Collected Letters of Priest Saichō
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Six letters of priest Saichō (767-822), Saichō’s last will, and a written oath by Enchō (772-837), who was one of Saichō’s disciples, were copied in this scroll. Five letters were addressed to Priest Kūkai, in which Saichō asked to lend him Buddhist scriptures and a book of Buddhist precepts. He also asked Kūkai to teach Buddhist ideas to his disciples. One letter was sent to one of Saichō’s disciples, Taihan, in which Saichō recommended to receive the Kanjō baptism from Priest Kūkai at Takao-san-ji temple.
This handscroll has a colophon dated March 18, 1289, which says that this volume was copied by Priest Ryūshō (1264-1314) of Daigo-ji temple. This is the second oldest copy of the Collected Letters of Priest Saichō. The oldest copy is the Ninna-ji temple version
Masterpieces of Nara National Museum. Nara National Museum, 1993, p.94, no.71.
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