Buddhism and Calligraphy in Medieval China

The Ji Wang shengjiao xu is a Buddhist inscription that used calligraphy to enhance Buddhism’s prestige and influence in the Chinese society of the early Tang. In order to understand the cultural milieu in which the inscription was devised and constructed, it is necessary to pinpoint calligraphy’s specific role in the Buddhist world of medieval China. This chapter examines the relationship between Buddhism and Chinese manuscript culture, with a focus on the religious value of the copying of sutras and the particular implementation of stone inscriptions by the Buddhist clergy and the Buddhist lay devotees. It explores the varied manifestations of calligraphic practice among the community of Buddhist monks and their connections with Chinese literati, which is further evidence of Buddhism’s adaptation to Chinese culture. The taking of ink rubbings of stone inscriptions was already an established practice at the beginning of the Tang dynasty.