Shakyo - Sutra Copying
Shakyo practice is a prevelant practice within Japan for both lay believers and priests alike. Consisting of copying sutras such as the Hannya Shingyo (Heart Sutra), the Shakyo practice is both easy to perform and meditative in spirit.
The practice of Shakyo is a venture within the ideals of sutra-writing itself. Before the advent of modern appliances such as copiers, photographs and PDF readers, sutras were copied by hand, temple to temple. Should a lay person wish to possess a sutra, it had to be hand-copied by either someone versed in the original Sanskrit linguistics or Chinese/Japanese.
For Westerners alike, the practice of Shakyo is a meditative discipline. Firstly, it allows a glance within one of Japan`s most beautiful classic arts, that of Shodo, or the Art of the Brush. Dancing the brush across the clear white paper, creating the artistic kanji characters one at a time, this is the beauty of Shodo and Shakyo.
Whether approached from an artistic or meditative stance, Shakyo continues to be a major part of the Tendai regimen of Buddhist homage. With the completion of each sutra roll (taking people anywhere between 30-60 minutes), the finished pieces are presented to the temple where they are offered before the Honzon principal Buddhist image.
An image of the Heart Sutra Shakyo is available here.