- Nationality/Period
Goryeo Dynasty
- Materials
Paper
- Category
religion - Buddhism - enlightenment - Scripture
- Dimensions
34.5x12.0cm
- Accession Number
Jeung 3476
The Maha-Parinirvana Sutra (The Sutra of the Great Demise) is a Buddhist scripture about Sakyamuni’s attainment of Nirvana, translated by Dharmakema, an Indian monk who travelled to North Liang China. This scripture is known to hold the vastest contents among all extant Nirvana Sutras. The scripture contains the philosophy of Mahayana Buddhism, which is based on the possibility of universal liberation from suffering of all beings and the existence of buddhas and bodhisattvas that embody Buddha Nature. This is the only remaining copy of the Maha-Parinirvana Sutra made by the Daejang Dogam (in Korea), which was the office responsible for the production of Buddhist scriptures, in 1241 (the 28th year of the reign of King Gojong of the Goryeo Dynasty).