After the deaths of Enchin and Ennin, the two sets of followers went different ways, and in 993 the Enchin group formed the Tendai Jimon sect. The two sects routinely came to blows and monks would routinely stomp down the mountain from Enryaku-ji to burn Miidera. The main reason was that Enryaku-ji emphasised the Lotus Sutra and Miidera emphasised Esoteric Buddhism.
The Miidera complex is set slightly back from the town of Otsu and against the foot of Mt Hiei, so there are nice views along the mountain chain including Mt Hira, and across Lake Biwa (Japan's largest freshwater lake). It contains a lot of Imperial Cultural Properties and Esoteric Arts of Japan. The Main Hall (or Golden Hall, or Kondo), built 1599 is the central building. The original was built in 672 and lasted until 1595 when Taiko Hideyoshi Toyotomi destroyed it. The Kondo contains the statue of Miroku Bosatsu, who is said to reside in Tosotsi Heaven, and will return as a Buddha in 5,670 million years to save mankind.
The Kannon-Do was built in 1072 in the Heian Period. It contains the Nyoirin Kannon, Ju-ichi-men Kannon ("Eleven-Headed Kannon") and Aizen-myoo, all Important Cultural Properties. It is the fourteenth of a chain of 33 temples on a major pilgrimage route. Pilgrims can be identified by the white cloth garments they wear, covered in writing and red stamps.
Altogether, there are some 40 individually-named buildings in the complex. Walks lead up the hill behind, recently rebuilt but poorly signposted. It is possible to walk from here to Kyoto, either across the hills or along the waterway leading from Lake Biwa to Kyoto. You need a map for both routes. They are not difficult, though.
This
UNESCO World Cultural Asset sits on top of Mt Hiei, above Miidera Temple. Getting
there: It's a 20-minute train ride from Kyoto and well worth a visit. The
best way to reach it is via JR from Kyoto Station on the JR Kosei Line which runs
up the "left" side of Lake Biwa. Get off at Hieizan-Sakamoto, and walk through
the town to the cable car. The first few hundred meters are your average concrete
suburb, but it gets a lot nicer very quickly, and is an especially pretty town
in Spring. If you can't read Japanese signs, simply leave the station by the only
exit, cross the road to the left (under the overpass), and walk for 20 minutes.
(You could turn to the right instead, and get the bus or taxi to the cable car.
The bus is carefully timed not to connect with any of the departures.) The road
makes a sharp left turn just past a big red gate (tori); follow this then turn
right at the only possible junction just before a small bridge. The cable car
station is 3 minutes up the road. It's the longest cable-car ride in Japan. From
the top, follow the surfaced path the the temple complex (10 minutes). There are
a large number of interesting hikes from this point, back down the mountain, along
the mountain in both directions, and across the mountain to Kyoto. Winter walks
are especially rewarding.
The central hall is the Konpon Chu-do. Founded in 788, the bit worth seeing is not actually open to the public: the Medicine Buddha or Yakushi Nyorai. A flame has burned in front of this for 1200 years. Up the hill is the Great Lecture Hall, or Dai Ko-do. It's painted red, and there is a big bell outside that can be rung by visitors. Well worth a ding or two. The original was destroyed by fire in 1956, so this building was nicked from the town of Hieizan-Sakamoto and reassembled here. In Sakamoto, it was called the Sanbutsu-do.
Next to Konpon Chu-do, further uphill is Kaidan-in, or the Ordination Temple. This is where new priests are inducted to the Tendai Sect. It dates from 828 and is rarely open to the public.
Reaching the top of the temple complex, we reach the Hokke Soji-in. The original was built in 862 but the current temple dates from 1987. The site was empty for 400 years after being burnt by Oda Nobunaga. The area has three temples: To-do, Kanjo-do and Jakko-do. Weddings are held here frequently: the green Fuji-branded seats hidden in various nooks and crannies are owned by an extremely friendly photographer who arrives suddenly, assembles them like a thing possessed, photographs the group and then vanishes as rapidly as he arrived. If you're walking through, this is a good place to have lunch.
About 1km away from the main complex, which gets all the visitors, is the Western Complex or Sai-to. The main building here is the Shaka-do or Tenporin-do ("Spinning the Dharma Wheel Hall"). Yet another building that Oda Nobunga burned down. This building was originally Onjo-ji Temple, which was disassembled and relocated here. It's the oldest building on Mt Hiei, and contains the standing figure of Sakyamuni Buddha, created by Dengyo Daishi. This is a nice place to rest if hiking: it gets relatively few visitors, and is sheltered from both good and bad weather.
In the late 1990's the area suffered from a storm which felled many trees, including one which damaged the roof. The same storm also demolished the walkway between the two buildings of Ninai-do, which are up the steps in front of the hall. Walking from the main complex, turn right after Kaidan-in, walk parallel to the road then turn right across the footbridge (though heading straight on to Kyoto is also a good walk). Continue for 1km or so, down the unnecessarily long flight of steps. Great walks continue on from this complex to Yokawa, and from there back to Hieizan Sakamoto via several sorely unsignposted routes. Get a map and local advice. Worthwhile in every season. Needs crampons in winter; wait a week after a major snowfall to let others blaze the trail.
Hiking, this is another 4km from Sai-to. The complex contains Yokawa Chu-do (Yokawa Central Hall), Eshin-do (Eshin Hall), Joko-in (Temple of Constant Light), Shiki ko-do (Four Seasons Hall) and Konpon Nyoho-to (Sutra Home Pagoda).
Yokawa Chu-do was founded in 848. It was destroyed by lightning in 1942, and rebuilt in 1971 to commemorate the 1150th anniversary of Dengyo Daishi.
Eshin-do is where the practice of Nenbetsu, or chanting the name of Amida Buddha, started.
Joko-in is at the head of the Fragrant Valley. Things must have changed a lot since these places were founded, since in winter they're all cold, and in summer they're hot, humid and full of mosquitos. Shiki Ko-do dates from 967. Konpon Nyoho-to nestles in a group of cedars called Konpon Sugi, or Home Cedars. The building contains many sutras. It was rebuilt in 1922.
