This paper is a bibliographical study of the writing and contents of Mogujasusimgyeol, its gugyeol and translation, and the Gangyeongdogam eonhaebon and huinbon Mogujasusimgyeol was witten by National Preceptor Bojo Jinul during the Goryeo Dynasty between the 28th year of King Myeongjong’s reign (1198) to the 5th year of King Huijong’s reign (1209). The book is composed in a system of seobun, jeongjongbun, yutongbun, and uses 9 question-and-answer formats to focus on “gongjeokyeongjisim,” “don-o,” “jeomsu” and “jeonghaessangsu.” The gugyeol was done in Bihyeonhap of Gyeongbokgung Palace, with the process presumably directed by Sejo himself and involving Buddhist personages centered around Sinmi. The translation of the text was done by Sinmi.
Gangyeongdogam published as a woodblock print book as Mogujasusimgyeol-eonhae, the name of the Korean language translation of Mogujasusimgyeol in the 13th year of King Sejo’s reign(1467). Sabeob-eo-eonha, of which the gugyeol and Korean translation was also done by Sinmi, is attached to the end of the book. The original text is considered to be the edition published in Yeonghaebu’s Yunpilam in the 23rd year of King Sejong’s reign. The book reflects the characteristics of Buddhist scripture translations of the times. The characteristic of the engraving is “sajussangbyeon bangwak 18.8×12.8 cm, yugye, banyeop 9-stanza-17-character, jussanghaeng, heukgu, sanghanaehyangheukeomi” with the size being 27.5×16.7 cm. The center of the book pansimje is marked with “susimgye” or “beob-eo.” The writing was done by An Hye, Yu Hwan, and Park Gyeong with hangeul written in square Gothic type and the Chinese characters in the original’s Yan Zhenqing type. The original text is Treasure No. 770 in the Seoul National University Library’s Kyujanggak Institute for Korean Studies, Treasure No. 934 in the Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, and Treasure 1848 in a private collection, while undesignated original texts remain in a private collection and in Japan’s Sochangmungo. All of the editions are in good print condition and well-preserved. The Sochangmungo edition has Korean translation marks in the text, and the punctuation of the eonhae text is in jumuk. The edition from the 6th year of Yeonsangun (1500) modeled itself after the Gangyeongdogam edition and was engraved the same year in Bongseo Temple in Gyeongsang Province’s Gaya Mountain. It was engraved exactly like the Gangyeongdogam edition, making it nearly similar to the original text in content and format. The woodblocks engraved at this time are now housed in Haeinsa. the Kyujanggak Institute for Korean Studies, Korea University, private collections (Seoul Tangible Cultural Heritage No. 208), etc. The edition in the Korea University Library only has Mogujasusimgyeol-eonhae without Sabeob-eo-eonhae compiled at the end. The edition made the year Seonjo came to the throne (1567) used the Gangyeongdogam edition as the model, but was engraved using new woodblocks made in Sunchang Chuiamsa in the same year. At the end of Mogujasusimgyeol-eonhae there is a publication record of “Yunggyeongwonnyeon(1567) Yuggiljeolladosunchangjichuiamgyeongan.” Although it imitates the existing form of the Gangyeongdogam edition, the sajudanbyeon lines are thick and the heukgu are daeheukgu. While there is no record of the writer, the handwriting is firm, the lines powerful, the printing clear, and the color of the ink even. The existing copy is held in the Korea University Library, but only as Mogujasusimgyeol-eonhae without Sabeop-eo-eonhae added at the end.
This study will be used as future basic research material in the fields of bibliography, archival studies, and Korean studies.