hiei overlooking Kyoto, was founded during the late eighth and early ninth centuries by Saichō (767–822), also known as Dengyō Daishi, who introduced the Tendai sect to Japan from China. One of the most significant monasteries in Japanese history, it served as (and still is) the headquarters of the Tendai sect, the Buddhist sect that was popular among the aristocracy of the time and served as foundation for a number of later sects including the Pure Land, Zen, and Nichiren sects.

With the support of the Emperor Kammu, Saichō ordained a hundred disciples in 807. Maintaining a strict discipline on Mt Hiei, his monks lived in seclusion for twelve years of study and meditation. After this period of study, the best students were retained in positions in the monastery, and others graduated into positions in the government and court. At the peak of its power, Enryakuji was a huge complex of as many as 3000 sub-temples and a powerful army of warrior monks (僧兵 Sōhei) who were occasionally engaged in power struggles with other monasteries and political leaders. In the tenth century, succession disputes broke out between Tendai monks of the line of Ennin and Enchin. These disputes resulted in opposing Tendai centers at Mount Hiei, the sanmon (山門 Mountain Order) and at Miidera, the jimon (寺門 Temple Order). Warrior monks were used to settle the disputes, and Tendai leaders began to hire mercenary armies who threatened rivals and even marched on the capital to enforce monastic demands.

A Pagoda in Enryaku Temple

As part of a program to remove all potential rivals and unite the country, warlord Oda Nobunaga ended this Buddhist militancy in 1571 by attacking and destroying most of Enryakuji's buildings and monks. The current buildings date from the latter half of the 16th century to the first half of the 17th century, when the temple was reconstructed following a change of government.

Today, most of Enryakuji's attractions consists of three areas: the Tōdō (東塔 East Hall, also the quarters where the former head priest resides), the Saitō (西塔 West Hall, also the abode of a retired head priest from a separate monastery), and the Yokawa (横川). The monastery's most important buildings are concentrated in the Tōdō.