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Sixteen pairs of paintings depict monks meditating on human corpses during different stages of decomposition, ranging from swollen bloated bodies not long dead, and skeletons and dry bones. This unusual manuscript is written in Cambodian Mul script in Pali, with some notes in Thai. It is a commentary on the Abhidhamma scriptures. The study of corpses is a primary focus of Buddhist meditation, teaching the impermanence of our material existence. Meditation on corpses is often included in illustrated Buddhist manuscripts, particularly Phra Malai manuscripts, and is here extensively treated in many scenes. The last opening depicts the lighting of a funeral pyre.
Page data
- Page
- 3
- Source index
- 0
- Type
- photo
- Media ID
- 928b5900c2fa5169
- Size
- unknown
Document data
- ID
- 31670
- Core
- obj
- Type
- object
DTO data
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"title": "Abhidhamma-varana-pitaka",
"description": "Sixteen pairs of paintings depict monks meditating on human corpses during different stages of decomposition, ranging from swollen bloated bodies not long dead, and skeletons and dry bones. This unusual manuscript is written in Cambodian Mul script in Pali, with some notes in Thai. It is a commentary on the Abhidhamma scriptures. The study of corpses is a primary focus of Buddhist meditation, teaching the impermanence of our material existence. Meditation on corpses is often included in illustrated Buddhist manuscripts, particularly Phra Malai manuscripts, and is here extensively treated in many scenes. The last opening depicts the lighting of a funeral pyre.",
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"date": "1750-1775",
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Context sent to Scholar
Document identity
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Document source metadata
{
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"contentType": "object",
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"title": "Abhidhamma-varana-pitaka",
"description": "Sixteen pairs of paintings depict monks meditating on human corpses during different stages of decomposition, ranging from swollen bloated bodies not long dead, and skeletons and dry bones. This unusual manuscript is written in Cambodian Mul script in Pali, with some notes in Thai. It is a commentary on the Abhidhamma scriptures. The study of corpses is a primary focus of Buddhist meditation, teaching the impermanence of our material existence. Meditation on corpses is often included in illustrated Buddhist manuscripts, particularly Phra Malai manuscripts, and is here extensively treated in many scenes. The last opening depicts the lighting of a funeral pyre.",
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Document source extras
{
"med": "Water color on Paper;98ff.black lacquer covers30 watercolor illustrations",
"creator_ids": [
"2501"
],
"collection_ids": [],
"exhibition_ids": []
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Page context
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