The biography of Saichō, called Eizan Daishiden was written about 1200 years ago. In the biography, it is written that Saichō was repeatedly petitioning the court to allow monks of the Tendai school at Mount Hiei to become ordained as national public priests under the Bodhisattva Precepts, rather than order the traditional ordination system of the prātimokṣa. But his request was rejected, and he passed away on June 4th in 822. After his death, his supporters, usually bureaucrats, including Tomono Kunimichi, petitioned the emperor with Saichō’s earnest wish again. Finally, on June 11th, 7 days after his death, the request for the Bodhisattva Precepts was allowed.
This series of stories has been handed down for 1200 years. However, some reliable reports and works of history have shown that on a day before Saichō’s passing, the emperor had already given permission for the Bodhisattva Precepts.
I propose that the description about Saichō’s last moment in the Eizan Daishiden is false.
