Because original enlightenment is seen as the true status of all phenomena, practice cannot be the “cause” of enlightenment. Thus its role becomes ambiguous. It must undergo redefinition, whether as predisposing one to the insight that “all dharmas are the Buddha-Dharma,” or as solidifying and deepening such insight, or as the exemplary form of the nonduality of the Buddha and the beings. But just as some version of “acquired enlightenment” cannot ultimately be dispensed with, neither can practice, as becomes clear from a close reading of texts. And from the perspective of history, medieval Tendai monks participating in hongaku discourse can be shown to have engaged in diverse forms of religious practice. (Page 359)