"Past and Present Causal Sutra"

Japanese: 《過去現在因果経》 - かこげんざいいんがきょう

…It is a picture scroll that adds pictures that express the meaning of the sutra to the “Sutra of Past and Present Causality.” The “Sutra of Past and Present Causality” is a four-volume Buddhist scripture translated into Chinese by Gunabadhara in the 5th century. It records the good deeds of Shakyamuni in his past life (the Jataka tales) and his deeds in this life (the life of the Buddha), and teaches that the good deeds planted in the past life never fade away, but rather bear fruit and extend to the present. …

From [Nara Period Art]

...The principal image was burned down in 1667 (Kanbun 7), but the halo remains, albeit in fragments. In addition to these large paintings of transformation scenes, there is the "Past and Present Causal Sutra." It is a story of the life of Shakyamuni, the "Buddha's Life." The lower section features the text of the sutra, while the upper section features a corresponding picture. It is painted simply using primary colors such as vermilion, crimson, ultramarine, melon, and white lead, and as a narrative painting in the form of a picture scroll, it has attracted attention as it suggests the development of later picture scrolls (the "Illustrated Causal Sutra")....

*Some of the terminology explanations that refer to the "Past and Present Causal Sutra" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

Japanese:

…《過去現在因果経》に，その経意をあらわす絵を加えた絵巻をいう。《過去現在因果経》は，5世紀に求那跋陀羅（ぐなばつだら）によって漢訳された全4巻の仏伝経典で，釈迦の過去世(前世)の善行(本生譚すなわちジャータカ)と現世での事跡(仏伝)を記し，過去世に植えた善因は決して磨滅することなく果となって現在に及ぶことを説いている。…

【奈良時代美術】より

…本尊は1667年(寛文7)に焼失したが，光背は断片的ながら遺存する。これら変相図の大画面に対して《過去現在因果経》がある。釈迦の伝記〈仏伝〉を説いたもので，下段に経文，上段に対応する絵を，朱，丹，群青，雌黄，鉛白などの原色を用いて素朴に描き，絵巻形式の説話画として，のちの絵巻物への展開を示唆して注目される(絵因果経)。…

※「《過去現在因果経》」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について | 情報

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