Mahasamnipata Sutra

CHINA; Southern Qi dynasty

The Mahasamnipata Sutra, or Great Collection Sutra, is a compilation of sutras comprising the teachings of the Buddha after he attained enlightenment. The teachings included are on the Six Perfections, Dependent Origination, and the Emptiness of Nature, in addition to teachings on Vajrayana Buddhism. Despite dating from a similar time period, this version by monk Wujue of the Southern Qi dynasty (479–502) differs in arrangement from the 60-fascicle version translated by Tripitaka Master Dharmaraksa during the Northern Liang Kingdom (397–439), making both versions ideal for comparative study and research.
The slightly compacted characters are rendered evenly and elegantly in the typical Southern Qi style of sutra copying, which placed an emphasis on laterally scripted strokes. Unique to this piece are the significant number of characters that are rendered in regular script with continuously flowing strokes.