The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (2058 page)

 
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Sai Baba
.

1
Hindu spiritual guide and miracle (
siddha/iddhi
) worker. He died in 1918, and was recognized as one who had direct experience of reality and truth—so much so that many regard him as a manifestation (avat
ra) of God. He is known as Sai Baba of Shirdi to differentiate him from the following.
2
Sai Baba (b. 1926) of the
rama
Prasanti Nilayam, who is believed by his followers (now worldwide) to be a reincarnation of the first Sai Baba. He too is well-known for his miraculous powers.

 
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767–822)
. Japanese Buddhist monk and founder of
Tendai
. Together with
K
kai
, he was one of the two leading figures in the Heian (‘peace and tranquillity’) period in Japan. In 804, he went to China, to study
T’ien-t’ai
, and to gain sanction for the new foundation on Mount Hiei. He did not intend to introduce, still less found, a new school, and for some time he applied himself to esoteric Buddhism as much as to T’ien-t’ai. When he returned to Japan in 805, he endorsed both as a kind of middle way between the Nara sects,
Sanron
and
Hoss
. His endeavours to incorporate esoteric Buddhism were overshadowed by the brilliance of
K
kai
, and after an early friendship, relations between the two deteriorated. The incorporation of esoteric Buddhism was accomplished by Saich
's disciples, Enchin and
Ennin
. Saich
spent the last six years of his life trying to establish Tendai as the true
Mah
y
na
, and as the ‘protector of the nation’.
During this last period, Saich
composed his major works (including
Shugo-kokkai-sh
(Treatise on the Protection of the State),
Hokke-sh
ku
(Superlative Passages of the Lotus S
tra), and
Kenkai-ron
(Treatise on the Precepts), in which he argued that Tendai was superior to other forms of Buddhism. He regarded his time as the period of Spurious Dharma (
z
matsu
), and that only in Tendai would the people find guidance. A complex of many temples was established on Mount Hiei, but most (along with the major temple) were destroyed in 1571/2. Enryaku-ji was rebuilt on the mountain-top in the 17th cent. The main hall (Konpo-Chudo, 1643) is the third largest wood building in Japan.