Great Wisdom Sutra (Daihannya-kyō), from the Chūsonji Temple Sutra Collection (Chūsonji-kyō)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The frontispiece of this sutra chapter illustrates the Buddha’s first sermon, at the Deer Park near Sarnarth in India. The Buddha and the two bodhisattvas who flank him are seated on lotus platforms. Behind the bodhisattvas sit the five ascetics, dressed in simple robes, who became the Buddha’s disciples. Several dappled deer set the scene. This chapter of the Great Wisdom Sutra (Daihannya-kyō; Sanskrit: Mahaprajnaparamita) is one of more than five thousand scrolls of Buddhist scripture that were dedicated in 1176 to the northern Japanese temple Chūsonji by the nobleman Fujiwara no Hidehira (died 1187) for the salvation of his father, Motohira (died 1157). An inscription notes that the text follows the translation by the Chinese monk Xuanzang (602–664). The execution of the calligraphy is of a high quality consistent with works produced for wealthy temples in the capital of Kyoto.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art