Important Cultural Property
The Twenty-five Articles of Priest Kūkai's Last Will

Handscroll, ink on paper
H 30.0, L 1325.0
Nanbokuchō period　14th century
Ryakuō 2　1339

The Twenty-five Articles of Priest Kūkai's Last Will
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On behalf of his disciples and to ensure the lasting legacy of his transmissions, Kūkai (774–835) is said to have offered these articles as a “final testament” prior to his passing. They include explanations of the origins of the Shingon sect, important aspects of Shingon doctrine, how temples ought to be administered, and of the existence of the esoteric treasures of wish-fulfilling jewels (Skt. cintāmaṇi; J. hōju). The original document is thought to have been compiled around the tenth century by a Shingon priest.
 
SAIKI RyokoEnglish by Mary Lewine 
Buddhist Art Paradise: Jewels of the Nara National Museum. Nara National Museum, 2021.7, p.345, no.79. 

This is the last will, which Priest Kūkai (or Kōbō-daishi, 774-835) handed to his disciples on March 15, 835, six days before his death.
In the written will Priest Kūkai announced that his death was approaching and gave detailed directions about the administration and management of the temples of his sect. Since then, generations of priests in the Shingon sect of Buddhism have been keeping Kūkai's last will as their precept.
The scroll introduced in this article is a copy made on April 21, 1339 by Priest Kenshun (1299-1357), of Daigo-ji temple. Kenshun gained power as Shogun Ashikaga Takauji's priest. The calligraphic style of this copy is slightly different from Kenshun's other handwritings, because he may have paid respect to the original manuscript. The densely written kana-type characters, the Japanese pronunciation added to Chinese characters and other punctuation marks indicate that Kenshun tried to make this copy an authorized version of Kūkai's last will. 
Masterpieces of Nara National Museum. Nara National Museum, 1993, p.95, no.72. 

Accession Number 1122-0
Category Writings
Provenance Formerly kept in Daigo-ji temple, Kyoto
Bibliography Kūkai : the worlds of mandalas and the transcultural origins of esoteric buddhism : special exhibition celebrating the 1,250th anniversary of priest Kūkai's birth, Nara National Museum, 2024.4, 300p. Temple of great peace : the world of Daianji and Buddhist art in ancient Nara. Nara National Museum, 2022.4, 223p. Buddhist Art Paradise: Jewels of the Nara National Museum. Nara National Museum, 2021.7, 354p. Ko-Mikkyō: the incipient stages of Japanese esoteric buddhism. Nara National Museum, 2005, 207p. (Japanese) Ultimate sanctuaries: the aesthetics of Buddhist relic worship. Nara National Museum, 2001, 263p. (Japanese) Illustrated Catalogue of the Collection of Nara National Museum: Supplement. Nara National Museum, 1999, 108p. (Japanese) Masterpieces from the Collection of the Nara National Museum. Nara National Museum, 1997, 350p. (Japanese)

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