Talk:Tendai

1
I deleted the Tendai-Sangha-America Website as the site is dead.

I deleted the link to the Blue Lotus Assembly as per their own website: "Blue Lotus Assembly is a distinctly American order, operating under its own authority, autonomous and self-directing in its organization and charter, but members enjoy a connection to long-established Japanese and Tibetan “esoteric mountain practice” root precedents."

Given that this assembly is a "distinctly American Order" and has no ties to Tendai buddhism other than this connection to long-established Tibetan and Japanese roots I have removed it from the external links leaving only those links to verifiable Tendai priests/websites. Additionally, this site is not listed under Tibetan Buddhism as an external link so I am unsure as to how it is fitting to list it here.

I have added the link to www.buddhadendo.org as it is also a verifiable Tendai Priest/group in California.

I'm adding the link to Blue Lotus Assembly, as Stephen Hayes is a verifiable Tendai Priest, and the Blue Lotus Assembly is teaching authentic Tendai practices. While it might not be affiliated with Hieizan... frankly, neither is Buddhadendo, so I think this is probably okay. Jikaku 01:48, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Jikaku. You make this claim regarding Stephen Hayes but cite no references for his "verifable" status. Is he registered on Mt. Hiei? Where did he complete priest training? Wikipedia states that claims from the personal websites of individuals can not be used. Please provide "verifiability" for your statements as per Wikipedia:

"Verifiable" in this context means that any reader should be able to check that material added to Wikipedia has already been published by a reliable source. Gonshin

When it comes to biographical information regarding a living person, the "must be published somewhere else" doesn't apply - but verifiability can be had in other methods. For example, on the Stephen K. Hayes wiki entry (and in multiple other sources) Tendai Priest Rev. Dr. Clark Jikai Choffey is listed as having ordained him. Rev. Jikai is still alive, and easily contacted for verification. I think that having more links to expressions of Tendai here in North America is important to help give a broad picture of what it is, and what it becomes as it makes the West its home is important. This encyclopedia isn't the place for denominational "squabbles" or attempts to corner the market on "legitimacy." Hayes was ordained as a Tendai priest, trained in the Tendai practices, and is passing on Tendai teachings and practices - which, in my mind, qualifies the Blue Lotus Assembly group as an important source for further reasearch here.

Perhaps the solution here is to find some wording that explains that this Blue Lotus org is founded by a Tendai priest, uses Tendai teachings, passes on the Tendai tokudo ordinations and initiations, but like Tendai-Lotus, and Buddhadendo, is an independent organization (as opposed to a mission-branch of a Temple in Japan, like the New York Betsuin)? Jikaku 14:25, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

2
The Lotus Sutra is not preached by Vairocana. This is a really basic error that needs correcting. M

I've replaced the Blue Lotus Assembly link. You actually have to *read* the website in order to find the Tendai school references. - Jikaku

I have also deleted the link to the Blue Lotus Assembly. From the information on the website, this schools is not a Tendai school. No where on the site does it mention Tendai.

I have deleted the link to the Tendai Sangha of America because it now only redirects to either the www.tendai-lotus.org site or the Blue Lotus site

3
ennybody wanna add a "Teachings" section to this? Any ignorant attempt by me to distinguish tendai from the other 'leventy-seven sects would no doubt offend someone... :-)
 * Well, the teachings of the Tendai sect are essentially identical to those of the Tientai- I'd suggest that the best course of action is to focus efforts on expanding the Tientai article, and use the Tendai article only to illustrate areas where practice and teaching in Japan varied significantly from what was done in China. Unfortunately, I've already reached the end of my half-remembered knowledge from a Chinese Buddhist History class taken three or four years ago. . . --Clay Collier 10:40, 26 August 2005 (UTC)

also tendai is a Zimbabwean word meaning thank you and also there is a girl named Tendai Lewis very beautiful and educated

Vajrayana
Can someone explain to me why Tendai is listed here as Mahayana instead of Vajrayana? Every exposure to Tendai which I have had speaks of enlightenment in this lifetime as possible. Doesn't this fall under the "Diamond Thunderbolt" ideals, thus making it a Vajrayanic path? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 206.168.218.28 (talk) 17:02, 24 October 2007 (UTC)


 * Actually, that idea is not unique to the Vajrayana or Mikkyo at all - it's fairly standard Mahayana doctrine.Jikaku 14:43, 25 October 2007 (UTC)


 * In the Indian context at least, the Mahayana tradition proposes that Buddhahood is a long process taking many kalpas. Furthermore, I've seen Tendai teachers present Tendai explicitly as a Vajrayana path. The use of mantra and mudras would seem to support that assertion. Sylvain1972 20:03, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

Somehow I don't buy it either. Yes, Tendai does have an esoteric element in there, but if you look at Tendai overall, that esoteric element is subsumed by the Lotus Sutra, which is a Mahayana, not Vajrayana text. In Tendai, the Lotus Sutra is supreme, and all practices are directed toward realization of the Lotus Sutra's truths. Contrast this with Shingon, which is explicitly esoteric, and it's central texts, the Mahavairocana Sutra and Vajrasekhara Sutra, are esoteric-only doctrines. Tendai has esoteric (Mikkyo) elements, but is not a true esoteric school. So, it's Mahayana, not Vajrayana.

Japanese Buddhism does make this confusing because nearly every sect has picked up an esoteric practice or two (just look at Nichiren Gohonzon, or the Jodo Shinshu teaching about Amida-as-Dharmakaya), but they're clearly grounded in Mahayana not Vajrayana teachings. --Ph0kin (talk) 19:55, 16 June 2008 (UTC)

this page's introduction is subpar
the introduction to this page seems to really miss the whole idea of summarizing the important points on this page type idea. change it?--makeswell 20:01, 21 June 2010 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Makeswell (talk • contribs)

Annen
Annen was not a successor to Enchin. He never had any real official position in the Tendai sect. He was quite important. His many writings helped broaden the esoteric teachings at Hiezan.

Expanded Section
I think that a section should be added about influential priests that came from Hiezan to influence Japanese Buddhism, such as Nichiren, Shinran, Dogen, and Eisai.

Assessment comment
Substituted at 07:48, 30 April 2016 (UTC)