Beonyeok myeongyijip (Glossary of Buddhist Terms) vol. 1~3

Beonyeok myeongyijip (Glossary of Buddhist Terms) is a kind of dictionary compiled by the monk Fayun (法雲, 1188–1158) of Gyeongdeoksa Temple in Suzhou during the Northern Song period, in which he organised and explained, with reference to Sanskrit, the terminology of Chinese-translated Buddhist scriptures. It originally comprised seven fascicles but was later compiled into fourteen. It is divided into sixty-four sections, from "Sipjong Tongho" (the Ten Epithets of the Buddha) to "Sadap Dandang" (Temples, Pagodas, Platforms and Banners), and records around two thousand terms. The Beonyeok myeongyijip currently designated as Treasure No. 1369 consists of fourteen fascicles in eight volumes; this edition was printed in the early Joseon period using the Yuan dynasty's Tripitaka as its source text. This movable-type edition of the Beonyeok myeongyijip, volumes 1 to 3, held by the Seoul Museum of History, comprises the first three of the full seven fascicles; the type used is the large and small Eulhae type, cast in 1455. As it lacks a colophon, the exact date of printing is difficult to determine. However, in September 1457 (the third year of King Sejo), King Sejo, in order to pray for the repose of the crown prince who had died of illness, ordered the printing of one copy each of the Tripitaka and the Avatamsaka Sutra, one hundred copies each of the Lotus Sutra, the Śūraṅgama Sutra and the Beonyeok myeongyijip, and fourteen copies each of the Ksitigarbha Sutra and the doryang chambeop (a Buddhist rite of repentance) — this being the first printing of the Beonyeok myeongyijip in the Joseon period. Given that this copy held by the Seoul Museum of History is in excellent condition both in printing and preservation, and considering its layout and binding, it is presumed to be one of the copies printed in the third year of King Sejo. It is printed in nine lines of seventeen characters per line, and its printing is clear and well preserved. Headwords are set in large type, explanations in medium type, and annotations in small type. On the first page of volume 1 is a seal impression reading "Beopsi jibo" (法施之寶, 12.5 cm × 12.5 cm) and an ink inscription reading "Yeonbongdang, jaebong jugyo-ya, juun□□u jaebonghan" (蓮峰堂・再逢主敎也・主雲□□又再逢閑); the first page of volume 2 bears the note "chaekju Yeonbong" (owner of this book: Yeonbong); the first page of volume 3 bears "chaekju Myeonggwi"; and the last page of volume 3 bears an ink inscription reading "ju Deokbong, sugyeol" (with a personal signature mark). These indicate that the book was a well-thumbed personal copy passed among monks. As an example of printing with Eulhae type for which no other surviving copy of the same kind is known, it is a unique copy and a valuable resource for the history of printing and for Buddhist studies.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Jongno-gu, Seoul

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산