Abhidharma jnanaprasthana Sastra, the First Tripitaka Koreana Edition, Volume 24 Abhidharma vijnana kaya pada Sastra (Discourse on

Buddhist scriptures are broadly divided into sutras (經), vinaya (律), and treatises (論); abhidharma is a general term for the treatises that systematically expound the Buddha's wisdom. The Abhidharma jnanaprasthana Sastra can be described as a systematic collection explaining the wisdom needed to attain Buddhahood. This volume is one of the Chojo Tripitaka, carved during the reign of King Hyeonjong of Goryeo (r. 1011–1031) in the hope of overcoming the Khitan invasions through the power of the Buddha; it is Volume 24 of a 30-volume work jointly translated by Sanghadeva and Zhu Fonian. It is a woodblock print on mulberry paper, with sheets of paper joined end to end so that it can be rolled up like a scroll for storage; sixteen sheets, each measuring 28.8 cm in height and 46.7 cm in width, are joined together to form it. The Chojo Tripitaka differs in several respects from the later Haeinsa Tripitaka (also called the Jaejo Tripitaka, or Goryeo Tripitaka). Although its woodblock carving is finer, the number of characters differs from the Haeinsa Tripitaka, there is no record of the year of publication, and in places it shows pihwi (avoiding the personal names of former kings out of respect, by omitting a stroke of a character or substituting one of similar meaning) and abbreviated characters. The Chojo Tripitaka generally uses the character "丈" or "幅" to indicate the number of leaves in a volume, whereas the Haeinsa Tripitaka consistently uses the character "張". This volume likewise uses "丈" to indicate its leaf count, bears no record of the year of publication at its end, and shows the final stroke of the character "竟" omitted — all confirming that it is a Chojo Tripitaka print. Judging from the condition of the printing and the quality of the paper, it is thought to have been printed around the 12th century.

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Where it is

Region

Gwanak-gu, Seoul

Designation

Treasure · 보물