{"product_id":"muryogi-kyo-sutra-of-infinite-meanings-copied-colophon-of-1186-but-late-18th-to-mid-19th-century-a-rare-illuminated-handscroll-of-the-second-chapter-of-this-mahayana-buddhist-text-copied-after-one-of-the-early-kamakura-period-examples","title":"Muryōgi Kyō (Sutra of Infinite Meanings), Copied Colophon of 1186 but Late 18th to Mid 19th Century. A Rare Illuminated Handscroll of the Second Chapter of this Mahayana Buddhist Text, Copied after one of the Early Kamakura Period Examples","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eTitle:\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eMuryōgi Kyō (Sutra of Infinite Meanings), Copied Colophon of 1186 but Late 18th to Mid 19th Century. A Rare Illuminated Handscroll of the Second Chapter of this Mahayana Buddhist Text, Copied after one of the Early Kamakura Period Examples, with a Beautiful Frontispiece of the Shaka Triad\u003cbr\u003eCondition: Very Good\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eA Mid to Late Edo Period, mid 18th to 19th century illuminated manuscript handscroll of the second chapter of the Muryōgi Kyō, also known as the Sutra of Infinite Meanings. This manuscript is a rather curious copy after a much earlier, Kamakura Period manuscript, with a copied colophon of Bunji 2, or 1186, with significant effort put into trying to match the original script and format.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eThe manuscript opens with a beautiful, illuminated frontispiece of the Shaka Triad, with the Buddha Shakyamuni at the center, and Fugen and the bodhisattvas Fugen and Monju to each side. They are seated upon lotus flowers, in a heavenly garden, likely located in Sukhavati, the Western Pure Land. While the copyist has done their best to recreate the same landscapes and shading techniques, it is interesting to note that the craggy rocks do bare a bit of Nanga influence, which points towards these manuscripts later production. The main text itself is also produced in golden ink as well, and there are golden flakes decorating the borders. Another pointer to the later production is the paper itself, which while possessing a fine and delicate texture and clearly dyed to emulate indigo-dyed papers for sutras, does not possess the striking dark hue that earlier manuscripts typically have. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eThe Sutra of Infinite Meanings is a Mahayana Buddhist text, and according to tradition, was translated from Sanskrit into Chinese by Dharmajātayaśas, an Indian monk, in 481. Because of this, it has also been described it as an apocryphal Chinese text. This is the second chapter is three, on preaching, in which the Buddha defines the nature of this sutra on how it quickens the process of enlightenments for those becoming Bodhisattvas. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eThe scroll is written in a single column format, with up to 17 line per column.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eThe handscroll has a glass core roller, with \u003ci\u003ejikusaki\u003c\/i\u003e (knobs) made of glass\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eOne illuminated handscroll on indigo dyed paper, 27.3 x 290 cm\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eThis handscroll is in very good shape, with minimal rubbing and wear to the binding, though the title label is partially peeled away. There is some minor creasing throuhgout, and several characters obscured by staining. There appears to be a consistent stain to the upper and lower margins, but this appears to look almost intentionally done by the creator of this manuscript copy, almost reminiscent of the patterned designs from the Nigatsudō Burned Sutra fragments.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"That Guy With The Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51632029565239,"sku":null,"price":13500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0281\/1589\/4371\/files\/20260110_000536.jpg?v=1769966550","url":"https:\/\/thatguywiththebooks.com\/products\/muryogi-kyo-sutra-of-infinite-meanings-copied-colophon-of-1186-but-late-18th-to-mid-19th-century-a-rare-illuminated-handscroll-of-the-second-chapter-of-this-mahayana-buddhist-text-copied-after-one-of-the-early-kamakura-period-examples","provider":"That Guy With The Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}