Daxingshan Temple: Stele of Master Amoghavajra

CHINA, Shaanxi, Xi’an; Tang dynasty

The text of this stele was composed by Yan Ying and written by Xu Hao. The inscription has 24 lines of 48 characters each. Portions of the text are missing due to cracks in the middle of the stele. Currently housed in Beilin Museum in Shaanxi since 1090, it was originally erected in Daxingshan Temple in Shaanxi in memory of Master Amoghavajra by his disciples. Master Amoghavajra was a Tang dynasty (618–907) translator and monk, as well as the Sixth Patriarch of Vajrayana Buddhism. He studied under Vajrabodhi, who instructed him to seek teachings in India. He was well-received upon his return to China and became renowned as one of the Three Great Monks of the Kaiyuan period (713–741) alongside Subhakarasimha and Vajrabodhi.
Xu Hao, also known as Ji Hai, was a Tang dynasty calligrapher from Yuezhou (present day Shaoxing, Zhejiang). His calligraphic style follows that of his father, Xu Qiao. The script of this text is round, supple, and profound in character. Xu was often invited to Buddhist temples to copy sutras for steles. His compositions using thick and round strokes are neat, strong, and refreshing in form. The characters here are slightly flat and wide, appearing steady and firm. Very few of Xu’s steles remain today, and this stele is a signature of his later works using regular script.