character/[id]

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PERSON
Ennin
Ennin
Third Tendai Patriarch, Jikaku Daishi
794-864 · 享年 70歳
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系
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生
生涯
Born in 794 in Shimotsuke Province, Ennin entered Mt. Hiei at fifteen and studied under Saichō. In 838 he sailed to Tang China on the last official embassy and spent nine and a half years studying esoteric Buddhism and Tendai at Wutaishan and Chang'an. After returning he became the third Tendai patriarch and promoted the fusion of nenbutsu and esoteric practice. His travel diary Nittō Guhō Junrei Kōki is ranked among the three greatest travel records in world history. He is credited with founding many famous temples in eastern Japan, including Chūsonji, Zuiganji, and Risshakuji.
人
Personality
A scholar-monk of indomitable devotion and adventurous spirit. He persevered through repeated setbacks in China and the Huichang persecution, never abandoning his quest for esoteric teachings. After returning he proved an able administrator.
義
Historical Significance
He established Tendai esoteric Buddhism (Taimitsu), decisively shaping Japanese Buddhism. His travel diary is a primary source for ninth-century Tang society. Temples he founded across eastern Japan — Chūsonji, Risshakuji, Zuiganji — remain major pilgrimage sites.
話
Famous Anecdotes
其 一
'Record of a Pilgrimage to China in Search of the Law' — Ennin and His Account of Buddhist Training in Tang China
Ennin traveled to Tang China from 838 to 847, studying Tendai Buddhism, esoteric Buddhism, and Pure Land teachings. His 'Record of a Pilgrimage to China in Search of the Law,' compiled after returning to Japan, is a primary historical source recording the society and Buddhism of late Tang China in detail, compared to Marco Polo's 'Travels.' As the third head abbot of Enryakuji on Mount Hiei, he worked to develop Tendai Buddhism and built many temple buildings at Enryakuji.
地
Related Places — 2
寺
Enryakuji Yokawa
滋賀県
The 3rd Tendai abbot Ennin (Jikaku Daishi, 794-864) trained in the northern mountains of Mt. Hiei during the Tencho era (824-834) and built the Shuryogon-in, opening the Yokawa compound. Having brought back many scriptures and ritual implements from his studies in Tang China, he made Yokawa the center of Tendai esoteric Buddhism. Yokawa is the very land of his founding, dotted with halls associated with him such as the Shiki-Kodo and Eshin-do that honor his legacy.
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神
Ushijima Shrine
東京都
In 860, Jikaku Daishi Ennin received a divine oracle at this location during his eastern pilgrimage and founded Ushijima Shrine by enshrining Susanoo-no-Mikoto. Ennin, the third head of Enryakuji on Mt. Hiei and a renowned monk who studied in Tang China, established numerous temples and shrines across the Kanto region, with Ushijima Shrine being one of the most notable.
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