Skip to content
Curated category

Buddhism in the Heian period

  • Pure Land BuddhismIn 153 CE, an inscription in Gandhara bore the name of Amitabha Buddha, marking one of the earliest known references to this figure.
  • Shinbutsu-shūgōIn the sixth century, Buddhism arrived in Japan from China during the Asuka period. Prince Shōtoku, a regent born in 574, championed this new faith.
  • TendaiIn the sixth month of 805, a monk named Saichō returned to Japan from China after studying under Dàosuì, the seventh Tiantai patriarch.
  • VajrayanaIn the 5th century, a new spiritual current began to flow through medieval India. This movement emerged from pre-existing Tantric traditions within Hinduism…