大方廣佛華嚴經疏 Commentary on the Flower Garland Sutra

The Flower Garland Sutra is a foundational scripture in Huayan Buddhism. This fascicle (numbered LXXX) belongs to a 120-fascicle edition of the critical commentary on The Flower Garland Sutra. A fascicle is a booklet. It was written by the Chinese monk Chengguan (738-839) and later commented on by the Chinese monk Jingyuan (1011-1088). It was printed in Korean in the 11^th century using woodblocks carved in China.

In the late 11^th century, Uich’on (1055-1101), an influential monk in Korea’s Goryeo period (918-1392), travelled across East Asia to collect Buddhist commentaries and interpretations. While in Hangzhou, China, he studied with Jingyuan. Later he commissioned the Zhejiang Tax Transport Bureau to engrave woodblocks for the 120-fascicle edition of Chengguan’s commentary, supplemented with Jingyuan’s exegesis. These woodblocks were delivered to Korea in 1087.

This concertina-style fascicle (folded booklet) is a well-preserved and rare example of early printing in Northeast Asia. The text is clearly printed on Korean mulberry paper. It is an important resource for the study of early printing, Mahāyāna Buddhism in East Asia, and the cultural exchanges between China and Kora.

This item was acquired with funds from the M J Morrissey bequest.

Call number: EA 1820 1