본문 바로가기
  • Home
Basic Search

A Case Study of the Abhidharma-mahāvibhāsā-śāstra Wood Printing Blocks in the Goryeo Eighty-Thousand Tripitaka

곽동화 1

1한성대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

In this research, to study the engraving of Abhidharma-mahāvibhāsā-śāstra of the Goryeo Eighty-Thousand Tripitaka, the following topics are examined: the content and layout of Abhidharma-mahāvibhāsā-śāstra, the scale of work to engrave the Tripitaka, the participating engravers and their activities, the leading engravers, and the distinguishing features and characteristics of each engraver’s workmanship, based on the comparison and analysis of letters carved by each artist. Abhidharma-mahāvibhāsā-śāstra is called the great encyclopedia of Abhidharma Buddhism because it explains in detail the theory of Seolilcheyubu based on the Abhidharma-jñāna-prasthāna-śāstra, and contains the dogma of various Hīnayāna Buddhist schools as well as the history of Buddhism. It was translated into Chinese by Hyeonjang and is composed of 8 chapters(蘊) and 43 verses(納息) in 200 volumes. A total of 2,271 woodblocks of Abhidharma-mahāvibhāsā-śāstra in 200 volumes were engraved during the 31st and 32nd year of King Gojong’s reign(1244-1245). About 569 engravers participated in engraving 4,434 sides of woodblocks, although some took part more than once. Volumes 1～110 were carved in cooperation by several engravers, while each volume of Volumes 111～200 was carved by one engraver. 91 engravers solely in charge of carving one volume carved an average of 10 blocks and 20 sides. With such amount of work, they are assumed to be the expert engravers, largely responsible for carving the Abhidharma-mahāvibhāsā-śāstra. In this research, these 91 engravers were investigated, and the features and characteristics of their carving were analyzed, based on the comparison of 10 letters, that is, 阿․心․沙․彼․道․觀․後․佛․我․初. It is concluded that different engravers carved most of the letters in similar shapes with only slight differences in their size and the thickness and slant of the strokes. Furthermore, factors such as the balance of the letter arrangements, the way the dots were made, the shape of the ending strokes, and the way the strokes bent all evidenced the individual engraver’s working habbit, and his level of craftsmanship and superiority.

Statistics

  • 486 Viewed
  • 168 Downloaded

Tools

Issue List

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.

Basic Search Advanced Search