The Dharani Chapter of the Lotus Sutra (written by Fujiwara

The Lotus Sutra Dhāraṇī Chapter, Transcribed by Fujiwara no Nobufusa in the Sixth Month of Shōchū 2 (1325)

Tucked away within a quiet sub-temple of Kyoto's vast Myōshin-ji complex lies a slender hand-copied scroll that carries the weight of one of Japan's most turbulent moments. The Daranibon (Dhāraṇī Chapter) of the Lotus Sutra, brushed in elegant ink in the summer of 1325 by the court noble Madenokōji Nobufusa, is a survivor from the final years of the Kamakura period—an age when emperors, warriors, and aristocrats were edging toward a clash that would change Japan forever. Designated an Important Cultural Property in 1913, this single chapter of one of Buddhism's most beloved scriptures remains in the keeping of Tenkyū-in, where it is treasured as both a sacred text and a witness to history.

What Is the Daranibon?

The Daranibon, or "Dhāraṇī Chapter," is the twenty-sixth chapter of the Lotus Sutra (Myōhō Renge-kyō), the central scripture for several major schools of Japanese Buddhism, including Tendai and Nichiren. The full Lotus Sutra is traditionally divided into twenty-eight chapters and copied in eight scrolls; devotees often singled out individual chapters for personal copying as acts of merit-making.

The Dhāraṇī Chapter is one of the most distinctive sections of the sutra. In it, bodhisattvas and heavenly guardians—including Bishamonten and Jikokuten among the Four Heavenly Kings, the ten female demon protectors known as the Jūrasetsunyo, and the Bodhisattvas Yakuō and Yūze—come forward to vow protection for anyone who upholds the Lotus teaching. They recite a series of dhāraṇī, mystical incantations preserved largely in transliterated Sanskrit, that promise to ward off evil and bring spiritual benefit to the practitioner.

For aristocrats of the late Kamakura period, copying this chapter was an especially meaningful devotional act. It combined the prestige of literary calligraphy with the deeply felt hope for divine protection in an uncertain age.

The Brush Behind the Scroll: Madenokōji Nobufusa

The scribe of this sutra, who signed the work in the older clan name "Fujiwara," was Madenokōji Nobufusa (1258–1348). He was no ordinary calligrapher. Nobufusa served as one of the closest advisors to Emperor Go-Daigo, the sovereign who would soon attempt to overthrow the Kamakura shogunate and restore direct imperial rule. Together with Kitabatake Chikafusa and Yoshida Sadafusa, Nobufusa was counted among the "Three Bō of the Later Age" (Nochi no Sanbō)—a celebrated trio of learned courtiers who shaped late-Kamakura court politics.

The date on this scroll, the sixth month of Shōchū 2 (mid-1325), is no accident of timing. Only months earlier, in the autumn of 1324, the Shōchū Incident had erupted: rumors reached Kamakura that Emperor Go-Daigo was plotting to overthrow the shogunate. The crisis threatened the throne itself. It was Nobufusa who was dispatched as imperial envoy to Kamakura, where he successfully argued the emperor's innocence and defused the confrontation. Within months of returning home, he sat down to brush this devotional sutra—a quiet act of religious gratitude, perhaps, after navigating the most dangerous diplomatic mission of his life.

Why It Was Designated an Important Cultural Property

The scroll was designated as an Important Cultural Property on April 14, 1913. Several layers of value lie behind that designation.

First, it is a securely dated and signed work by a major historical figure. Calligraphy by named aristocrats of the Kamakura period that bears both a precise date and the writer's name is comparatively rare, and such works are prized as benchmarks for understanding the calligraphic styles of the era. Nobufusa's hand reflects the refined kuge (court noble) brushwork tradition, executed with the disciplined formality that devotional sutra-copying demanded.

Second, the scroll is an exceptional historical document. Brushed at a turning point in Japan's medieval history—between the Shōchū Incident and the larger Genkō Incident of 1331 that would finally topple Kamakura—it provides a tangible artifact from the inner circle of Emperor Go-Daigo's court.

Third, it represents a tradition of single-chapter Lotus Sutra copying that flourished among the Heian and Kamakura aristocracy. As an example of devotional calligraphy preserved in fine condition for seven centuries, it carries both religious and cultural significance.

Highlights and Points of Appreciation

For those fortunate enough to encounter the scroll during a special exhibition, several features reward close attention. The brushwork is firm and unhurried, with the controlled rhythm typical of formal sutra script. The transliterated dhāraṇī passages—rows of Chinese characters used phonetically to spell out Sanskrit—are particularly striking, since each character must be brushed with care to preserve the mantra's sound.

The colophon at the end records the year, month, and the scribe's name, anchoring the scroll firmly to a specific moment in time. For visitors interested in the cultural background, the scroll embodies a meeting point of three currents that defined late Kamakura aristocratic life: the Lotus Sutra devotion that had spread through the court since Heian times, the high status of calligraphy as a marker of cultivation, and the political tension that would soon ignite the Genkō War.

Tenkyū-in: The Temple That Preserves It

The scroll's home is Tenkyū-in, a sub-temple (tatchū) of Myōshin-ji, the great Rinzai Zen monastery in western Kyoto. Tenkyū-in was founded in 1631 by Ikeda Mitsumasa, lord of the Okayama domain, and his brother Mitsunaka, in memory of their great-aunt known posthumously as Tenkyū-in-dono—a daughter of the Oda retainer Ikeda Tsuneoki and sister of Ikeda Terumasa, the first lord of Himeji Castle. The temple's name is said to derive from a "sphere" (kyū) discovered when the land was being prepared for construction.

Tenkyū-in is best known to art lovers for the more than 152 painted panels and sliding-door paintings inside its main hall, attributed to Kanō Sanraku and his son Kanō Sansetsu of the Kyō-Kanō school. The dazzling gold-ground "Bamboo and Tiger" and "Plum and Birds" paintings are among the masterpieces of early Edo-period decoration and are themselves Important Cultural Properties. The main hall is generally closed to the public and is only opened during occasional special viewings.

Visitor Information

Tenkyū-in is ordinarily not open for general public visits. The Daranibon scroll itself is preserved as a temple treasure and not on permanent display. Visitors hoping to see the actual scroll should keep watch for special exhibitions at Tenkyū-in or at major institutions such as the Kyoto National Museum, where works of this caliber are occasionally shown.

However, the wider Myōshin-ji compound—one of the largest Zen monastic complexes in Japan—remains freely accessible and offers a deeply rewarding visit on its own. Several other sub-temples (Taizō-in, Daishin-in, and Keishun-in) are open year-round, and seasonal openings often include rare interiors. Walking the white-walled lanes between the forty-six sub-temples that make up the wider Myōshin-ji community feels like stepping into a small monastic town.

The nearest railway station is Hanazono on the JR Sagano Line, about twelve minutes on foot. Kyoto City Bus stops at Myōshin-ji Kita-monmae (about two minutes' walk to Tenkyū-in's gate area).

Around the Neighborhood

The Hanazono and Uzumasa districts in western Kyoto reward unhurried exploration. A short walk from Myōshin-ji is Ninna-ji, a UNESCO World Heritage temple founded in 888 and famous for its Omuro cherry blossoms in spring. Slightly further northwest stands Ryōan-ji, home to the world's most celebrated dry-landscape rock garden, also a UNESCO site. The Kitano Tenmangū shrine, dedicated to the deified scholar Sugawara no Michizane and beloved for its plum blossoms in late winter, is also within easy reach. Together with Myōshin-ji, these places offer one of the richest concentrations of historic religious architecture in all of Kyoto.