Siddham Calligraphy of Sanskrit Hieronyms

Contents: Foreword, 1. Calligraphy: thirst for the yonder form. 2. Siddham: the divine script. 3. Siddham script is living. 4. Shuji-shu of Chozen (AD 1670). 5. Identification of deities in the Shuji-shu. 6. Siddham Hieronyms in Chozen's collection.

Siddham Calligraphy of Sanskrit Hieronyms is a comprehensive review of its evolution in Japan from the 8th century onwards in the heavenly magnificence of the traditional hair brush and the monastic wooden pen. Eminent Indian teachers like Subhakarasimha, Vajrabodhi and Amoghavajra wrote in this script. As such its aesthetics and sanctity have hallowed homes and monasteries in the Land of the Rising Sun. This is the first book to view Siddham calligraphy in the cultural interflow between India and Japan. The Chinese word for calligraphy is shu fa, which means "dharma of writing". Subjects of significance have been discussed: calligraphic styles, characteristics of Zen calligraphy, a million copies of a dharani written in Siddham script were printed in 762770 (the first largest printing project of history), the calligram of Prajnakirti of Kashmir, the culmination of Siddham calligraphy in its spontaneity and rapture by Kobo Daishi and its conspicuous culmination as a blossoming of cultural aesthetics. Historic evolution of Siddham in East Asia was to become the divine script to sanctify imperial utensils during the Ming dynasty. The technology of calligraphy, such as the direction of the flow of ink, or taking ink for a second or third time, the slant of the brush, have been illustrated at length. In 1970 the very first words heard in a Shingon home was the prabhata-mantra'morning chant'. Mangala-stotra is the prime commencement of Shingon music: stanzas 4 and 12 are cited in a musical notation that goes back to the 8th century. In symbolic mandalas, theonyms of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and other deities are represented asbijaksaras or hieronyms. In this work, the Shuji-shu 'Bijaksara-samuccaya' of Chozenhas been reproduced from the Japanese xylograph of 1670 AD. It has hieronyms of 351 Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and other deities, including some Hindu deities like Nanda Kuvara (Lord Krsna). The very rhythms of Being can be seen in the vibrant vigour of Siddham calligraphy.