Gabinjabokgak Pavilion Lotus Sutra vol. 1~2 held at Seondeoksa Temple

Korea shows clear evidence that metal movable-type printing was highly developed from the mid-Goryeo period onward. Building on this tradition, Gabinja was the third set of metal type produced in the Joseon dynasty, after Gyemija and Gyeongjaja, cast mainly of copper in the gapin year 1434, the 16th year of King Sejong's reign. Because it was cast drawing on the advanced science and craftsmanship of King Sejong's court, it is regarded as the most beautiful and finely made type in the history of Korean printing. As the most representative typeface of the Joseon period it was recast six times or more, so the very first casting is distinguished by the name 'Chojugabinja' (the original casting of Gabinja). Joseon adopted Confucianism as its state ideology and pursued policies suppressing Buddhism, yet there remained a willingness to address people's inner concerns through Buddhism. This was true not only among the general population but even at court, where various Buddhist rites — such as the suryukjae, a rite praying for long life and the accumulation of merit — were held despite opposition from Confucian officials. As part of this practice, the royal household in the early Joseon period frequently had large numbers of Buddhist sutras printed and held rites praying for merit; the Gangyeongdogam, the Directorate for the Publication of Buddhist Scriptures that King Sejo established within the palace, is the best-known example. Despite his great achievements, King Sejong lost his queen early, and when the crown prince, later King Munjong, fell gravely ill, the king had Buddhist sutras published in the hope of healing him through the power of the Buddha. Accordingly, in 1450, the 32nd year of King Sejong's reign, the Avatamsaka Sutra was printed from woodblocks while the Office of Type Casting was ordered to print thirty-three copies of the Lotus Sutra using movable type — the type used on that occasion was the Chojugabinja. Afterwards, well-known temples throughout the country used this Chojugabinja edition of the Lotus Sutra as their base text and produced roughly thirty or more recarved editions. One of these is the recarved Gabinja-type Lotus Sutra now held at Seondeoksa Temple, of which only a single volume survives, containing chapters 1 to 2 of the original seven. Its formal features are as follows. As the volume was recovered from inside a Buddhist statue, its front and back covers have been removed, and the opening pages carry the explanatory preface by the monk Geupnam. Taking the title page of chapter 1 as reference, the text is framed by a single-line border on all four sides, with a half-folio text area measuring 16.5 cm wide by 26.5 cm high; there are no column-dividing lines, and each half-leaf carries ten lines of eighteen characters each. The centre fold of the page shows the influence of the Gabinja edition, with the fish-tail marks at top and bottom both pointing downward in black; the running title in the centre fold reads 'Myobeop', followed below by the chapter number and leaf number. The paper is of a type commonly used for printing Buddhist sutras before the Japanese invasions of 1592–98, and the typeface clearly displays the characteristic features of the Gabinja style, indicating that this is a relatively early recarved edition. This Seondeoksa copy is thought to be among the earliest of the recarved Gabinja-type editions, likely printed during the reign of King Jungjong (1506–1544).

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Seogwipo, Jeju

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산