Cover ; Contents ; Acknowledgments ; Abbreviations ; Conventions ; Introduction ; Part One: Ritual Practices ; 1. Merit, Purity, and Ceremony ; 2. Ritual Compositions; Part Two: Organizations ; 3. Writing Societies ; 4. Instituting Transcription ; Part Three: Microhistories ; 5. Disciplinary Regimes ; 6. Haunted by Demons, Watched by Kings ; Epilogue ; Appendix: Names of the Kōmyōshi/Tōdaiji Scriptorium ; Bibliography ; Index ; A ; B ; C ; D ; E ; F ; G ; H ; I ; J ; K ; L ; M ; N ; O ; P ; Q ; R ; S ; T ; U; V ; W ; X ; Y ; Z.
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Transcribing scripture (sutras) represents one of the most central devotional practices in the Buddhist world. Sutra copying functioned as a form of ritualized writing, a practice strategically set apart from more mundane forms through a set of practices and beliefs. This work highlights sutra transcription throughout Asia, but focuses primarily on seventh- through ninth-century Japan, where the practice is particularly well-documented.