A Page from a manuscript of the Diamond Sutra, Tibet, 19th-20th century, Woodblock print on paper, On loan from the Royal Ontario Museum, 952.151.1

A Page from a manuscript of the Diamond Sutra, Tibet, 19th-20th century, Woodblock print on paper, On loan from the Royal Ontario Museum, 952.151.1

The Buddha teaches his disciple Subhuti how to achieve the perfection of wisdom on this page from the Diamond Sutra, composed in Sanskrit in India around the first century CE, and translated into Tibetan in the eighth century. This woodblock-printed page is difficult to date, but its classical Tibetan language preserves an early form of the text. It is believed that a sacred place is created wherever the Diamond Sutra is recited; therefore, the physical book provides protection against dangers, purifies the mind, and dispels illusions, while its individual pages can be folded and placed in shrines or carried by travelers for protection.

Royal Ontario Museum

19th-20th century

Royal Ontario Museum

Royal Ontario Museum

Dimensions: Frame dims: H 13 1/2" x L 25 3/4" x D 1 1/4

Materials: Woodblock print on paper

Sanskrit

ROM 952.151.15

Tibet