"Koyasan Sacred Treasures Exhibition" to commemorate the opening of the Reihokan Museum
March 1921
sequence
If we think about it, since our great ancestor, the reign of King Konin, granted him imperial permission to make the city of Dharma this sacred place, for over 1,100 years, the waters of the Five Wisdoms have been widely irrigating the living things here, and the numerous winds of the Three Mysteries have been fanning out in long, splendid waves. The appearance of the base mountain, with its piles of greenery layered on top of each other, reveals the splendor of the Mandala Sea, and as it faces the fragrant clouds of the Aitai, it shows the hue of the land of the Mystic and Sacred Buddha. For this reason,
Throughout history, the saints have displayed deep wisdom and faith, and have been admired by everyone from nobles, military commanders, and common people alike. The place where their faith was concentrated was where paintings, colorful beams, towered into the sky, and the beauty of the green of the rim was reflected. Fragrant fragrance, clouds, flowers, and rain never ceased, and famous, virtuous monks and the lamp of the law continued to promote their ancestral traditions. To this day, they continue to inspire the faith of the whole world, and one can see the radiance of the spirit shining within the universe. For this reason, the storehouse of sacred treasures is filled with too many to mention, including mainly the precious treasures brought by the Master, as well as Buddhist statues, Buddhist paintings, Buddhist utensils, and sutra copies made by high priests and masters, as well as imperial decrees, official decrees, books, swords, and all other items. All of them are worthy of the highest respect in the Buddhist teachings, the highest credibility in history, and the highest appreciation in the arts, and there are currently over 100 pieces designated as national treasures. In particular, his painting Amida and the Holy Throne Raising Welcome Painting expresses fundamental beliefs and gives the feeling of gentlemen wandering about in a pure land, while the Red Acala painting inspires the soul and has a dignity that overwhelms people. It is not without reason that experts have praised them as the finest works in the world, representing both exoteric and esoteric Buddhist paintings in Japan.
We have now announced the successful completion of the construction of the Sacred Treasure Museum, and have housed all the hidden treasures of Manzan under one roof. We are taking measures to preserve them forever, and at the same time opening the building to the public so that it can be viewed by the public. In addition, we have selected the finest treasures from Manzan's collection, collected the best ones, selected over 100 items designated as national treasures, as well as several important sites in the temple buildings and pagodas, and made photographs of these into glass engravings that will be made available to the public. These will be published in the "Collection of Sacred Treasures of Mount Koya." These works are not an expression of religious emotion at all, but merely the crystallization of profound faith, and should not be viewed in the same light as ordinary art and crafts. Their aim is to aspire to the realm of secret proof, to come into contact with the splendor of the Mandakkai Society, to promote the virtues of the ancestors, and to cultivate the roots of faith. If they are used to refine the essence of Oriental art and to serve as a resource for tracing the rise and fall of culture in history, then surely they will be an invaluable addition to culture and the ways of the world, and so I will use this as a preface.
Throughout history, the saints have displayed deep wisdom and faith, and have been admired by everyone from nobles, military commanders, and common people alike. The place where their faith was concentrated was where paintings, colorful beams, towered into the sky, and the beauty of the green of the rim was reflected. Fragrant fragrance, clouds, flowers, and rain never ceased, and famous, virtuous monks and the lamp of the law continued to promote their ancestral traditions. To this day, they continue to inspire the faith of the whole world, and one can see the radiance of the spirit shining within the universe. For this reason, the storehouse of sacred treasures is filled with too many to mention, including mainly the precious treasures brought by the Master, as well as Buddhist statues, Buddhist paintings, Buddhist utensils, and sutra copies made by high priests and masters, as well as imperial decrees, official decrees, books, swords, and all other items. All of them are worthy of the highest respect in the Buddhist teachings, the highest credibility in history, and the highest appreciation in the arts, and there are currently over 100 pieces designated as national treasures. In particular, his painting Amida and the Holy Throne Raising Welcome Painting expresses fundamental beliefs and gives the feeling of gentlemen wandering about in a pure land, while the Red Acala painting inspires the soul and has a dignity that overwhelms people. It is not without reason that experts have praised them as the finest works in the world, representing both exoteric and esoteric Buddhist paintings in Japan.
We have now announced the successful completion of the construction of the Sacred Treasure Museum, and have housed all the hidden treasures of Manzan under one roof. We are taking measures to preserve them forever, and at the same time opening the building to the public so that it can be viewed by the public. In addition, we have selected the finest treasures from Manzan's collection, collected the best ones, selected over 100 items designated as national treasures, as well as several important sites in the temple buildings and pagodas, and made photographs of these into glass engravings that will be made available to the public. These will be published in the "Collection of Sacred Treasures of Mount Koya." These works are not an expression of religious emotion at all, but merely the crystallization of profound faith, and should not be viewed in the same light as ordinary art and crafts. Their aim is to aspire to the realm of secret proof, to come into contact with the splendor of the Mandakkai Society, to promote the virtues of the ancestors, and to cultivate the roots of faith. If they are used to refine the essence of Oriental art and to serve as a resource for tracing the rise and fall of culture in history, then surely they will be an invaluable addition to culture and the ways of the world, and so I will use this as a preface.
March 1921, the day the Reihokan Museum opened