The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (732 page)

BOOK: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions
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Enlightenment
(Germ.
Aufklärung
). A period in European thought and art,
c.
1720–80. It is sometimes also called ‘the Age of Reason’—misleadingly, since it implies that other ‘ages’ are, at least comparatively, irrational. It is thus sometimes a term of conflict, implying an emancipation from ‘the dead hand of dogma’. See also
DEISM
;
HASKALAH
(Jewish Enlightenment).
Enni Ben’en
(Zen master)
:
Ennichi
(Jap.,
en
, ‘connection’, +
nichi
, ‘day’). An auspicious day; a holy day at Japanese shrines and temples.
Ennin
(
794–864).
Third chief abbot (
zasu
) of the Japanese
Tendai
school, also known by his posthumous title, Jikaku Daishi. He became a disciple of
Saich
(767–822), the founder of Tendai, at the age of 15, and in 838 he went to China for further study of T’ien-t’ai and Esoteric Buddhism (
Mikky
). His foremost contribution to history is the establishment of Tendai esotericism (Taimitsu) in contrast to the Shingon esotericism (Tomitsu) of
K
kai
(774–835), Saich
's great rival. No less important is his introduction of the
Pure Land
practice of
Wu-t’ai-shan
which initiated the Tendai Pure Land tradition. The bestowal of posthumous titles begins with Ennin, who preceded both Saich
(Dengy
Daishi) and K
kai (K
b
Daishi) in receiving the honour.

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