Research Notes: The Miscellaneous Notes of emperor Shōmu and Sūtra of Visualization of the Buddha of Immeasurable Life

Among the writings of Emperor Shomu of Japan preserved in the ShOs5in is a scroll known as Miscellaneous Notes (雑集). Of the works found in this Notes, Hosan Jodo jurokukan shi (Verses on the Sixteen Visualization of the Pure Land) consisting of thirteen verses by Layman Wang deserves special attention. This is because Layman Wang was a near contemporary of Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty and because the thirteen verses are based upon the sixteen kinds of visualizations described in the sutra of Visualization of the Buddha of Immeasurable Life. Comparing the thirteen verses with the sutra, I found the verses faithful to the sutra's passages. Based on his accurate understanding of the sutra, Layman Wang created original verses. It has been pointed out that Sui tai chu ching t'u shih, also contained in the Miscellaneous Notes, are verbatim copies from the Wang sheng li tsan by Shan-tao of the Tang Dynasty. However, nothing of this sort can be found in Layman Wang's verses. In any case, I have demonstrated that the existence of these verses in Miscellaneous Notes shows that the sutra of Visualization of the Buddha of Immeasurable Life was known within the imperial court during Emperor Shomu's age