Volume 1 of The Lotus Sutra (Yuan dynasty Zhejiang print in Su Shi’s calligraphic style)

Yuan Edition Copied in Zhejiang in the Style of Su Shi
The museum holds a total of 6 sets of this edition. The text is the same as the Song edition copied in the style of Su Shi, and the dimensions are very similar as well. However, this edition includes punctuation marks, and the strokes are slightly less natural than those of the Song edition. Among these sets, 5 sets have frontispieces attached to each volume. The first volume may include either a preface by Daoxuan titled "Preface to the Propagation of the Lotus Sutra" or a "Great Sutra Praise by Emperor Renzong" written by Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty in 1023. In the text, there is no longer any avoidance of the characters "Hong" and "Xuan" due to the taboo against the personal name of Emperor Song. Among the 5 sets with frontispieces, 3 sets feature donors dressed as Mongolian nobles. One set (故佛000173-179) even bears the inscription of the engraving and printing by Yang Yuantan and others in 1331 in Jiaxing, Zhejiang, as well as the seal of Yao Chen Daorong in 1346 and 1349, indicating that these 6 sets were likely printed in the latter half of the Yuan Dynasty in Zhejiang or later.In all three editions, the frontispiece for Volume One spans across 4 half-leaves on a single board. Among them, the compositions of the two Song editions are similar, with the upper right corner of each painting bearing the inscription "Volume One of the Lotus Sutra" or "Continuous Illustrations of Volume One." The term "illustrations" refers to "transformations," and "continuous illustrations" likely implies the seven illustrations across the seven volumes resembling a continuous volume painting. The layout of the right three-quarters of the painting features an exquisite platform with railings and stairs, where Sakyamuni Buddha sits cross-legged on a high platform, surrounded by disciples and bodhisattvas either kneeling on the platform or encircling him. Light radiates from the Buddha's forehead, illuminating various realms such as the heavenly palace representing the heavenly beings, asuras, demons, hell beings, monks, all Buddhas, the Nirvana of all Buddhas, and the seven-jeweled stupa rising from the Buddha's relics. In the upper left corner of the painting, a bodhisattva emits light, revealing suffering beings in the hell realms (such as those in the Jijie hell). The lower left corner of the painting depicts the methods described in Chapter 2 on "Expedient Means", where all beings have already attained Buddhahood, including elaborately decorated Buddha statues, painted Buddha images, offering melodies, and even children gathering sand to build stupas. In the Song edition with large characters printed in Zhejiang, two eagles soar on either side of Sakyamuni Buddha's head, suggesting that the teaching location is Lingjiu Mountain.In the Yuan edition, the setting is depicted in a wilderness with swirling clouds on the slopes, but the overall composition follows the same pattern as the Song editions: Sakyamuni Buddha preaching and emitting light on the right side, a bodhisattva emitting light to relieve suffering in the hell realms in the upper left corner, and various methods of "all have already attained Buddhahood" depicted in the lower left corner (with the same selection as in the Song editions).