Heian Buddhism and the Age of the Final Dharma

Buddhism in the Heian period began with the Tendai and Shingon sects introduced by Saicho and Kukai. In the latter period, Pure Land belief spread as the idea of the Age of the Final Dharma became widespread. Let us examine the development of Japanese Buddhism.

Basic Knowledge

Buddhism in the Heian period can be divided into two major stages.
【Early Period】The Arrival of the Tendai and Shingon Sects
During the reign of Emperor Kanmu, monks who traveled to Tang China introduced new forms of Buddhism.
・Saicho: Returned in 805 and founded the Tendai sect, whose headquarters was Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Hiei
・Kukai（Kobo Daishi）: Returned in 806 and founded the Shingon sect, whose headquarters was Kongobu-ji Temple on Mount Koya
These were called esoteric Buddhism. They emphasized worldly benefits through ritual prayers and were widely accepted by aristocrats.
【Later Period】Spread of Pure Land Belief
In the latter part of the Heian period, the idea of the Age of the Final Dharma spread. This was the belief that “2,000 years after the death of Shakyamuni（from 1052）, Buddhist teachings would decline and the world would enter an age of disorder.”
The year 1052 was considered the first year of the Age of the Final Dharma. People became anxious and, relying on Amida Buddha, prayed for rebirth in the Pure Land. This led to the spread of Pure Land belief.
・Kuya: “Saint of the Marketplace,” spread chanting of the Buddha's name among common people
・Genshin: Wrote Ojo Yoshu, depicting hell and the Pure Land
・Phoenix Hall of Byodo-in: Built by Fujiwara no Yorimichi in 1052; the Pure Land recreated in this world

Further Study (Background and Influence)

Saicho was from Omi Province（present-day Shiga Prefecture）. He traveled to Tang China aboard an envoy ship in 804, studied the Tendai sect at Mount Tiantai, and returned to Japan. His Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Hiei produced many founders of the later Kamakura new Buddhist movements（Honen, Shinran, Eisai, Dogen, and Nichiren）and is called the “mother mountain of Japanese Buddhism.”
Kukai was from Sanuki Province（present-day Kagawa Prefecture）. He traveled to Tang China in 804, like Saicho, studied Shingon esoteric Buddhism at Qinglong Temple in Chang'an, and returned to Japan. He made Kongobu-ji Temple on Mount Koya his headquarters and received To-ji Temple in Kyoto, making it the center of the Shingon sect. Kukai was also skilled as a calligrapher, poet, and civil engineer. He is considered the founder of the pilgrimage to the Eighty-Eight Temples of Shikoku and is still widely worshiped as “Odaishi-san.”
The Age of the Final Dharma was an apocalyptic belief transmitted from China. After Shakyamuni's death, time was divided into the three ages of the True Dharma, the Semblance Dharma, and the Final Dharma; the Final Dharma was said to last 10,000 years. In Japan, 1052 was calculated as its first year.
The spread of this belief was closely connected to the social anxiety of the late Heian period, including provincial rebellions, natural disasters, epidemics, and the rise of the samurai. People felt that “salvation was impossible in this world” and prayed to Amida Buddha for salvation in the next life.
Genshin's Ojo Yoshu（985）vividly depicted the terror of hell and the wonders of the Pure Land, capturing people's hearts. Its visual descriptions, like images of hell, greatly influenced views of hell from the Heian through the Kamakura period.
The Phoenix Hall of Byodo-in is a symbol of Pure Land Buddhism in this period. Fujiwara no Yorimichi built it in 1052（the year after the first year of the Age of the Final Dharma）to recreate the Pure Land in this world. The central statue of Amida Tathagata was made by the Buddhist sculptor Jocho and is a masterpiece that perfected the yosegi-zukuri technique.
This Pure Land belief developed into the teachings of Honen（Jodo sect） and Shinran（Jodo Shinshu） in the Kamakura period and became a mainstream form of Japanese Buddhism widely followed by samurai and commoners.

Points to Note (Easily Confused)

① Do not confuse Saicho and Kukai. Saicho = Tendai and Mount Hiei; Kukai = Shingon and Mount Koya. ② Kukai was called “Kobo Daishi,” while Saicho was called “Dengyo Daishi.” ③ The first year of the Age of the Final Dharma was 1052, the same year as the Phoenix Hall of Byodo-in. ④ Distinguish Heian-period “Pure Land belief” from the Kamakura-period “Jodo sect and Jodo Shinshu.” The former was a belief, while the latter were organized sects. ⑤ Jocho's “yosegi-zukuri” was a technique of creating Buddhist statues by assembling several pieces of wood. This made it possible to create large statues efficiently. ⑥ Mount Hiei is pronounced “Hiei-zan,” not “Hizan.”

Practice

1. State the founders of the Tendai and Shingon sects.
2. State the year considered the first year of the Age of the Final Dharma and the building symbolizing Pure Land belief that was built in that year.
3. State the name of the work written by Genshin that depicts hell and the Pure Land.