Tenkyuin Temple: Lotus Sutra - Chapter on Dharani

JAPAN, Kyoto; Kamakura period

Fujiwara no Bufusa was a high ranking official during the time of Emperor Go-Daigo (reigned 1318–1339) of the Kamakura period. It is said that Fujiwara no Bufusa once transcribed manuscripts of five Mahayana Buddhist sutras and offered them to Kasuga Shrine. It is likely that this particular scroll was copied at that time. The chapter describes how Bhaisajyaraja Bodhisattva, Pradhanasura Bodhisattva, and the Heavenly Kings, Vaisravana and Dhrtarastra, made vows of commitment to protect those who regularly and diligently practiced the Lotus Sutra by reciting, teaching, or copying it. This sutra piece was listed as an Important Cultural Property in 1913.
There is a notable contrast between the thick and thin strokes in this scroll. The horizontal strokes are especially long, as are the left and right-falling diagonal strokes. On close examination, this unique calligraphy could be attributed to an implicit attempt at reviving earlier manuscript styles, as is suggested by the heavily pressed right-falling diagonal strokes, and the horizontally stretched character form.