Abhidharma vibhasa Sastra (Explanatory of the Abhidharma), the First Tripitaka Koreana Edition, Volumes 11 and 17

Buddhist scriptures are broadly divided into sutras, vinaya and treatises, and Abhidharma is the general name for the treatises that set out the Buddha's wisdom systematically. The Abhidharma Vibhasa Sastra can be called the part that gathers systematically the wisdom of the Buddha needed to attain Buddhahood and explains what beings should practise. These are volumes 11 and 17 of the sixty translated jointly by Buddhavarman and Daotai of Northern Liang, from the first Tripitaka Koreana, carved under King Hyeonjong of Goryeo (r. 1011–1031) in the hope that the power of the Buddha would repel the Khitan invasions. They are woodblock prints on mulberry paper, the sheets joined to be kept rolled as scrolls. Volume 11 joins 46 sheets 28.9 cm high and 47.8 cm wide; volume 17 joins 37 sheets 29.7 cm high and 47.4 cm wide. The first Tripitaka differs in several ways from the later Haeinsa Tripitaka (the second carving, or Tripitaka Koreana). Its cutting is precise, but its characters per line differ from Haeinsa's, it has no printing records, and taboo avoidances (omitting a stroke of, or replacing, characters in the names of past kings, out of reverence) and abbreviated characters appear here and there. It usually numbers its sheets with the character jang (丈) or pok (幅), where the Haeinsa edition uses jang (張) throughout. These too number their sheets with 丈, have no printing date at the end and omit the last stroke of 竟, marking them as first-edition prints. Their printing and paper suggest they were printed around the twelfth century.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gwanak-gu, Seoul

Designation

National Treasure · 국보