There are only a few surviving examples of Tendai sermons from the medieval period, making their study difficult. However, recent surveys of sacred texts at temples have led to the discovery of medieval sacred texts, which are now being studied more closely.
The first to be examined here are the Tendai-related materials in the Minobu bunko 身延文庫 of the Kuonji 久遠寺. Nichiren monks studied at Kantō Tendai seminaries （dangisho 談義所）, and their writings were preserved in the Minobu bunko. From the Tendai-related books in Minobu, we can learn about aspects of medieval discussions.
Second is the appearance of medieval materials at the Onjōji 園城寺. The Onjōji was destroyed by fire several times, and consequently there are few materials available through which to study the temple’s medieval academic situation. However, Minobu monks studied at the Onjōji as well, and materials that provide insight into the medieval period at the Onjōji have been discovered in the Minobu Bunko collection. In recent years, medieval materials have also emerged from the Onjōji, and research into the medieval period from the Onjōji collection is now underway.
We would like to elucidate the reality of medieval Tendai scholarship through careful investigation of sacred texts that were transported elsewhere from the locations where they were written by monks in the past.
