Greater Sutra of the Perfection of Wisdom (Daihannyaharamita-kyo)

Sutras transmit the teachings of the Historical Buddha and other sacred texts of Buddhism. In Japan—which had no written language when Buddhism was introduced from Korea in the sixth century—sutras translated from the Indian language Sanskrit were written and copied in Chinese characters. Chinese has remained the dominant language of Japanese Buddhist scholarship and ritual to the present day. Scriptoria established under governmental sponsorship produced sets of sutras for newly established temples throughout Japan. This sutra, written with a brush and black ink in regulated lines on yellow-dyed paper, is a typical early example from a large set most likely produced in a scriptorium in Nara. The writing reflects the earlier style of Chinese sutras of the Sui dynasty, which may have served as models for Japanese monks mastering calligraphy. The paper also shows signs that it once was folded like a concertina book, which would have been convenient for reading and study. Red dots were applied by the scholar monk Eion, a priest of the Kofukuji in Nara, who annotated sutras in the temple’s extensive library.