Dunhuang Manuscripts of the Shijingtu gunyi lun (釈浄土群疑論): A Comparison of the Calligraphic Style of Stein 2663, 021 and 078 in The Secret Books of Dunhuang (敦煌秘笈)

Abstract

This article clarifies the similarity of the calligraphic style of three Dunhuang manuscripts of the Shijingtu gunyi lun 釈浄土群疑論, Stein 2663, 021, and 078, in The Secret Books of Dunhuang 敦煌秘笈.

Examining common characters of the three scriptures, I found that some forms of the characters were completely the same, and others were substantially the same in terms of the interpretation of dots and strokes as well as the method of simplification of characters. There is consequently a high probability that the three documents are connected with the same writer. In addition, if we pay attention to the colophons of Hane 羽 021, we may assume the compact original form of the text which is complete in two volumes.

Furthermore, the three scriptures employ Chinese characters of the Empress Wu (則天文字). Various simplified forms of the character Nian 年 are seen, which indicates that the writer had high flexibility and a good command of writing.

It could be said that the Stein 2663 V, a manuscript of the Sifen jieben shu 四分戒本疏, gives us new clues to the circulation of the Gunyilun 群疑論.