The "Hannyashinkyo" Sutra Fountain Pen is engraved on the body and cap of this sterling silver pen. These characters condense the sutra that was translated from the Tibetan Sanskrit text around the first century AD into 266 characters. This sutra, or teaching, is one of the main doctrines of Buddhism. Sutras are chanted by Buddhist monks and lay people in unison as a guide to understanding life and life forces. This one is known in the West as the Heart Sutra. The band is engraved with the five "Tathgata of Wisdom", the four cardinal directions and the center.  
 
The nib is engraved with the character for "center", the key to balancing the opposing forces of the four directions.