Or.78.a.11

Variant title: Mukujōkō daranikyō 無垢浄光陀羅尼經 [無垢浄光陀羅尼経]

Author/compiler: Unknown.

Imprint: N.p., n.d. [printed by order of the Empress Shōtoku 稱德 in the years Tenpyō Hōji 8 天平宝字八年-Jingo Keiun 4 神護景雲四年, 764-70] (As recorded in Shoku Nihongi 續日本紀 and Tōdaiji yōroku 東大寺要錄)

Description: 8 printed strips (4 standard texts and 4 variants), mounted on paper panels on two kakemono (hanging scrolls).

Blockprint. Printed either from metal plates or from engraved wood blocks; scholarly opinion differs as to which. No borders or interlinear rules.

Kanbun text. 5 characters to line. Number of lines to each text noted below.

Originally each printed strip was rolled up and placed in a small wooden pagoda. The present set lacks the pagodas and has been mounted in two groups on hanging scrolls as noted above. General title (Mukujōkō daranikyō 無垢浄光陀羅尼經) and specific titles of texts (Konpon darani 根本陀羅尼, Sōrin darani 相輪陀羅尼, Jishin'in darani 自心印陀羅尼, and Rokudo darani 六度陀羅尼) are printed at the head of each text, standard and variant.

Edition: The earliest edition of these and all other texts printed in Japan. According to Japanese official records (see Imprint above), one million copies of these dhāraṇī were printed, placed inside miniature wooden pagodas and distributed to ten major monasteries of western Japan, at the behest of Empress Shōtoku to appease the Buddhist priesthood. During the period of printing (764-70) a 'standard' edition and a 'variant' edition were produced, as the present set of 8 texts clearly demonstrates. It is possible that the two editions were printed at two different monasteries.

Contents: Texts of four of the six dhāraṇī (Buddhist invocations) contained in the work Mukujōkō daranikyō 無垢浄光陀羅尼經. Although written in Chinese characters throughout, the texts consist almost entirely of sounds transcribed phonetically from the original Sanskrit.