Title: Miàofǎ Lián Pú Jīng Guānshìyīn Púsà Pǔ Mén Pǐn Dì Ershíwǔ (The Lotus Sutra, Chapter Twenty-Five: Universal Gate of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva), In the Style of Circa 1150-1200 Manuscripts, Likely Later Production. An Illuminated Handscroll of One of the Lotus Sutra’s Chapters, with Silver and Gold Ink Covers, and a Beautiful Frontispiece
Condition: Very Good
An extremely rare, illuminated manuscript handscroll of the twenty fifth chapter of the Miàofǎ Lián Pú Jīng Guānshìyīn Púsà Pǔ Mén Pǐn Dì Ershíwǔ, the Lotus Sutra, or Myōhō Renge Kyō in Japanese. The manuscript has been produced in the style of Late Heian to Kamakura Period but is likely a much later production.
Arguably one of the most influential and revered Buddhist Mahāyāna sutras, it is the primary scripture upon which the Tiantai school of Buddhism and all of its successors (including the Japanese Tendai and Nichiren, Korean Cheontae, and Vietnamese Thiên Thai schools) were established. It also highly influenced the Zen School of Buddhism. It has been often viewed in Eastern Asia as containing the final comprehensive teachings of the Shakyamuni Buddha, with the two core teachings being the doctrine of the One Vehicle, and the idea that the lifespan of the Buddha is immeasurable, and that due to that, he never truly passed onto Nirvana but still teaches to this day in Dharma.
This is the 25th chapter, devoted to the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara or Kannon, describing him as a compassionate bodhisattva who hears the cries of all living beings, and rescues those who call upon his name in various forms, which was explained when bodhisattva Akṣayamati asks the Buddha to elaborate on the character of Avalokiteśvara.
The handscroll covers are beautifully illuminated with silver and gold ink, the name of the chapter inscribed to the front, and golden flowers against silver backgrounds, with decorated borders. The chapter opens with a beautiful, illuminated frontispiece of the Shaka Triad opens with a beautiful, illuminated frontispiece of the Buddha Shakyamuni giving a lecture, while seated upon a lotus flower, in a heavenly garden, likely located in Sukhavati, the Western Pure Land. There is a multitude of figures in attendance, including bodhisattva, heavenly deities, and numerous disciples reborn into the realm.
All the figures have halos and/or mandorla highlighting their figure, the Buddha’s being extra decorated. The background is a beautifully painted landscape of silver and gold trees and hills.
While the dating is not inscribed and a bit unclear, the frontispiece and illuminated covers are highly reminiscent to the Jingo-ji Sutras of the mid 12th century, and exceedingly like a copy of the Anoku-Fu Sutra produced Circa 1183-1185. The only thing that does throw me off is the paper quality of the main text, which is not as fine as mulberry, though it is at least two different layers of paper pasted together, which is not atypical of early manuscript production. I am uncertain as to whether it was produced in the 17th, 18th, or even 19th centruy.
One illuminated handscroll on indigo dyed paper, 25.6 x 186 cm
This handscroll is in very good shape, with minor wear to the edges, and some creasing to the covers. There is creasing throughout due to the loss of the core roller, with several, sharper creases. The illuminated frontispiece and text are still bright and shining, largely unaffected.