Enryakuji Temple Kyoto

Situated on the north eastern mountain of Hieizan in Kyoto the Enryakuji Temple was once the most influential temple in Japan. The temple is the main temple of the Tendai sect of Buddhism, a sect that served to pave the way for the founding of other sects like Pure Land or Jodo, Zen and Nichiren. The famous Buddhist priest Saicho, who brought the Tendai sect to Japan, founded the temple in 806. It is said that Saicho built the temple following orders from the Emperor Kanmu.

The temple was built to ward of evil coming from the north eastern direction. The police and other forms of authority figures were not allowed to enter the premises of the temple and thus the temple soon became a breeding ground for criminals. It is also said that the temple had raised it own army as a self protectionary measure. By the 16th century the temple complex had expanded to included 300 sub-temples and its army was large enough to pose threat to Kyoto. Soon after, the temple was destroyed by Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582) in 1571, thus destroying a huge part of the building and killing thousands of monks and soldiers. Although the Enryakuji was rebuilt by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and later expanded by Tokugawa Iemitsu the temple did not regain its clout and a very small fraction of the enormous temple survives today.

Enryakuji temple complex can be divided into of three sections: The Todo (East Gate), the Saito (West Gate), and the Yokawa. The most important buildings are mostly situated in the Todo. These include the Kokuhoden, the Daikodo, the Kompon Chudo, the Kaidanin, and the Amida do.

There is a separate entry fee of 450 yen for the Kokuhoden, which houses among its many important works of art, an elegant 13th Century Amida Buddha, a beautiful Senju Kannon or a 1,000 armed Kannon that dates from the 9th Century.

The Daikodo, also known as the Great Lecture Hall is where the monks attend lectures on the sutras and have debates on religion based topics. This building houses statues of Eisai, Shinren, Honen, Nichiren, and other famous priests and learned men from the past.

The temple's most hallowed section is the Kompon Chudo (Primary Central Hall). This building dating back to the 16th Century is believed to mark the point where Saicho built his first hut. It is said that the three large lanterns in front of the main altar have burned continuously for the past 1,200 years, ever since Saicho himself first lit them.

Along the stone path that leads to the Saito is the sepulcher that enshrines Saicho's remains. Further down the path there are twin buildings of the Jogyodo (Hall of Perpetual Practice) and the Hokkedo (Lotus Hall), which are used as meditation halls.

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