Word. 13 - // Root Verses on the Middle Way
Word.
Glad to introduce the 13th algorithm output artwork in the Word. collection on SuperRare. In this piece we are taking a trip to South India Āndhra region near the Krishna River 2nd century AD where the Indian Buddhist philosopher Nāgārjuna wrote the Root Verses on the Middle Way (Sanskrit: Mūlamadhyamakakārikā).
The scroll can be found at the Tibet's Sakya Monastery together with 84,000 ancient manuscripts and books. In an attempt to preserve these ancient documents, the Sakya Monastery Library began digitizing its assets in 2011, the documents contain manuscripts on history, philosophy, astronomy, mathematics, agriculture, and art. Following the mission to preserve these texts for future generations, the works are available online and I have used the latest model of ChatGPT (O1 Pro) to translate the original Tibetan digitized manuscript into English and then have the algo used it to form the viśvavajra, or "double vajra" Tibetan symbol using Google NotoSerifTibetan TTF font.
The Root Verses on the Middle Way (Mūlamadhyamakakārikā) is a foundational text of the Madhyamaka (Middle Way) school of Mahayana Buddhism. Authored by Nāgārjuna, it presents a rigorous philosophical investigation into the nature of reality, emphasizing the concept of emptiness (śūnyatā)—that all phenomena lack inherent existence. Using a method of dialectical reasoning, the text systematically refutes any view that posits an independent, unchanging essence. Its central aim is to show that phenomena arise dependently, without a fixed or intrinsic essence, thus guiding practitioners to a direct understanding of the Middle Way free from the extremes of eternalism or nihilism.
Collection overview:
The Word. collection will evolve to encompass various historically significant texts, each rendered into unique visual representations through an evolving generative algorithm. Each piece serves as a focal point, capturing moments where written words have irrevocably altered the course of human evolution in various languages and from different cultures and eras.