Sutra mound

A sutra mound (経塚, kyōzuka^?) is an archaeological site where sūtras were buried underground. In Japanese Buddhism, it is a type of good deed, and was done as a type of puja.

In the Nara period, the practice of copying sutras was the center of Buddhism in the country, and was done as a government project. During the Heian period, however, the idea of Pure Land Buddhism spread, and with it the objective of doing personal prayer. In the middle part of the Heian period, it was predicted that the mappō age would come into existence, and it was said that this would start in China and Korea.

The Lotus Sutra was the main sutra that was buried, but the Heart Sutra, Amitabha Sutra, Mahavairocana Tantra, Vajrasekhara Sutra were also buried. In other locations, the Sutra of Immeasurable Meanings, Kannon sutra, and opening and closing sutras were also found. The sutras were usually copied onto paper, but materials like clay, copper, pebbles and shells were also used. The sutras were stored in metal vessels called kyōzutsu (経筒^?), and inscriptions were written on them.

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