Sumidera Heart Sutra (Sumidera shingyō 隅寺心経)

Description

This sutra, or Buddhist sacred text, is traditionally said to be written by Kukai (774–835) the founder of the Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism. Kukai purportedly transcribed the Heart Sutra in the Kairyuuko Temple. Because the temple is located in the northeast corner (sumi) of the ancient city of Nara, the scroll came to be known as the Sumidera Heart Sutra. The Heart Sutra distills the Great Perfection of Wisdom sutra (Daihannyakyo), one of the earliest and most important sutras in the Buddhist tradition, condensing it to only 260 characters. It was copied by hand—likely as a ritual act—as often as twice a day at the temple; it is possible that most copies were made at the same scriptorium. The calligraphy in this manuscript copy is based on Chinese calligraphy for Buddhist sutras written during the Tang dynasty (618–907). This style was transmitted to Japan and used there before the Japanese developed their own calligraphic mannerism and customs for copying sutras.