Page 58 - Christie's Hong Kong May 31, 2017 Fine Buddhist Works of Art

THE PROPERTY OF A HONG KONG GENTLEMAN

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A VERY RARE IMPERIAL WOODBLOCK- The woodblock printed text expounds on the
PRINTED MAHAKARUNIKACITTA proper mudras and dharani-prayers for the ‘Thousand-armed
DHARANI SUTRA AND BROCADE COVER Thousand-eyed’ Avalokitesvara. According to the preamble, this
sutra is attributed to an early translation from Tang dynasty pilgrim,
QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-1795) Xuanzang, and the text was hand copied by Emperor Qianlong. It
is known during the reign of Qianlong that a sutra-printing house
The hard cover is bound with imperial yellow brocade, and was established inside the Xihuamen Gate of the Imperial palace,
inscribed with the title Yushu Qianshou Qianyan Guanshiyin Pusa where copying and editing were done under the guidance of State
Dabeixin Tuoluoni, Mahakarunikacitta Dharani sutra, opening the Tutor Changkya Hutuktu; for a further discussion on Buddhist
interior folio rendered in forty-eight concertina folds written in sutras, cf. Cultural Relics of Tibetan Buddhism, Collected in the Qing
Chinese text, followed by line drawings illustrating the different Palace, pp. 114-115.
manifestations of the Bodhisattva, ending with the Bingzi cyclical
date of the Qianlong year, corresponding to 1756, and two seals The ‘Thousand-armed Thousand-eyed’ Avalokitesvara, also
of the Emperor. The back cover is similarly bound with yellow referred to as Sahasrabhuja-sahasranetra, is a manifestation of
brocade; encased with a hard sleeve cover bearing the title of the Tantric (Esoteric) Buddhism, a branch Mahayana Buddhism. As
sutra and fastened by two toggles. suggested by the name, it conveys a meaning of an omnipotent
13 ¡ in. long x 4 Æ in. wide x 1 ¿ in. deep (34 x 12 x 2.8 cm.) deity with infinite compassion to alleviate the sufferings of sentient
beings. Each incantation in this book is shown together with a
HK$80,000-120,000 US$10,000-16,000 drawing corresponding to the hand gestures for the attainment of a
particular wish.

清乾隆 《御書千手千眼觀世音菩薩大悲心陀羅尼》刻本

全書四十八經折，附菩薩善行線描圖。署丙子（1756）年，「乾」、
「隆」鈐印。黃綾書衣、外盒。

清代宮廷中有很多佛堂，大部份都建於乾隆時期。篤信佛教的清朝皇
帝平日都習慣抄寫經書，尤其乾隆皇帝無論國事多麼繁忙，都會堅持
每日抄寫經文。

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