Leaves from an Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita Sutra
Not on view
Lavishly illustrated Perfection of Wisdom texts are understood to contain the totality of Buddhist ideology. Often they were not read but instead were placed on altars so they could be venerated almost like images. This well-preserved Indian palm-leaf manuscript probably made its way to Tibet, where it survived in the cold, dry climate. In this multiarmed depiction, Avalokiteshvara simultaneously holds a mala (string of prayer beads), a text, and a vessel with flowers. With his other hands, he gestures to offers boons (varada mudra) and displays the teaching gesture (dharmachakra mudra), providing a path to enlightenment. He sits within an elaborate stacked structure that likely is the source for Tibetan and Nepalese altars.
On view from September 25, 2021–February 22, 2022
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