Manuscript Buddhist Canon in Matsuo Shrine 松尾大社 and Myorenji 妙蓮寺 May 29 2017

As part of the Canadian project "From the Ground up," one of our missions in Japan is to investigate the Matsuo Canon  松尾社一切經 preserved in Myorenji  妙蓮寺. According to George Keyworth, the copies were commissioned by the Hata 秦 clan around the early twelfth century and were stored in the Matsuo Shinto Shrine 松尾大社. After their creation, the copies were checked by monks from Enryakuji 延暦寺 and Miidera 三井寺 , which we also visited and seem to have formed a monastic network. They were added continuously in later times and in the late nineteenth century were purchased by Myorenji where 3545 rolls of the canon were discovered in 1993. It was a great experience to examine these precious scriptures.

Here are a few references for research.

Apocryphal Chinese books in the Buddhist canon at Matsuo Shintō shrine by George A. Keyworth

日本現存八種一切経対照目錄 /
Nihon genzon hasshu Issaikyō taishō mokuroku
Author: 国際仏教学大学院大学学術フロンティア実行委員会. ; ; Kokusai Bukkyōgaku Daigakuin Daigaku Gakujutsu Furontia Jikkō Iinkai.
Publisher: 国際仏教学大学院大学学術フロンティア実行委員会, Tōkyō : Kokusai Bukkyōgaku Daigakuin Daigaku Gakujutsu Furontia Jikkō Iinkai, Heisei 18 [2006]
http://www.icabs.ac.jp/frontia/Hachishu

京都妙蓮寺蔵「松尾社一切経」調查報告書 /
Kyōto Myōrenji zō "Matsuosha issaikyō" chōsa hōkokusho
Author: [編集中尾堯]. 中尾堯, ; ; Takashi Nakao; Myōrenji (Kyoto, Japan)
Publisher: 大塚巧芸社, Tōkyō : Ōtsuka Kōgeisha, Heisei 9 [1997]

Myorenji Garden. photo by Jiang Wu

Matsuo Shrine Garden

Matsuo Shrine