ACKERMANAt a glance
History, context & interpretation
The text and its story
A very short sutra summarising the Perfection of Wisdom. It ends with the mantra 'gate gate pāragate pārasaṃgate bodhi svāhā'.
Traditional attribution
A teaching given by the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara.
Historical scholarship
Some scholars think it was first composed in China and later put into Sanskrit.
Context and curiosity
It is probably the most chanted Buddhist text in East Asia.
Chronology and transmission
This text belongs to Buddhism (India or China). The catalogue gives its approximate dating as c. 4th–7th century CE (debated) and original language or script as Sanskrit; Chinese. The dated manuscript witnesses and traditional claims may not refer to the same historical event.
Sources and further reading
Historical descriptions are educational summaries. Religious traditions, scholarly interpretations and unverified claims are distinguished where possible; imagery may be illustrative rather than an artifact photograph.
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