There are a number of books on Bonji available in Japan, as well as Bonji
being used as designs on T-shirts, bumper stickers and costume jewelry.
Bonji (in Japan) are generally used to represent the Nyorai or Bosatsu
associated with the specific Bonji syllable. Frequently, the first syllable
of the Bosatsu or Nyorai's Sanskrit name is what serves as the seed
syllable.....though there are frequent exceptions to this. "Sacred
Calligraphy of the East" by Shambala press is one of the best books in
English on this subject. In Japan, there are quite a few books, showing the
various calligraphic styles, from the hard brush (with a ductus of
45-degrees) to the soft brush style. Besides the John Steven's book "Sacred
Calligraphy of the East", I recommend the book ?????? (Shitsu-un Bonji
Nyuumon) by ???? (Matsumoto Toshikage(?)).....I am just guessing at the
reading of his first name.

As for actual usage, Mantras and Dharani are frequently written in Bonji
usually consisting of around 10syllables or so, but for large works in
Bonji, the only one I have seen in Japan, is the "Heart Sutra".



-----Original Message-----
From: Stage Linguistique [mailto:linguistique_stage@...]
Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2004 5:23 AM
To: qalam@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: Digest Number 428


Hi

> Where did you come across these terms.

If you google the kanji/hànzì used to write
bonji/fànzì, you will find a lot of pages about the
script you call Siddham.

> I have looked
> up the word bonji in my
> Japanese dictionary and it states that it is
> Sanskrit/Buddhist writing.
> There are several scripts that are used for writing
> Buddhist scriptures. You
> might be looking for Siddham which is covered in a
> wonderful book called
> Sacred Calligraphy of the East by Shambala press.
> Siddham can also be view
> at Omniglot
> http://www.omniglot.com/writing/siddham.htm

Yes, this is exactly the script I was looking
information about.

Do you think you could answer my questions now?

> > More specifically:
> > * are bonji (a) an alphabet / a syllabary used for
> > actual writing, or (b) just a set of symbols used
> for
> > religious purposes?
> > * if the answer to the above is (b), then are
> bonji
> > used for their real meaning or just for
> decoration?
> > * does Unicode cover bonji?

Cheers






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