Daihannya Haramitta kyō (Mahaprajnaparamita sutra) part 24, unknown maker from Japan

Teaching Gallery Label: "Compassionate Beings: Japanese Buddhist Art," Sep-2009, Kris Ercums This fragment is from a thirteenth-century Japanese copy of a Chinese translation of the Large Sutra on the Perfection of Wisdom, a collection of Buddhist scriptures that was originally written in the first century in India. The sutra expounds the doctrine of supreme wisdom (prajna) and the non-substantiality of all phenomena. Teaching Gallery Label: “Eyes on Icons: Exploring Japanese Buddhism at the Spencer Museum of Art,” Apr-2008, Rachel Voorhies The Daihannya Haramitta kyō, or Great Wisdom Sutra, was translated by the Chinese monk Xuanzang (602-664) and later transmitted to Japan. This six hundred volume text addresses the perfection of wisdom and the emptiness of all phenomena through the preaching of Sakyamuni, the Historical Buddha. The four lines of calligraphy seen here come from part 24 of the sutra. Producing copies of the sutras was one of the ways to generate merit in Buddhism, ensuring the copyist or patron a host of worldly benefits and a good rebirth. Unlike the stamped images of the Fudō Myōō or the printed Heart Sutra, this sutra was copied by hand with brush and ink on paper. Archive Label 2003: This fragment is from a thirteenth century Japanese copy of a Chinese translation of the Perfection of Wisdom, a collection of Buddhist scriptures that was originally written around 100 C.E. in India. Sutras were often copied or commissioned by believers in order to attain merit for themselves or their ancestors. Archive Label 2003 (version 2): This fragment is from a thirteenth century Japanese copy of a Chinese translation of the Perfection of Wisdom, a collection of Buddhist scriptures that was originally written around 100 c.e. in India. Sutras were often copied or commissioned by believers in order to attain merit for themselves or their ancestors.