Sarvastivada Vinaya - Discipline for Nuns

CHINA; Northern Wei dynasty

This scroll, of which only a fraction remains, features a disciplinary code for nuns that includes rules of conduct including refraining from evil, being content with what one has, and upholding the precepts and vows. This manuscript serves as an important reference source for research because there are textual differences compared to the typical version of this portion of the Sarvastivada Vinaya.
Although the scroll is written in regular script, there is a strong clerical influence in the scripting form, as can be seen in the goose tail terminations of the horizontal strokes. Characters were composed without a strict adherence to standards. The persistent recurrence of terse and stout strokes results in an intriguing work of calligraphy that is simplistic in style.