Daebanggwangbulhwaeomgyeong Jinbon Gwon53

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.1736

Category

Books & Records

Designated year

2011

Location

남해군, 경상남도— 경상남도 남해군 보리암로 693 (상주면, 부소암)

Coordinates

34.752164, 127.976653Kakao address conversion

Maha Vaipulya Buddha Avatamsaka Sutra (Great Expansive Buddha Flower Adornment Sutra) is the basic text for Huayan Buddhism in Korea. One of the sutras used as a textbook in Buddhist seminaries, the sutra is often referred to by its short name Avatamsaka Sutra (The Flower Garland Sutra). As for the Chinese translation of this sutra, three versions have survived including the Jin version (60 volumes), Zhou version (80 volumes), and Zhengyuan version (40 volumes). This book is ‘Entering the Dharma Realm,’ Volume 53 of the Jin Edition of the Avatamsaka Sutra, translated into Chinese by Buddhabhadra. The pages have top and bottom margins delineated by a horizontal line and measure 24.2cm in height. Each of the twenty-two leafs making up this volume, about 49.0cm in length, contains twenty-four lines of seventeen characters. The paper is made of mulberry fiber, and the volume is mounted into a scroll measuring 29.7㎝ by 1081.7㎝. The scroll has only one rod at the tail of the volume, and none at the head. The rod, partially painted in red, appears to be made from sandal wood. Along the border of each of the twenty-two interconnected sheets, the volume number and the edition are indicated. Below them is the leaf number, and beneath the leaf number on the 3rd, 5th, 11th and 14th leaves, the name of the woodblock carver. The cover page is partially torn off. There is also slight damage in the second leaf (the first to the second line, seventh to the eighth line and the eleventh to the fourteenth line), as well as some bleeding of ink. The volume is, otherwise, in an excellent state of preservation. Under the title of the volume, there is the character “ju (宙),” indicating the volume number. The ‘ju’ volume of the second Tripitaka Koreana is normally Maha prajnaparamita Sutra (Perfection of Transcendental Wisdom), and not Avatamsaka Sutra. Therefore, this volume appears to belong to a book containing only the Avatamsaka Sutra. As a volume of a book of which no other volumes have survived, this Avatamsaka Sutra is extremely significant for the understanding of Buddhism in Goryeo and bibliographic research into this period.

Location