The mystery of dharani

The minuscule scrolls and their tiny wooden casings known as the Hyakumantō dharani (Dharani Invocations of the One Million Pagodas) were once thought to be the oldest datable printed text in the world. How were they made? Are they really the oldest printed text? Let’s explore the history behind the dharani scrolls with Prof. Sumiyoshi.

Materials introduced in the video:

^{Hyakumantō darani, Nara period
Click to take a closer look}

Keywords introduced in the video:

• Empress Shōtoku
• Emi no Oshikatsu
• Muku jōkō dai daranikyō
• Kegongyō
• Sui-dynasty
• Tōdaiji temple
• Katagi
• inbutsu
• Jingo Keiun