Palatial Tang Dao is another celebration of the diversity of Tang Heng Dao featuring a straight and chisel blade profile.
Like the military Tang Heng Dao, this is a single handed straight dao featuring a scabbard with two-point suspension system influenced by the Sasanian swords. Palatial Tang Dao can be used for combat on foot as well as on horseback. Palatial Tang Dao was powerful and was the standard side arm for imperial guards.
Tang Dao was expensive to make and each piece worth about one month's salary of a junior level government official. As an expensive military resource, Tang Dao was forbidden to be used as funeral goods. As a result, there were very few unearthed specimens found today. Fortunately, Tang Dao was pursued by the Japanese delegates and sent back to Japan as treasures for the royal court and those few rare Tang Dao samples are preserved in Nara today.
The fitting design of Palatial Tang Dao is based on a rare Tang Dao in private collection.
Specifications (approx.)
Blade only weight: approx. 794 g (1 lb. 12 oz)
Sword only weight: approx. 964 g (2 lb. 2 oz)
Blade Length: 73.91 cm (29.1")
Handle Length: 21.34 cm (8.4")
Total Length: 95.25 cm (37.5")
Gradual tapering
Width at hand guard: 3 cm (1.1")
Width at tip: 2.14 cm (0.84")
Thickness at hand guard: 7.0 mm
Thickness at tip: 4.0 mm
Point of Balance: 15.24 cm (6") from hand guard
Blade length wide profile: straight blade, chisel tip
Commander Grade
Labor intensive classic forging.
Folded pattern steel (1065 & T9) wraps resilient A3 steel core.
Clay clade differential tempering for hard edge.
Straight Hamon.
Cut mature bamboo with ease.
Polish to a sharp and hard cutting edge.
Rosewood scabbard.
Standard Spring Steel Grade
GB 60Si2MnA High Carbon Manganese Spring Steel
(Compare to AISI/SAE 5160 spring steel)
Element % 60Si2MnA AISI/SAE 5160
Carbon 0.56-0.64 0.56-0.61
Silicon 1.60-2.00 0.15-0.35
Manganese 0.60-0.90 0.75-1.00
Phosphorus <=0.030 <=0.035
Sulfur <=0.030 <=0.040
Chromium <=0.35 0.70-0.90
Nickel <=0.35 <=0.25
Cut bamboo with ease.
Polish to a sharp and hard cutting edge.
Rosewood scabbard.
Fit and finish
We perfected the fit and finish of our swords and the assembly is meticulously performed by our senior craft masters. It takes one whole working day for a craftsman to assemble our swords
The Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra
आर्यावलोकितेश्वरो बोधिसत्त्वो गंभीरायां प्रज्ञापारमितायां चर्यां चरमाणो व्यवलोकयति स्म । पंचस्कन्धाः । तांश्च स्वभावशून्यान्पश्यति स्म । इह शारिपुत्र रूपं शून्यता शून्यतैव रूपं रूपान्न पृथक्शून्यता शून्यताया न पृथग्रूपं यद्रूपं सा शून्यता या शून्यता तद्रूपं । एवमेव वेदनासंज्ञासंस्कारविज्ञानानि । इह शारिपुत्र सर्वधर्माः शून्यतालक्षणा अनुत्पन्ना अनिरुद्धा अमला न विमला नोना न परिपूर्णाः । तस्माच्छारिपुत्र शून्यतायां न रूपं न वेदना न संज्ञा न संस्कारा न विज्ञानानि । न चक्षुःश्रोत्रघ्राणजिह्वाकायमनांसी । न रूपशब्दगंधरसस्प्रष्टव्यधर्माः । न चक्षुर्धातुर्यावन्न मनोविज्ञानधातुः । न विद्या नाविद्या न विद्याक्षयो नाविद्याक्षयो यावन्न जरामरणं न जरामरणक्षयो न दुःखसमुदयनिरोधमार्गा न ज्ञानं न प्राप्तिः ॥ तस्मादप्राप्तित्वाद्बोधिसत्त्वाणां प्रज्ञापारमितामाश्रित्य विहरत्यचित्तावरणः । चित्तावरणनास्तित्वादत्रस्तो विपर्यासातिक्रान्तो निष्ठनिर्वाणः ।। त्र्यध्वव्यवस्थिताः सर्वबुद्धाः प्रज्ञापारमितामाश्रित्यानुत्तरां सम्यक्सम्बोधिमभिसंबुद्धाः ।। तस्माज्ज्ञातव्यं प्रज्ञापारमिता महामन्त्रो महाविद्यामन्त्रो ऽनुत्तरमन्त्रो ऽसमसममन्त्रः सर्वदुःखप्रशमनः । सत्यममिथ्यत्वात् । प्रज्ञपारमितायामुक्तो मन्त्रः । तद्यथा गते गते पारगते पारसंगते बोधि स्वाहा ।। इति प्रज्ञापारमिताहृदयं समाप्तम्
般若波羅蜜多心經
唐玄奘譯
The Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra
Translated by Xuanzang
Ārya-Avalokiteśvaro Bodhisattvo,
觀自在菩薩
Hail! Reverence to the Fortunate and Noble Perfection of Wisdom
The Noble Buddha-to-be
Avalokiteśvara, gambhīrāṁ prajñāpāramitā caryāṁ caramāṇo,
行深般若波羅蜜多時
while dwelling deep in the practice of the perfection of wisdom,
vyavalokayati sma panca-skandhāṁs tāṁś ca svabhāvaśūnyān paśyati sma.
