Caught between the aims of modern Rinzai ideology and the hybrid Buddhism of a late Heian/early Kamakura era Zen reformer, the meaning of Myōan Eisai’s (Yōsai) 明菴栄西 (1141–1215) search for authentic Buddhism has been poorly understood. In this article, I look at the complexities of Eisai’s reform Buddhism, which advocates a return to monastic rigor with an abiding interest in Tendai esotericism and meditation, made authentic through the mind to mind transmission 以心傳心 of the new Buddhism of the Song dynasty, Chan/Zen. I particularly note the significance of the greater Hangzhou region to Eisai’s quest, reimagined as a new Buddhist homeland that inspired Eisai’s transformation. This suggests that when looking for the influences of Tiantai/Tendai Buddhism, one must look beyond sectarian and scholastic divides to see the meaning of Chan/Zen Buddhism not in terms of its modern definitions, but as an inclusive repository for a wide range of Mahāyāna traditions including Tiantai/Tendai, a repository particularly apropos of the Hangzhou region, home to Mt. Tiantai 天台山.
目次
Introduction 498 In Search Of Eisai 499 Eisai as Tendai Pilgrim 503 Borderland Complex and Translocations: The Transformation of the Hangzhou/Jiangnan region into an Indian Buddhist Homeland 511 Concluding Remarks 526 Bibliography 528
