Background
Ennin was born in 794 in the province of Shimotsuke Province (Tochigi Prefecture).
Ennin was born in 794 in the province of Shimotsuke Province (Tochigi Prefecture).
Ennin became a monk in 802 under the guidance of the priest Kochi.
Ennin became a monk in 802 under the guidance of the priest Kochi. In 808 he journeyed to Mt. Hiei and became a disciple of Saicho, and after the latter’s death in 822 he carried out his master’s dying wish by working to promote the teachings of the Tendai sect, which Saicho had introduced to Japan. In 838 he journeyed to China, then under the rule of the T’ang dynasty, to continue the study and practice of Tendai Buddhism. He returned to Japan in 847 and in 854 became the third zasu, or leader of the Tendai sect.
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