Ryokoin Temple: Golden Light Sutra

JAPAN, Wakayama, Ito; Nara period

This text is based on Tripitaka Master Yijing’s translation of the Golden Light Sutra, and is divided into two scrolls. The first scroll commences with the “Introductory Chapter,” while the second begins with the “Chapter on the Commitments of the Four Heavenly Kings.” Every line contains 34 characters and at the end, written in red ink, is a verse extolling the sutra. Reciting the sutra is said to grant one protection of the Buddhas and heavenly beings, and this sutra is regarded as having the ability to protect the entire nation. It was listed as a National Treasure of Japan in 1954.
The origin of this particular sutra manuscript is unknown. One school of thought theorizes that it was an item from China, while another believes it was a Japanese copy replicated from an earlier Chinese Tang dynasty (618–907) reference. Nevertheless, the semblance in style and form to Tang manuscripts is apparent, particularly in the variety of articulations in the sweeps and bends of the rigid, but thin strokes of the smaller characters. The prevalence of Tang-style calligraphy is a key feature of this work.