Precepts, Ordinations, and Practice in Medieval Japanese Tendai

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Modern Japanese Buddhist monks often differ from their counterparts in other Asian countries by marrying, consuming alcohol, and eating meat, leading many to believe that early Japanese monastics were indifferent to precepts and ordinations. However, medieval exegetes were deeply engaged with these issues as they sought to define Buddhist identity. This collection of essays by Paul Groner, a prominent authority on Tendai Buddhism, explores the medieval Tendai School, which was central to Japanese Buddhism, and examines the varying interpretations of monastic precepts and ordinations. Groner adopts a multifaceted approach, focusing on individual monks, texts, ceremonies, and institutional challenges rather than providing a linear narrative, which is hindered by the loss of texts and historical disruptions. Early chapters delve into significant sources of Tendai precepts, including the apocryphal Brahma's Net Sutra and Annen's interpretations of the universal bodhisattva precept ordination. The discussion extends to the Lotus Sutra and the contributions of monk Koen in developing the consecrated ordination still practiced today. Later essays address Jitsudo Ninku's training methods, doctrinal debates on killing, and the complexities surrounding the loss or violation of precepts. Many of the issues explored remain relevant for contemporary Tendai monks, particularly concerning the classification of practitioners and the conduct