照見五蘊皆空 度一切苦厄
beheld these five constituent groups (of mind and body) and saw them empty of self-nature.
Iha, Śāriputra, rūpaṁ śūnyatā, śūnyataiva rūpaṁ; rūpān na pṛthak śūnyatā, śunyatāyā na pṛthag rūpaṁ;
舍利子,色不異空,空不異色
Here, Śāriputra, form is emptiness, emptiness is surely form; emptiness is not different from form, form is not different from emptiness;
yad rūpaṁ, sā śūnyatā; ya śūnyatā, tad rūpaṁ;
色即是空,空即是色
whatever form there is, that is emptiness; whatever emptiness there is, that is form.
evam eva vedanā-saṁjñā-saṁskāra-vijñānaṁ.
受、想、行、識,亦復如是
the same for feelings, perceptions, volitional processes and consciousness.
Iha, Śāriputra, sarva-dharmāḥ śūnyatā-lakṣaṇā,
舍利子,是諸法空相
Here, Śāriputra, all things have the characteristic of emptiness,
anutpannā, aniruddhā; amalā, avimalā; anūnā, aparipūrṇāḥ.
不生不滅,不垢不淨,不增不減
no arising, no ceasing; no purity, no impurity; no deficiency, no completeness.
Tasmāc Śāriputra, śūnyatāyāṁ na rūpaṁ, na vedanā, na saṁjñā, na saṁskārāḥ, na vijñānam;
是故空中無色,無受、想、行、識
Therefore, Śāriputra, in emptiness there is no form, no feeling, no perception, no volitional processes, no consciousness;
na cakṣuḥ-śrotra-ghrāna-jihvā-kāya-manāṁsi;
無眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意
there are no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body or mind;
na rūpa-śabda-gandha-rasa-spraṣṭavya-dharmāḥ;
無色、聲、香、味、觸、法;
no forms, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, thoughts;
na cakṣūr-dhātur yāvan na manovijñāna-dhātuḥ;
無眼界,乃至無意識界
no eye-element (and so on) up to no mind-consciousness element;
na avidyā, na avidyā-kṣayo yāvan na jarā-maraṇam, na jarā-maraṇa-kṣayo;
無無明,亦無無明盡;乃至無老死,亦無老死盡。
no ignorance, no destruction of ignorance (and so on) up to no old age and death, no destruction of old age and death;
na duḥkha-samudaya-nirodha-mārgā;
無苦、集、滅、道,
no suffering, arising, cessation, path;
na jñānam, na prāptir na aprāptiḥ.
無智亦無得,以無所得故
no knowledge, no attainment, no non-attainment.
Tasmāc Śāriputra, aprāptitvād Bodhisattvasya
菩提薩埵,
Therefore, Śāriputra, because of the Buddha-to-be’s non-attainments
Prajñāpāramitām āśritya, viharaty acittāvaraṇaḥ,
依般若波羅蜜多故,心無罣礙。
he relies on the Perfection of Wisdom, and dwells with his mind unobstructed,
cittāvaraṇa-nāstitvād atrastro,
無罣礙故,無有恐怖,
having an unobstructed mind he does not tremble,
viparyāsa-atikrānto, niṣṭhā-Nirvāṇa-prāptaḥ.
遠離顛倒夢想,究竟涅槃
overcoming opposition, he attains the state of Nirvāṇa.
Tryadhva-vyavasthitāḥ sarva-Buddhāḥ
三世諸佛
All the Buddhas abiding in the past present and future
Prajñāpāramitām āśritya
依般若波羅蜜多故
through relying on the Perfection of Wisdom
anuttarāṁ Samyaksambodhim abhisambuddhāḥ.
得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提
fully awaken to the unsurpassed Perfect and Complete Awakening.
Tasmāj jñātavyam Prajñāpāramitā mahā-mantro,
故知般若波羅蜜多,是大神咒,
Therefore one should know the Perfection of Wisdom is a great mantra,
mahā-vidyā mantro, ’nuttara-mantro, samasama-mantraḥ,
是大明咒,是無上咒,是無等等咒,
a great wisdom mantra, an unsurpassed mantra, an unmatched mantra,
sarva duḥkha praśamanaḥ, satyam, amithyatvāt.
能除一切苦,真實不虛
the subduer of all suffering, the truth, not falsehood.
Prajñāpāramitāyām ukto mantraḥ tad-yathā:
故說般若波羅蜜多咒,即說咒曰:
In the Perfection of Wisdom the mantra has been uttered in this way:
gate, gate, pāragate, pārasaṁgate, Bodhi, svāhā!
揭諦、揭諦,波羅揭諦,波羅僧揭諦,菩提薩婆訶。
gone, gone, gone beyond, gone completely beyond, Awakening, blessings!
Check out this great video
The hidden tomb revealed the palatial life in the Tang Dynasty
DAMING PALACE - THE PALACE OF GREAT BRILLIANCE
DaMing Palace, the largest palace in the world, saw the rise and fall of Tang dynasty
Bai Juyi 772-846 AD
Fair Southern shore, with scenes I adore.
At sunrise riverside flowers redder than fire.
In spring green waves grow as blue as sapphire,
which I can't but admire.
憶江南
白居易 772-846 AD
江南好
風景舊曾諳
日出江花紅勝火
春來江水綠如藍
能不憶江南
PIPA, a beautiful musical instrument
came to China via the Silk Road
during the Tang Dynasty
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