Transcription of Mireuk hasaenggyeong (The Maitreya Sutra) in Gold on Indigo Paper

Mireuk hasaenggyeong is a Buddhist scripture about Maitreya, or the Future Buddha, and the Buddha’s founding of the Pure Land, giving hope for the future to those who lead honest lives. Along with Mireuk sangsaenggyeong and Mireuk daeseongbulgyeong, the sutra comprises Mireuk sambugyeong (Three Principal Scriptures of the Maitreya Sutra). This book is a hand-copied version of the sutra, which was originally translated by Dharmaraksha (Zhufahu in Chinese) of Western Jin, China. It is elaborately executed in gold-colored characters on indigo paper. Since each page -- measuring 31.6 cm long and 10.8 cm wide -- is connected with one another, the book can be folded like a folding screen. It is not clear when this book was compiled, but the copy seems to have been written sometime between the mid- and late Goryeo Periods, judging from its style. It provides much insight into the trend of Maitreya Buddhism of the period.