The year 2006 was memorable to Tendai because it was the 1200th year since Tendai Buddhism was authorized as an officially recognized Buddhist School by the Japanese Imperial court on January 26th, 806 C.E.. Dengyō Daishi (Saichō), the founder of Japanese Tendai Buddhism, believed in the teaching of Ekayana (One Vehicle); everyone is equal and anyone can attain spiritual awakening. He was authorized to educate and train monks to spread this teachings based on One Vehicle.
Dengyō Daishi’s wish was for official recognition of Tendai, and along with that, each school of Buddhism in Japan at that time co-exists in order to relieve the suffering of all sentient beings. Because of this, when the imperial court authorized Tendai, the court also established the number of monks for each school of Buddhism.
Since then, Tendai has transmitted the Light of the Dharma, the teaching of Dengyō Daishi, for 1200 years, producing many schools of Buddhism. Mt. Hiei is known as the Mother Mountain of Japanese Buddhism, and has been an important source of Japanese culture.
