Abstract：Enchin,the fifth Tendai zasu in Japan,went to China in Tang Dynasty in 853 .There exist various explanations for his visit .Some scholars have ascribed it to the conflict within the Japanese Tendai Sect which was split up into the Sanmon school (Enryakuji Temple ) and the Jinmon school (Onjoji Temple) in the 9th century .Because of the conflict,Enchin couldn't get adequate knowledge of China from Ennin's trip there as the latter belonged to the other school .Others have attributed it to the ″stimulus″from the elder monks who thought that since Ennin of Shana-gyo (a study of esoteric Buddhism) had already contributed greatly to the completion of esotericBuddhism of the Japanese Tendai sect,then Enchin of Shikan-gyo (Tendai meditation) should make much greater achievements than Ennin .Yet one more explanation goes to″question and answer″:The Japanese Tendai Sect consulted the Tendai Sect of Tang Dynasty about the role of″Dainichi-kyo Sutra″(Mahavairocana Sutra) in Tendai studies,but failed to get a satisfactory answer .In order to find the answer,Enchin went to China . However,none of the above explanations is totally sound .Even the″question and answer″explanation,which seems to be the most convincing one,cannot turn out to be self-evident,for the time Enchin spent on finding answers amounts to only one fifth of his whole journey in China . After Enchin entered China,he stayed in Guoqing Temple in Tiantai Mountain (Mt .Tendai) from December,853 till March,855,visiting historical sites and copying classics of Buddhism .He stayed in Chang'an from May to November,855 and was enlightened (Denpo-kanjo) by the two scriptures Vajradhatu and Garbha .He also visited the temples in Luoyang and Longmen,as well as Yuezhou Kaiyuan Temple .He returned to Guoqing Temple in June,856 and built the Zhiguan Hall .He set off on his return journey to Japan in June,858 .This list of events indicates that Enchin had a good knowledge of Chinese Buddhism at that time before his arrival in China . He went on different pilgrimages for different Buddhist scriptures and practices,for example,practicing Shana-gyo and visiting historical sites in Tiantai Mountain,while practicing Shikan-gyo in the temples in Chang'an . After returning to Japan,Enchin became Tendai-zasu in June 868,but still maintained contact with Chinese monks by exchanging letters and collecting classics with the help of the businessmen of Tang Dynasty .In December,890,Enchin became the first Shosuzu on the recommendation of Dajo-daijin Mototsune Fujiwara .In October,891,he entered nirvana .
［日本］佐藤长门. 入唐僧圆珍： 日本天台宗寺门派之祖[J]. 浙江大学学报(人文社会科学版), 2015, 1(3): 112-123.
Nagato Sato. A Study about Enchin:Founder of Jimon School of Tendai Sect in Japan. JOURNAL OF ZHEJIANG UNIVERSITY, 2015, 1(3): 112-123.
2015, Vol. 1 
