Transcription of Maha prajnaparamita Sutra (Perfection of Transcendental Wisdom) in Gold on Indigo Paper, Volume 175

The Geumgang Banya Baramil-gyeong, often shortened to the 'Diamond Sutra', is the fundamental scripture of the Jogye Order and, in Korea, the most widely read sutra after the Banya Simgyeong (Heart Sutra). This particular volume is Volume 175 of the 600-volume Daebanyagyeong (Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra), translated by Xuanzang of Tang China. The text is written in gold on paper of a deep indigo colour, measuring 28.7 cm in height and 510 cm in length. The volume is made by joining ten sheets of paper into a single scroll. It was produced in 1055, the ninth year of King Munjong of Goryeo, by Kim Yung-beom for the repose of the souls of his parents and grandparents and for the well-being of his family; the text of the sutra was copied with great care and lavishly decorated with paintings. Five sheets are missing from the beginning of the volume, but a colophon survives at the end recording its production, and it is the oldest sutra of this kind from the Goryeo period known to date.

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Where it is

Region

Yongsan-gu, Seoul

Designation

Treasure · 보물