Commentary on the Avatamsaka Sutra (The Flower Garland Sutra), Volume 30

The Avatamsaka Sutra (the Flower Garland Sutra), sometimes abbreviated to the 'Hwaeomgyeong', is centred on the idea that the Buddha and sentient beings are not two but one. It is the fundamental scripture of the Hwaeom school and, together with the Lotus Sutra, exerted a major influence on the establishment of Korean Buddhist thought. This particular book is a commentary by the Song-dynasty monk Jingyuan on the 80-volume 'Zhouben' edition of the Avatamsaka Sutra translated into Chinese by the Tang-dynasty monk Śikṣānanda, and constitutes Volume 30 of the full 120 volumes. It was printed on mulberry paper from woodblocks sent from Song China in 1087, the fourth year of King Seonjong of Goryeo. It takes the form of an accordion-fold book that can be opened out like a folding screen, and measures 32.3 cm by 10.8 cm when folded. The cover is of brown paper, with the title written in gold at the centre. A note at the end of the book records that it was held at Nambaeksa Temple in the seventh month of a year designated jeongsa in the sexagenary cycle, though exactly which year this was cannot be established with certainty. The woodblocks were later sent to Japan in 1424, the year after Japan, in 1423, the fifth year of King Sejong of Joseon, requested the Tripitaka Koreana woodblocks of Haeinsa Temple. Passing from Song China to Goryeo and then on to Japan, it played a significant part in the exchange of Buddhist culture among the three East Asian countries, and remains a valuable record of that exchange.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Yongsan-gu, Seoul

Designation

Treasure · 보물