Pinghu Museum houses a national first-class cultural relic—a scroll of the Lotus Sutra in gold-powdered regular script, written by Yuan Jing during the Ming Dynasty.
At the beginning of this century, during the repair of the Baoben Pagoda in Pinghu, a round, lidded jar made of huanghuali wood was discovered inside the pagoda's finial (heavenly palace). The jar has a mouth diameter of 121 cm, a base diameter of 10.7 cm, and a height of 15 cm. The lid is damaged. The jar has straight walls, with the two characters "法宝" (Fa Bao, Dharma Treasure) engraved in seal script on the outer wall. The jar contained this sutra scroll.
The scroll is made of dark blue paper, measuring 10.1 cm in height and 4030 cm in width. It is entirely written in gold-flecked regular script and is well-preserved. The scroll was copied in the seventh year of the Xuande reign of the Ming Dynasty (1432) by Yuan Jing, then serving as the Right Assistant Director of the Buddhist Registry, according to Zheng He's wishes. This is an acknowledgment of Zheng He's devout Buddhism, his funding of the printing of Buddhist scriptures, and the casting of a gilded stupa containing relics. This is the only physical evidence discovered to date, besides written records, of Zheng He's Buddhist faith. The scroll contains over 70,000 characters, including an image of a stupa emitting light and auspicious omens, a plaque with cloud and dragon lotus patterns, a depiction of the Vulture Peak Dharma Assembly, a preface to the propagation of the Lotus Sutra, the complete seven volumes and 28 chapters of the Lotus Sutra, a postscript by the scribe, a plaque with cloud patterns, and an image of the guardian deity Weituo. The plaque, in regular script, reads: “Zheng He, a devout Buddhist official of the Great Ming Dynasty, whose Dharma name is Fu Jixiang, has dedicated himself to casting a gilded stupa for the eternal worship of relics. He hopes that in this life, the five blessings will be fulfilled, and in future lives, he will enjoy a dignified and long life. Written on the third day of the ninth month of the seventh year of the Xuande reign.”
Based on the content of the plaque and the scribe's postscript, it can be determined that this scroll belonged to Zheng He. Zheng He (1371-1433), originally surnamed Ma, named He, also known as Sanbao or Sanbao, Dharma name Fu Jixiang, was a native of Kunyang, Yunnan (present-day Jinning, Yunnan). He was a Chinese Ming Dynasty navigator and diplomat. In 1404, during the second year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Yongle bestowed the surname Zheng upon him, and he became known as Zheng He. From 1405 to 1433, Zheng He made seven voyages to the Western Ocean. In April 1433, during the eighth year of the Xuande reign of the Ming Dynasty, Zheng He died in Calicut on the west coast of India and was buried at Niushou Mountain in Nanjing.
Based on the three seals engraved on the bottom of the round, lidded huanghuali wood jar—"Seal of Lu Guangzu," "Seal of Lu Jishu," and "Seal of Lu Qinxi"—the scroll was likely acquired by Lu Guangzu during his time as an official in Nanjing and later brought back to Pinghu. Passed down through three generations, it was placed inside the Baoben Pagoda as a treasure during its reconstruction in 1686, the twenty-fifth year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty, overseen by Lu Rou. Lu Guangzu (1521-1597), courtesy name Yusheng, sobriquet Wutai, was from Pinghu Shi... Lu Gao's eldest son, Lu Jishu (1554-1614), courtesy name Zhongren, style name Danyuan, was the second son of Lu Guangzu. He was from Beijingli (now Jiudai Village, Xindai Town). He was the eldest son of Lu Gao and passed the imperial examination at the age of seventeen, becoming a Jinshi in the Dingwei year of the Jiajing reign (1547). He served successively as Right Vice Minister of War, Left Vice Minister of Personnel, Minister of Works, and Minister of Personnel. After his death, he was posthumously awarded the title of Grand Tutor of the Heir Apparent and the posthumous name Zhuangtong. Lu Jishu (1554-1614), courtesy name Zhongren, style name Danyuan, was the second son of Lu Guangzu. He served as a Director in the Ministry of Works through hereditary privilege. Lu Qinxi, birth and death dates unknown, courtesy name Jishi, was the grandson of Lu Guangzu's cousin, Lu Guangru. This sutra was copied by Yuan Jing, courtesy name Xinyuan, whose background is unknown. He studied under Yu Weng of the Tiantai school at Tianzhu Temple in Hangzhou. During the Xuande reign of the Ming Dynasty (1426-1435), he served as Right Assistant Minister of the Buddhist Registry (in charge of Buddhist affairs). He compiled the forty-volume *Jiaocheng Fashu* (Treatise on the Dharma of the Teachings).
This sutra is a national first-class cultural relic. It is on display at the Pinghu Museum as part of the exhibition *Peaceful Repayment of Kindness—Cultural Relics Unearthed from the Baoben Pagoda Heavenly Palace*, and is not normally on display.