Prabhutaratna Pagoda Stele

For millennia in China many important texts and admired works of calligraphy were carved into large, flat, upright stone slabs called bēi 碑, or stele. These were erected at public sites to propagate official messages, commemorate famous individuals, or to educate and enlighten the people.

The texts could also be copied and circulated by making ink rubbings. To do so, wet paper is attached to the stele surface and pressed into the carved characters; then, after it dries, inked pads are pounded on the paper. The ink doesn’t touch the paper pressed into the depressions, leaving a sheet with white characters on a black background. Because very detailed copies resulted from this method, it was often used to reproduce renowned examples of calligraphy that were then used as models.

Yán Zhēnqīng is one of the most famous calligraphers in Chinese history. A high-ranking official, statesman, military leader, and ultimately martyr during a time of devastating civil war, Yán was admired for his ethics and courageous struggle against government corruption. His style of standard Chinese script, seen here, is still considered a model for calligraphers, in part for its spare and forceful forms, but also for its associations with the noble character of this important historical figure.

The Stele Text Gratitude for Prayers Answered for the Prabhūtaratna Buddha Pagoda of the Thousand Blessings Monastery in the Western Capital of the Great Tang Dynasty (大唐西京千福寺多寶佛塔感應碑文 Dà táng xījīng qiānfúsì duōbǎofó tǎ gǎnyìng bēiwén)

Popularly known simply as the Prabhūtaratna Pagoda Stele (多寶塔碑 Duōbǎotǎ bēi), the prose and verse of the text was composed ca. 752 by Cén Xūn 岑勛 (active 8th century), and recounts the history of the pagoda.

In a famous scene in the Lotus Sutra, a buddha of the ancient past named Prabhūtaratna ("Abundant Treasures") came to hear the preaching of the buddha of our era, Shakyamuni, by appearing miraculously in a pagoda rising from the ground. Much later, the 8th century Chinese Buddhist master Chǔjīn 楚金 had a vision of this event, achieved enlightenment, and pledged to build a pagoda inspired by his experience.

Collecting donations from lay believers, monastics and even the Tang Dynasty Emperor Xuánzōng玄宗 (685–762), the pagoda was constructed in the Tang capital, today known as Xi’an. The text, publicly displayed on a stone stele, celebrates the life of Chǔjīn, the power of Buddhism, and the piety of the Emperor. The pagoda no longer exists, but the stele can be found today at the Xi'an Stele Forest Museum, although it may be a 17th century replica of the 8th century original.