Notes on the Meaning of the Mahayana sraddhotpada Sastra (Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana), Volumes 1 and 2

The Notes on the Meaning of the Mahayana Sraddhotpada Sastra (Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana) is a commentary by Beopjang (Fazang, 643–712) of Tang China explaining the Awakening of Mahayana Faith; it is a woodblock edition printed in the late Goryeo period, comprising two volumes bound as two books, Volume 1 and Volume 2. At the head of the book is the title 'Notes on the Meaning of the Mahayana Sraddhotpada Sastra, Volume 1', with the term byeongseo (幷序, 'with preface') written below it in smaller characters, followed on the next line by the authorship note 'written by the monk Beopjang of Seodaewonsa Temple' (西大原寺沙門法藏述). In terms of format, a thin black fish-tail mark appears only at the top of the central spine, where the running title 'Uigi' and the volume and leaf numbers are recorded; the page border is a single outer line with no ruled column lines, and each page carries nine lines of twenty characters. These are typographic features commonly found in editions printed in the late Goryeo period. The main text contains gugyeol glosses; the cover of Volume 1 was damaged but was later repaired, with the title 'Gisillon Uigi, Volume 1' (起信論義記上) written on it in ink. There is neither a postscript nor a colophon at the end of the volume, so the exact date of publication cannot be determined; however, judging from the condition of the carving and printing, it appears to have been carved from a manuscript prepared specifically for the purpose, and the presence of restored woodblocks suggests that it dates from the late Goryeo period. Displaying the typographic characteristics of Goryeo editions, this print is the only known copy of a late Goryeo edition identified to date, making it an important resource for the study of Buddhist history and of the history of printing.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Yongsan-gu, Seoul

Designation

Treasure · 보물