Kyōzō

Kyōzō (経蔵) in Japanese Buddhist architecture is a repository for sūtras and chronicles of the temple history. It is also called kyōko (経庫), kyō-dō (経堂), or zōden (蔵殿). In ancient times the kyōzō was placed opposite the belfry on the east-west axis of the temple. The earliest extant kyōzō is at Hōryū-ji, and it is a two-storied structure. An example of one-storied kyōzō is at Tōshōdai-ji in Nara. A kyōzō's usual size is 3 x 3 ken. Mahayana Buddhism is one of the sects within Buddhism and one way to create written sutras or sermons. Unlike Judeo-Christian religions, including Islam, Buddhism does not revere those written words, or sutras, as the Christians, the Muslims, or the Jews do. The title of this article is Circumambulatory Reading: Revolving Sutra Libraries and Buddhist Scrolls and circumambulation, or walking around while taking it in, is prevalent in Buddhism because the wheel is the international sign of Buddhism. Revolving sutra libraries were invented in China and were later brought to Japan. Revolving sutra libraries were created for the same reason, and if a temple visitor revolved that library, they would amass the same esteem as if they had read the entire sutra (Eubanks, 2010).