General Explanatory Notes
The Tendai Sect Daily Service is known in Japanese as the TENDAI SHUU NICHIJOU GONGYOU GI. Originally, this service stems from the REISEN, the common form of the Tendai service, which centers upon the Lotus Sutra. The service dedicated to the recitation of the Lotus Sutra is known as the HOKKE SENPOU. Both the Lotus Sutra and Amidha Sutra are chanted, making up what is referred to as the REIJI SAHOU, the practice that has been used by Tendai priests in Japan for roughly the last 1,000 years.
In order that sectarian believers (lay believers) might be able to chant the service, in 1923 the current version was compiled by Master Shoukei Suehiro. The current daily service (hereafter, “Gongyou”), is a construct of adding short sections of the priest’s recitations with sections from the aforementioned HOKKE SENPOU (Lotus) and REIJI SAHOU (Amidha). This was edited to create what is at present used within all Tendai households.
In alignment with other sects, the Tendai Gongyo contains various prayers and offerings to be performed before the household altar, along with the addition at the end of the service of a transference of merit verse (EKOU BUN) and a request verse (GAN BUN).
The ancient Japanese proverb, "Shin wa shougon kara" (Faith begins with a solemn {attitude}) underlies the basic premise of Japanese household Tendai reverence. One awakens early, prepares offerings of food, flowers and scented waters, illuminates candles before the family altar, lights incense, rings the ceremonial bell, folds one's hands in supplication and reads aloud sutra passages.
Although oral traditions state that some five services are to be held daily, most households conduct two daily services, one in the morning and one in the evening. The morning service is referred to properly as JINCHOU KAJU, or more commonly as “Asa no O-tsutome.” Based on both the priest’s TAISHUU KAJU practice booklet and the aforementioned Tendai Gongyo, the morning service centers on the shortest section of the HOKKE SENPOU. The GOGE (5 confessions) are the central practice, allowing lay practitioners to understand ancient Tendai principles. Slight variations exist between what priests and lay practitioners chant during the ritual.
The evening service is referred to properly as KOUKON KAJU, or more commonly as “Yuube no O-tsutome.” Based on the JOUGYOU SANMAI as preached by the Tendai Patriarch and the NENBUTSU verses of praise unto Amidha Buddha (transmitted to Saicho’s disciple, Ennin atop Mount Godai in China), the evening practice centers on the Three Part Pure Land Sutras. For the most part, this mirrors ceremonial verses as transmitted from China. Likewise, both lay and priest pronunciations exist.