Kegon Gojugosho Emaki (Illustrated Scroll of the Fifty-Five Temples of the Kegon Sect)

Picture scroll. 1 volume. National Treasure. Owned by Todaiji Temple, Nara. It illustrates the sutra from the latter half of the Avatamsaka Sutra, the Nyuhokaibon chapter, and is also called the Zenzai Doji Emaki. It tells the story of how Zenzai Doji visited 53 wise men, including Tokuyun, under the teachings of Manjusri Bodhisattva, met Manjusri again, was guided by Manjusri to see Fugen Bodhisattva, visited 55 saints, and attained the great path of the unobstructed Dharma realm. There are no notes, and in each section, the name of the rank, location, and commentary of each piece of knowledge are written on colored paper drawn with lines on the illustration. The design is thought to be based on an original from China, but the painting has light lines, simple colors, and a pure and elegant atmosphere. It is a work from the Heian period (12th century), but the author is unknown. A part of this scroll was cut off during the Meiji period, and the fragments are kept in the collections of Todaiji Temple and other houses.

[Yasushi Murashige]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

絵巻。1巻。国宝。奈良・東大寺蔵。華厳経の後半にある入法界品(にゅうほっかいぼん)の経説を図示したもので『善財童子(ぜんざいどうじ)絵巻』ともいわれる。善財童子が文殊菩薩(もんじゅぼさつ)の教えにより徳雲比丘(びく)以下53の善知識を歴訪し、ふたたび文殊菩薩に会い、文殊に導かれて普賢(ふげん)菩薩にまみえ、55人の聖(ひじり)を訪れて無礙(むげ)法界の大道を会得したという内容を説く。詞書(ことばがき)はなく、各段とも図上に線で色紙形を画して各知識の位相名、所在地名、賛文を記入している。図様は中国渡来の原典によったものと思われるが、絵は描線も軽妙、色彩も淡泊で清純な趣(おもむき)に富む。平安時代（12世紀）の作であるが、筆者は明らかでない。なお、この絵巻は一部が明治のころ切断され、断簡が東大寺ほか諸家に分蔵されている。

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