Documents in the womb - Tainai Monjo

Japanese: 胎内文書 - たいないもんじょ

Documents placed inside statues of Buddha and deities, a type of offering inside statues. When statues are constructed or repaired, in addition to small Buddha statues, relics, and scriptures, prayers are sometimes placed inside the statue, detailing the purpose and circumstances of the construction of the statue, the names of the donors and those who made a bond with the statue, and most of the documents inside the statue are prayers. Examples of offerings inside statues can be seen in statues made from a single piece of wood during the Heian period, but the number of offerings increased from the end of the Heian period as inlay statues became more common. After the Kamakura period, when statues were constructed through fundraising, a list of the names of those who made a bond with the statue was placed inside, and in rare cases documents or pledges closely related to the donors were placed inside. Since it was assumed that these would not be seen by others, they are valuable materials that provide insight into the honest consciousness and beliefs of people in ancient and medieval times.

Source : Heibonsha Encyclopedia About MyPedia Information

Japanese:

仏像・神像などの胎内に納められた文書で，像内納入品の一種。像の造立や修理の際，像内に小仏像・舎利・経典などのほか，像造立の趣旨，経緯，願主や結縁(けちえん)した人々の名などを記した願文が納められることがあり，胎内文書のほとんどが願文の類である。像内納入品は平安時代の一木造などの像にも例がみられるが，平安時代末から，寄木造の像がさかんに造られるようになるにつれ増加した。鎌倉時代以降，勧進による像造立の際には結縁者の名前を列挙した交名(きょうみょう)が納められるほか，まれに願主と関わりの深い文書や起請文が納められることもあった。他の人の目に触れないことを前提にしていることから，古代・中世の人々の率直な意識・信仰などをうかがわせる資料として貴重である。

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