Qianfu Temple Prabhutaratna Pagoda: Stele of Master Chujin

CHINA, Shaanxi, Xi’an; Tang dynasty

Master Chujin was a national master during the Tang dynasty (618–907), as well as a Chan master from the Prabhutaratna Pagoda of Qianfu Temple. The text of this stele was composed by monk Feixi and scripted by Wu Tongwei. It is inscribed on the back of the Stele of Prabhutaratna Pagoda. Master Chujin was known to recite the Lotus Sutra every night, and once, while reciting the “Chapter on the Emergence of the Prabhutaratna Pagoda,” a pagoda appeared before his eyes. As a result of his vision, Master Chujin vowed to construct a pagoda, which was erected in Qianfu Temple in Xi’an, a project sponsored by Emperor Xuanzong (reigned 712–756) of the Tang dynasty. The stele is inscribed with a biography of Chujin.
Wu Tongwei was a Tang dynasty calligrapher. His running and cursive scripting styles were widely studied and emulated by the editorial officers in the Hanlin Academy during the late Tang and early Song (960–1279) dynasties. He is regarded as one of the originators of the academic calligraphic styles in the Song dynasty. The academic scripting style was a writing style used in imperial decrees. The script adopted in this stele is refreshing in appearance and fluently executed. There is a hint of running script writing in the overall scheme. Characters have similar structure and contrast in light and bold strokes as observed in Preface to Sagely Teachings in Wang Xizhi’s Calligraphy. They are, however, more spaciously configured, and although the composition appears to be lacking in consistency, the characters are balanced in form.