Jingo-ji TripiṭakaThe Jingo-ji Tripiṭaka is a Japanese collection of the Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon) composed of over 5400 scrolls made of Indigo dyed paper, and written in golden ink. Created in the twilight of the Heian period, throughout the Genpei War, the compilation of the canon was commissioned by Emperor Toba and Emperor Go-Shirakawa from 1150-1185. The scrolls were then deposited in Jingo-ji, Ukyō-ku, Kyoto. In the years since, 2317 scrolls remained with the temple while many others have been scattered into private collections and museums around the world.[1][2][3] HistorySince the introduction of Buddhism in Japan, handwritten sutra copying was deemed a sacred act of worthy merit. Copying the issaikyo, the Tripitaka, in particular is known to be an ambitious act, which requires the standard handwriting of 5400 scrolls to complete the canon.[4] During the late Heian period, the speculation of Mappo, the decline of the Dharma and thus Buddhist teaching, circulated widely in the Imperial Court. As such, copies of the issaikyo were commissioned by the royalty and the nobility to improve the chances of entering the Pure Land. From 1149-1185, Emperor Toba initiated the Jingo-ji copies until his death in 1156, thereupon Go-Shirakawa commissioned the rest of the Canon over the ensuing decades, completing the transcription in 1185, according to the Jingo-ji Ryakki (Records of Jingo-ji) during the Nanboku-chō period.[3] The standard format of the Jingo-ji canon is recognized by the indigo paper with silver lines, the dye symbolizing the lapis lazuli of the spiritual realm. The sutra text written in gold, which was defined as the radiant light of the Buddha. The front piece features a gold and silver painting of The Buddha teaching the Dharma at Vulture Peak.[5] A red rectangular stamp on each scroll designates the original ownership at Jingo-ji.[2][5] Of the 5400 scrolls copied, by the 18th century, 4722 were inventoried at the temple. In the 19th century, hundreds of scrolls were sold by the temple to finance repairs to the building, some others were stolen. 2317 scrolls remain at Jingo-ji, and on 30 May 1949, they were deemed an Important Cultural Property of Japan under designated serial number 01056.[5][6] Extant Scrolls in Outside CollectionsDue to the dispersion of the scrolls during the 19th century, specimens do pop up in the art market and over the course of past century, different portions of the canon are now owned by museums around the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, British Museum, Minneapolis Institute of Art, and various private collections.[1][2][5]
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