A landmark collection of essays by Paul Groner, one of the leading authorities on Tendai Buddhism, that examines the medieval Tendai School, which dominated Japanese Buddhism at that time, to uncover the differences in understanding and interpreting monastic precepts and ordinations.
Focusing on the life and achievements of Saicho, the founder of the Tendai School, this edition revisits a classic study of his influence on Japanese Buddhism. It highlights his establishment of the significant monastic center on Mount Hiei and his groundbreaking adoption of Mahayana bodhisattva precepts for ordination. This pivotal choice significantly impacted Japanese Buddhist ethics, monastic practices, lay-clerical dynamics, and the relationship between Buddhism and the state, shaping the future of the religion in Japan.