Myōhō rengekyō, kan dai-7 妙法蓮華經巻第七 [妙法蓮華経巻第七]

Translator: Kumārajīva, 4th-5th century. Imprint: N.p., n.d. [printed probably at Nara, mid-Kamakura period, c. 1240-80] . No colophon or dated shikigo. Description: 1 kan, 1 roll (kansubon) in a wooden box. Roll is made up of 20 sheets, each 50 cm. long (average), 27.5 cm. in height. Blockprint. Printing frame (height) 22 cm., 2 cm. between vertical rules. Gold borders above and below text, and between columns. Kanbun text, with shōten (声点) and kutōten added in red ink. Bold, regular kaisho script, printed in thick strokes using jet-black, lacquer-like ink. 25 lines to sheet, 17 characters to line. Original end cover of thick ganpi paper, decorated on outer surface with floral pattern in gold paint and cloud bands in gold and silver foil, and on inner surface with square-cut gold and silver foil. The whole now badly rubbed and tarnished. Margins above and below printed area are similarly ornamented with gold and silver kirihaku, but of comparatively recent date. Text paper, fine-quality ganpi dyed a pale buff colour. Original crystal-ended roller. No title slip or gedai. Edition: Kasuga-ban, resembling an ippongyō 一品経, but intended for dedication as a complete 8-kan set to a temple. Fine example of a printed sōshokugyō 装飾経. In its hanshiki this roll closely resembles the group of Hokekyō 法華經 editions published in the Kamakura period by the monk Shinjō 心性 and his descendants, and may perhaps be one of the unnumbered Shinjō editions. Six lines of manuscript endnotes in three distinct hands (transcribed under manuscript notes below) record some details of the history of this roll. These are confirmed by similar shikigo in two other rolls from the same edition which have been identified: (1) Hōtōbon 寶塔品, described and illustrated in Kōbunsō kohanpon mokuroku 弘文荘古版本目録, 1974, item 57; (2) Daibabon 提婆品, described in Hokke hangyō no kenkyū 法華版経の研究 (Kabutogi, Shōkō 兜木正亨), 1954 ed., p. 74; 1982 ed., p. 87. Lines 2 and 3 of the endnote in the present copy are identical with those transcribed in (1) above, and they similarly record the presentation of this roll to the Jissōji 實相寺 temple, Hosshōzan 法性山, at Kanra-gun 甘樂郡 in Kōzuke province. In (1) above the shikigo states that a complete set of the Hokekyō was presented to the Jissōji by the monk Shinshū 心秀 of Kōzuke 上野 province and received by the priest in charge, Enkai 圓海. Lines 1 and 4-6 in the BL copy agree, with minor differences in the order of phrases, with the endnote recorded in (2) above. It seems clear that all three rolls belong to the same undated, ornamented edition of this sutra which, at the time of its presentation to the Jissōji, must have been complete in 28 sections. Contents: Seventh volume of the Hokekyō (Myōhō rengekyō), comprising the following four sections: no. 20, Jōfugyō bosatsubon 常不輕菩薩品; no. 21, Nyorai jinrikibon 如來神力品; no. 22, Zokuruibon 囑累品; no. 23, Yakuō bosatsu honjibon 藥王菩薩本事品; no. 24, Myōon bosatsubon 妙音菩薩品.

Unrestricted

Acquired from Kōbunsō, 12 Feb. 1968.

Kenneth Gardner, Descriptive Catalogue of Japanese books in the British Library printed before 1700 (London and Tenri, 1993). B. Buddhist works 仏書 2. Basic mahayana scriptures 主要大乗経典

Bussho kaisetsu daijiten 仏書解説大辞典, vol. 10, pp. 356-67; Kōbunsō kohanpon mokuroku 弘文荘古版本目録, p. 62; Hokke hangyō no kenkyū 法華版経の研究, p. 87 and passim.