Gems from the National Palace Museum's Collection of Rare and Antiquarian Books

The Greatness of the Dharma: Classic Scriptures of Buddhism

As the name suggests, “Classic Scriptures of Buddhism” here refers to Buddhist texts that also feature painted illustrations. According to the traditional four-part classification system of Chinese books, these texts belong to the “Shakya” (referring to Shakyamuni Buddha) section of the masters category.

The NPM collection includes many Buddhist manuscripts with paintings, but most are in the technique of “gold tracing,” in which figures and other elements are outlined in gold ink. On display in this part of the exhibition are Jixiangxi jingang jilun ganlu quan (The Spring Well of Nectar: The Feast Gathering of the Auspicious Hevajra) and Rulai dingji zunsheng Fomu xianzheng yi (Liturgy of the Realization of the Buddha Mother Usnisavijaya), two Tantric Buddhist texts with colorful paintings in an exceptionally strong Tibetan style presenting Buddhas of the Dharma realm. And Zhen chan neiying dunzheng xuning fajie jingang zhi jing (The Diamond Wisdom Tantra of Deep Meditation Darani on Instantaneous Enlightenment), in addition to the “flyleaf” paintings at both the beginning and end, includes a painted illustration after each section of scriptural text. The large number of paintings makes it one of the pinnacles of illustrated sutras in Buddhism. Though the frontispiece illustration to The Avatamsaka Sutra is mainly outlined in gold lines, the purity of the dark indigo-dyed paper complemented by the bright gold ink of the scriptural text done with exceptional precision makes this a classic manuscript sutra from the inner court of the Ming dynasty.

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  Jixiang Xijingang Jilun Ganluquan

  Spring of Nectar, the Gaṇacakra Ritual of Śrī Hevajra Tantra
  Translated by Sonam Grags, Ming dynasty

  Manuscript in gold ink written in the 4th year of the Zhengtong reign (1436-1449), Ming dynasty 

  Editor Sonam Grags collected the teachings of Sakya School ancestors about practicing Śrī Hevajra Tantra before editing and translating them into Jixiang Xijingang Jilun Ganluquan. The book, divided into two volumes, delves into the rituals of practicing Hevajra Tantra rituals. Except for a few characters written in vermilion, the rest of the them was written in gold. On the cover of the scroll is a color painting of Śrī Hevajra, who occupies the center and shows his blue body, eight faces, 16 arms, and four legs. On his left and right sides are eight auspicious patterns, and on the outermost part of the cover are 16 deities. On the back of the painting is an imperial scripture and three dragons playing pearls, and at the end of the book is a painting of delicately drawn Mahakala with his arms crossed on the chest and wearing a five-skull crown, a necklace made of a pair of snakes, and a tiger skin skirt.

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  Rulai Dingji Zunshengfomu Xianzhengyi

  Ritual of Uṣṇiṣavijayā
  Written by ‘Phags pa (1235-1280), Yuan dynasty

  Translated by Sonam Grags, Ming dynasty
  Manuscript in gold ink written in the 4th year（1440）of the Zhengtong reign, Ming dynasty

  Rulai Dingji Zunshengfomu Xianzhengyi is a Sakya School text about practicing Uṣṇiṣavijayā. The cover of the scroll is a title painting of “Uṣṇiṣavijaya Mandala” who sits in the center and shows her three faces (in white, yellow, and green). She exposes her upper body and wears a loose skirt. Her wrists, ankles, and the area in front of her chest are decorated with yingluo while two Bodhisattvas occupy her two sides. A row of square niches is found on the top and bottom of the painting, which contain the Five Tathāgatas and four great Myoo. The blank areas are decorated with curly grass patterns and scattered flowers; the composition is meticulous; the colors are rich; and an emphasis is placed on sketching. On the back of the painting is an imperial sutra, and at the back of the scroll is the god Mahakala protecting the scripture, which differs from the god Skanda protecting Han Dynasty scriptures.

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  Zhenchan Neiyin Dunzheng Xuning Fajie Jingangzhi Jing

  (The Sūtra of Diamond Gnosis- Genuine Meditation with Inner Seal, being Suddenly Enlightened in the Space-solidifying Dharma Realm)

  Anonymous
  Illustrated manuscript by Shendu and Shangxi, 3rd year of the Xuande reign (1428), Ming dynasty

  Zhenchan Neiyin Dunzheng Xuning Fajie Jingangzhi Jing is divided into three volumes. The front and back of each volume were written in vermilion ink, whereas the main text was written in black ink and regular script. The Sanskrit characters were written in the colors of vermilion, blue, white, gold, and green inside gold-rimmed circles with colorful backgrounds. The sutra, which possesses the characteristics of Tibetan Buddhism, combines the ideologies of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, and its text and images are related to Azhaliism practiced in Yunnan. This sutra presents the aforementioned ideologies with 106 illustrations, the most among Buddhist sutras in the collection of the National Palace Museum. The blank spaces of the sutra were adorned with small auspicious decorations painted in gold ink, such as ruyi, corals, rhinoceros teeth, conch shells, scrolls, treasure scrolls, and jade chimes, making it a highly unique religious classic.

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  Dafangguang Fo Huayanjing

  The Avataṃsaka Sūtra

  Translated by Śikṣānanda (652-710), Tang dynasty
  Manuscript in gold ink written in the 16th year（1503）of the Hongzhi reign, Ming dynasty

  Dafangguang Fo Huayanjing is one of the important classics in Mahayana Buddhism. This sutra, which consists of 80 volumes, is divided into seven parts, nine chapters, and 39 items, and contains the scroll The Vows of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra Sutra. The painting on the cover of the sutra is that of Tathāgata teaching dharma. The appearance and demeanor of each deity also found in the painting were outlined using gold ink so as to engender a state of union between painting and paper. The deities’ faces as well as their bodies, hands, and feet not covered by clothing were painted in the same color, whereas their lips, hair, eyes, and pearls were colored in red, blue, white, and white, respectively. On the back of the title painting is an imperial stele, and at the end of the scroll is Skanda. Mahā-vaipulya teaches dharma to shape people, whereas is Buddhāvataṃsaka employs those capable of teaching dharma to spread it.