Mount Hiei
Encyclopedia
is a mountain to the northeast of Kyoto
, lying on the border between the Kyoto
and Shiga prefecture
s, Japan
.
The temple of Enryaku-ji
, the first outpost of the Japanese Tiantai
(Tendai
) sect of Buddhism
, was founded atop Mount Hiei by Saichō
in 788. Both Nichiren
and Honen studied at the temple before leaving to start their own practices. The temple complex was razed by Oda Nobunaga
in 1571 to quell the rising power of the Tendai's warrior monks (sōhei
), but it was rebuilt and remains the Tendai headquarters to this day.
The Imperial Japanese Navy
battleship is named after this mountain, having initially being built as a battlecruiser.
s of Shinto
lore, although it is predominantly known for the Buddhist monk
s that come from the temple of Enryaku-ji
.
wrote the book The Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei, chronicling the practice of running long distances – up to 52 miles (83.7 km) – in a single day to attain enlightenment in the monk's current life. These monks were known as the Kaihōgyō
.
and a toll road provides access by automobile to the top of the mountain. There are also two routes of funicular
s: the Eizan Cable
from the Kyoto side to the connecting point with an aerial tramway to the top and the Sakamoto Cable
from the Shiga side to the foot of Enryaku-ji.
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, lying on the border between the Kyoto
Kyoto Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Kyoto.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Kyoto prefecture was known as Yamashiro....
and Shiga prefecture
Shiga Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan, which forms part of the Kansai region on Honshu Island. The capital is the city of Ōtsu.- History :Shiga was known as Ōmi Province or Gōshū before the prefectural system was established...
s, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
The temple of Enryaku-ji
Enryaku-ji
thumb|300px|Konpon Chū-dō , Enryaku-ji's main hall is a Tendai monastery located on Mount Hiei in Ōtsu, overlooking Kyoto. It was founded during the early Heian period. The temple complex was established by Saichō , also known as Dengyō Daishi, who introduced the Tendai sect of Mahayana Buddhism...
, the first outpost of the Japanese Tiantai
Tiantai
Tiantai is an important school of Buddhism in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. In Japan the school is known as Tendai, and in Korea it is known as Cheontae. Tiantai is also called the "Lotus School", due to its emphasis on the Lotus Sūtra as its doctrinal basis...
(Tendai
Tendai
is a Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism, a descendant of the Chinese Tiantai or Lotus Sutra school.Chappell frames the relevance of Tendai for a universal Buddhism:- History :...
) sect of Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
, was founded atop Mount Hiei by Saichō
Saicho
was a Japanese Buddhist monk credited with founding the Tendai school in Japan, based around the Chinese Tiantai tradition he was exposed to during his trip to China beginning in 804. He founded the temple and headquarters of Tendai at Enryaku-ji on Mt. Hiei near Kyoto. He is also said to have...
in 788. Both Nichiren
Nichiren
Nichiren was a Buddhist monk who lived during the Kamakura period in Japan. Nichiren taught devotion to the Lotus Sutra, entitled Myōhō-Renge-Kyō in Japanese, as the exclusive means to attain enlightenment and the chanting of Nam-Myōhō-Renge-Kyō as the essential practice of the teaching...
and Honen studied at the temple before leaving to start their own practices. The temple complex was razed by Oda Nobunaga
Oda Nobunaga
was the initiator of the unification of Japan under the shogunate in the late 16th century, which ruled Japan until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was also a major daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. His opus was continued, completed and finalized by his successors Toyotomi...
in 1571 to quell the rising power of the Tendai's warrior monks (sōhei
Sohei
were Buddhist warrior monks of feudal Japan. At certain points of history they held considerable power, obliging the imperial and military governments to collaborate....
), but it was rebuilt and remains the Tendai headquarters to this day.
The Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
battleship is named after this mountain, having initially being built as a battlecruiser.
Mount Hiei in folklore
Mount Hiei has featured in many folk tales over the ages. Originally it was thought to be the home of gods and demonDemon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
s of Shinto
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
lore, although it is predominantly known for the Buddhist monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
s that come from the temple of Enryaku-ji
Enryaku-ji
thumb|300px|Konpon Chū-dō , Enryaku-ji's main hall is a Tendai monastery located on Mount Hiei in Ōtsu, overlooking Kyoto. It was founded during the early Heian period. The temple complex was established by Saichō , also known as Dengyō Daishi, who introduced the Tendai sect of Mahayana Buddhism...
.
Marathon monks
John StevensJohn Stevens (scholar)
John Stevens is a Buddhist priest, teacher of Buddhist studies and aikido teacher.Stevens teaches Eastern philosophy at Tohoku Fukushi University in Japan.His aikido rank is 7th dan Aikikai...
wrote the book The Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei, chronicling the practice of running long distances – up to 52 miles (83.7 km) – in a single day to attain enlightenment in the monk's current life. These monks were known as the Kaihōgyō
Kaihogyo
The is a set of the ascetic physical endurance trainings for which the Japanese ‘marathon monks’ of Mt. Hiei are known. These Japanese Monks are from the Tendai school of Buddhism, a denomination brought to Japan by the Monk Saichō in 806 from China....
.
Access
The mountain is a popular area for hikersHiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
and a toll road provides access by automobile to the top of the mountain. There are also two routes of funicular
Funicular
A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
s: the Eizan Cable
Keifuku Cable Line
The , officially the , is Japanese funicular line in Sakyō, Kyōto, Kyōto, operated by Keifuku Electric Railroad. The line opened in 1925, as a western route to Enryaku-ji, a famous temple on Mount Hiei. The line has 561 m vertical interval, the largest in the country.-Basic data:*Distance: 1.3 km /...
from the Kyoto side to the connecting point with an aerial tramway to the top and the Sakamoto Cable
Sakamoto Cable
The , officially the , is a Japanese funicular line in Ōtsu, Shiga. It is the only line operates. The line opened in 1927, as an eastern route to Enryaku-ji, a famous temple on Mount Hiei...
from the Shiga side to the foot of Enryaku-ji.