The Essentials of Rebirth in the Pure Land (Ojōyōshū)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This set of illustrated books reproduces a medieval text known as the Ojōyōshū, written by the Buddhist monk Genshin (942–1017) in the late 900s. Genshin’s treatise includes startling descriptions of the various hells into which a sinner could be reborn and explains Pure Land practices that ensured rebirth in paradise. One powerful technique, nenbutsu, involves the visualization or recitation of Amida’s name. The monk’s teachings exerted major influence on later followers of Amida and Pure Land Buddhism.

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