Printing Woodblocks of Miscellaneous Buddhist Scriptures in Haeinsa Temple, Hapcheon

Woodblocks at Haeinsa, Hapcheon, South Gyeongsang, carved with Goryeo-period Buddhist scriptures, writings of eminent monks, collections of poetry and prose and more. Unlike the Tripitaka Koreana woodblocks at Haeinsa (a national treasure), cut by the state's Tripitaka Directorate, these were cut by local government offices and temples. They are kept in the east and west temple-edition halls between the Tripitaka halls at Haeinsa. The magnolia wood was soaked in salt water to draw out its oils and season the grain, then dried well before carving, so the blocks are well preserved in their original form. They include Mahayana scriptures such as the Diamond Sutra and the Flower Garland Sutra, and collected writings of eminent monks and individuals of Silla, Goryeo and China. Most of the scriptures carry printing records, showing the circulation of Buddhist scriptures and trends in belief in the Goryeo period. The monks' and individuals' writings often lack printing records and complete sets, but their contents survive nowhere else or are historically rare. They are regarded as important for the study of Goryeo printmaking and block-cutting, and of Korean Buddhist thought and cultural history.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Hapcheon, Gyeongnam

Designation

National Treasure · 국보