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Five Leaves from an Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita Sutra

India, Bihar, Nalanda monastery

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 964

Illuminated manuscripts of this text, which epitomizes Mahayana Buddhist doctrine, were widely commissioned and donated to accrue religious merit. Though originally produced at Nalanda monastery in India, this manuscript later made its way to Tibet, where it was owned by various prominent individuals. The central illustrations depict goddesses and bodhisattvas, while the vignettes to either side portray the eight great events in the life of the historical Buddha.

Five Leaves from an Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita Sutra, Ink and opaque watercolor on palm leaf, India, Bihar, Nalanda monastery

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