Illuminating the Life of the Buddha investigates an outstanding eighteenth-century samut khoi , a type of beautifully illustrated, folded book found in Southeast Asia and popular as a repository for the Buddha's teachings. Written in Pali and produced in Siam, the samut khoi features finely executed paintings on khoi paper portraying key stories from the Buddha's past lives. These stories, known as the Jatakas , were the principal means by which Buddhist...