Muryogikyo

Historical Background

The Sutra of Innumerable Meanings holds a unique position in East Asian Buddhism. Translated into Chinese by Dharmajātayaśas in the late 5th century, it is traditionally regarded as the "opening sutra" (kaikyō) to the Lotus Sutra — the scripture that the historical Buddha is said to have preached just before entering the profound meditation from which the Lotus Sutra itself emerged. The three chapters of the Muryōgi-kyō — Virtuous Practices, Preaching the Dharma, and Ten Merits — proclaim that countless meanings flow from a single principle, preparing the listener for the universal teachings of the Lotus.

By the Heian period, the practice of copying sutras on lavishly decorated paper had become a refined art form among Japan's aristocracy. Patrons commissioned these works as acts of devotion, hoping to accumulate spiritual merit for themselves, their families, and the nation. The Hase-dera Sutra represents the height of this tradition as it evolved into the Kamakura period, when warrior patrons and powerful temples continued to commission decorated sutras of breathtaking splendor.

The complete set held at Hase-dera includes 28 scrolls of the Lotus Sutra, the three scrolls of the Muryōgi-kyō as the opening sutra, one scroll of the Kanfugen-kyō (the closing sutra), and one scroll each of the Amida Sutra and the Heart Sutra, all originally housed in a magnificent three-tiered lacquered sutra box that is itself designated as part of the National Treasure.

Why It Was Designated a National Treasure

The Hase-dera Sutra, including the Muryōgi-kyō scrolls, was elevated to National Treasure status on June 28, 1956, in recognition of its exceptional artistic merit and its representative role in the history of decorated sutras (shōshokukyō). While the practice of producing decorated sutras flourished in the Heian period, surviving examples of comparable splendor from the Kamakura period are remarkably rare. The Hase-dera Sutra stands as the foremost surviving example of this later golden age of decorative sutra art.

What makes the set so extraordinary is the harmony of its components: the calligraphy, the paper decoration, the frontispiece paintings, and the crystal scroll axles all work together as a unified expression of devotional artistry. Each element reflects the finest craftsmanship the Kamakura-period Buddhist art world could produce, and the survival of the entire 34-scroll set together — along with its original lacquered storage box — is itself a near-miraculous feat of preservation.

Artistic Highlights

The paper of the Muryōgi-kyō scrolls is decorated with cut leaves of gold and silver foil scattered across its surface, creating a shimmering field upon which the sacred text is inscribed. Ruled lines drawn in gold pigment (kindei) divide the surface into elegant columns, within which the sutra text is carefully brushed in ink. The scroll axles themselves are made of crystal — a rare and costly material that catches the light as the scroll is unrolled.

At the head of each scroll, a frontispiece painting (mikaeshi-e) introduces the text with images drawn in vivid mineral pigments — azurite blue, malachite green, vermilion red, and lavish quantities of gold paint. These small paintings are devotional masterpieces in miniature, depicting Buddhist scenes that prepare the reader's mind for the sacred words to follow.

The three-tiered lacquered sutra box that originally held all 34 scrolls is equally remarkable. Its surface is divided diagonally into triangular fields, each treated with a different lacquer technique: dense gold powder embedded in lacquer (ikakeji), sparser gold powder coated with translucent lacquer (nashiji), and silver leaf inlay (gin-kanagai), all accented with circular crest motifs in maki-e gold lacquer. The bold geometric design feels strikingly modern, even by today's standards.

Visiting Hase-dera

Although the Muryōgi-kyō scrolls themselves are normally not on view — they are entrusted to the Nara National Museum, where they appear occasionally in special exhibitions — a pilgrimage to Hase-dera, their spiritual home, is an experience no traveler to Nara should miss. The temple is reached by the Kintetsu Osaka Line: from Kyoto or Nara, change at Yamato-Yagi or Sakurai for a train to Hasedera Station, followed by a fifteen- to twenty-minute walk through the old pilgrim's town of Hatsuse.

The temple grounds are entered through the imposing Niōmon Gate, after which pilgrims ascend the famous covered staircase known as the noborirō — 399 stone steps in three flights, lined with hanging lanterns and bordered by terraces of peonies. In late April and early May, more than 7,000 peony plants of over 150 varieties burst into bloom, transforming the climb into a journey through clouds of pink, white, and crimson blossoms.

At the top stands the Main Hall, itself designated a National Treasure, built in the dramatic kake-zukuri stage style projecting over the mountainside. Inside is enshrined the principal image of devotion: a towering wooden statue of the Eleven-Headed Kannon, approximately ten meters in height, holding a pilgrim's staff in one hand and a water vessel in the other. The view from the broad wooden veranda across the Hatsuse Valley is among the most celebrated panoramas in the Yamato region.

To view the Hase-dera Sutra itself, travelers should consult the exhibition schedule of the Nara National Museum, which periodically displays selected scrolls in its special exhibitions. Recent appearances have included major exhibitions in 2020, 2021, and 2025.

Surrounding Attractions

The Hatsuse Valley is steeped in literary and religious history. Just below Hase-dera stands Hokiin, a small temple traditionally regarded as the founding site of the Saigoku Pilgrimage. Across the Hatsuse River rises Yoki Tenmangū, formerly the guardian shrine of Hase-dera, perched in deep cedar forest. The town itself, with its old shop fronts and lingering atmosphere of pilgrimage, has been celebrated since the Heian period in classics such as The Pillow Book, The Tale of Genji, and the Sarashina Diary.

Travelers with more time can pair their visit with the Yamato Four Temples Pilgrimage circuit, which links Hase-dera with Murō-ji, Oka-dera, and Abe-Monjuin — all ancient temples within the surrounding hills. To see the Hase-dera Sutra in person, the Nara National Museum in central Nara, set within the precincts of Nara Park, is well worth combining with visits to Tōdai-ji and Kasuga Taisha during the same day.