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Calligraphy by Eminent Priests and Founders of Japanese Buddhism November 15 (Wednesday) to December 24 (Sunday), 2006 The Collections Hall, Galleries 13 This exhibition features calligraphic works by celebrated priests, who shaped the foundations of Buddhism in Japan. The calligraphy of these Japanese Buddhist master can be said to have begun in the Heian period (794-1192) with the founder of the esoteric Shingon sect Kukai (774-835; posthumously known as Kobo Daishi). Not only is Kukai historically significant, he is also well remembered as one of the three great calligraphers of his time. Kukai's Kanjo rekimei (Register of Participants in Esoteric Consecration Ceremony; National Treasure, Jingo-ji), which will be on exhibit, is an important record in that the name of the founder of the rivaling Tendai sect Saicho appears in it. This manuscript seems to have originally been meant to be Kukai's own memorandum, hence, not for others to see. His amazing penmanship here shows that he consistently excelled in his calligraphic skills even in this note to himself. The daily rules of conduct for the Shaka-do Hall of Ryozan-in Temple (Ryozan-in Shaka-do mainichi saho, Important Cultural Property, Shojuraigo-ji), signed by Buddhist masters such as Genshin (942-1017), also represents an outstanding calligraphic work that was not meant for public display. New schools of Buddhism and new ideas from traditional schools rose in the Kamakura period (1185-1333), which marked an important milestone in Japanese Buddhism. This section presents various religious manuscripts by several important priests. For example, in his fervent belief in the historic Buddha Sakyamuni, Myoe (1173-1232) of Kozan-ji Temple dreamt of going to India, the birthplace of Buddhism, and recorded the distance and time it would take to travel there. The founder of the Jodo-Shinshu sect Shinran (1173-1262) devoted twenty years of his latter years in completing his treatise Kyogyoshinsho (Teaching, Practice, Faith, and Enlightenment). The calligraphic works in this exhibit trace the devotion for the Buddhist path, the accumulation of study, and the deepening of faith by various historic Japanese Buddhist masters.
List of Works
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