kyōzō 経蔵

Also called kyōko 経庫, kyōdō 経堂, zōden 蔵殿. A repository and storehouse for sutras, or sacred books on Buddhism, or chronicles of temple history. In ancient times the kyōzō was placed opposite the belfry on an east-west axis. The earliest extant kyōzō is at Hōryūji Saiin 法隆寺西院, and is an example of the *rō-zukuri 楼造, or a double storied structure of 3 × 2 bays framed in plain timber. The pillars are stout and the bracket complexes *tokyō 斗きょう, are the right angle 3-on-1 type *demitsudo 出三斗, on the first story, and the 3-on-1 type *mitsudo tokyō 三斗斗きょう, on the upper story. There are rainbow beams *kōryō 虹梁, with frog-leg struts *kaerumata 蟇股, in the gable pediments formed by the gable roof. The windows are filled with vertical lattice *renjimado 連子窓. See *garan 伽藍. An example of a kyōzō structured in log style *azekura-zukuri 校倉造, is found at Tōshōdaiji 唐招提寺 (8th century) in Nara. It is 3 × 3 bays, the usual size for sutra repositories, and has a tiled pyramidal roof *hōgyō-zukuri 宝形造, with no bracket complexes, a single story high, on posts that support the floor well above the ground. All storage buildings are equipped with shelving to store the containers that hold the rolled sutras. The sutra repository at Daigoji 醍醐寺 (1198) in Kyoto, which burned down in 1939, was 3 × 2 bays. The aisle *hisashi 廂 was built primarily in the daibutsu style *daibutsuyō 大仏様, but has elements of the wayō style *wayō 和様, particularly the finely layered shingles *kokerabuki 柿葺, used instead of tiles and the use of eave supports *kayaoi 茅負, instead of fascia boards *hanakakushi-ita 鼻隠板. It had a revolving sutra storage case called *rinzō 輪蔵. It was circular with shelves for sutra storage. A central pillar revolved like a pivot. The eight sided cylindrical shelves were attached to it so that a priest could easily find the sutra he needed. Eventually ordinary people were permitted to push the rinzō around while praying, since it was believed that they could receive religious edification without actually reading the sutras. Example: Chion'in Kyōzō 知恩院経蔵 in Kyoto.