Title: Hotoke Shuo Amida Kei (The Amitabha Sutra), Circa 794-1185. An Extraordinarily Rare, Miniature Illuminated Manuscript of the Blissful Land, with the Amida Triad in Seed Syllable Form
Author: Chinese Translation by Monk Kumarajiva
Condition: Very Good
An extraordinarily rare Heian Period, 9th to 12th (Likely 11th to Early 12th) century miniature manuscript of the Hotoke Shuo Amida Kei, also known as The Amitabha Sutra, or The Arrangement of Sukhāvatī.
One of the two Indian Mahayana sutras that describe Sukhāvatī, the pure land of Amitābha, the text was translated into Chinese in 402 CE by Kumārajīva, becoming one of the most highly influential texts in East Asian Buddhism, including China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. Along with the Amitāyus Sutra, it is one of the three central scriptures of East Asian Pure Land Buddhism.
The sutra consists of a discourse that Gautama Buddha gave at Jetavana in Śrāvastī to his disciple Śāriputra. It concerns the adornments and features found in the “pure land" of Sukhāvatī, as well as discussing the beings that reside there, including the Buddha Amitābha. The text also describes what one must do to be reborn in Sukhāvatī, and closes with how the Amitabha Sutra is one of the most difficult of sutras to believe in.
This manuscript has been beautifully written in golden ink, upon a fine and delicate indigo-dyed paper, likely mulberry.
At the end of the text is a visual representation of the Amida Triad in Seed Syllable form, a rather rare sight, even in early Buddhist scrolls and sutra fascicles.
Following the title, is a line of text ascribing this translation to the Triptaka Master Kumarajiva of the Yao Qin Dynasty.
A Buddhist monk, scholar, missionary and translator from Kucha, Kumarajiva is one of the greatest (if not the greatest), translators of Chinese Buddhism, with his translations continuing to see usage even today, and throughout much of Japanese Buddhist sutras and imprints.
As there is no inscribed date or attributed scribe, it is difficult to narrow down the exact period of production. Given the script and use of indigo dyed mulberry paper, and the smaller point of any lacking commentaries from later Buddhist monks and figures such as Honen or Shinran, the manuscript likely dates no later than the 12th century and bears some similarities to the Chusonji-kyo Sutras of the early 12th century. It should also be noted that miniature sutras in handscroll format are rather rare, and Heian Period ones, especially so. On top of the manuscript being illuminated on indigo-dyed paper, I can find no comparable example sold at any Western auction or catalog in recent decades.
The scroll has been written in single columns, up to an 18-character format.
The scroll has been bound in once gilt fabric for protection. There were once jikusaki (knobs) made of wood, but they have long worn away.
The scroll has been placed inside a wooden box for storage and preservation.
One illuminated handscroll on indigo-dyed paper, 10.5 x 107.5 cm
This manuscript is in very good shape, with some soiling and wear in places, and minor text loss. There is a small tear to the upper margin as well.