China to reprint rare Buddhist text
By Li Xing (China Daily)
Updated: 2004-06-28 08:46

Chinese scholars and printers will make the best use of centuries-old paper-making and woodblock printing technologies to reprint a 266-year-old royal edition of the Chinese language "Tripitaka."

The language is commonly known as the canon or encyclopaedia of Buddhism.

The gigantic project, which was officially launched on Saturday, will take at least five years to complete, according to Su Shishu, president of the Cultural Relics Publishing House that will shoulder the actual printing job, along with the Beijing Jinglulun Cultural Communication Co. Ltd.

The paper to be used for the reprinting will be a unique product from Jingxian county of East China's Anhui Province, popularly known as Xuanzhou in ancient times and famous for its paper products used in traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy.

The reprinting, of the Qing Dynasty edition of the Chinese language "Tripitaka," "will become a major event in the development of Chinese culture since it helps pass down this Buddhist treasure," said Yicheng, chairman of the Chinese Buddhist Association.

Above all, the work continues a centuries-old Chinese cultural tradition, Yicheng said.

Called the "Dazangjing" in Chinese, the royal edition of the Buddhist encyclopaedia was first compiled and printed with the direct order and patronage from the first emperor of the Song Dynasty (960-1279), thanks to the invention of woodblock printing technology.

The work was a culmination of the continuous efforts of scholars and prestigious monks over a period of more than 1,000 years throughout the dynasties, ever since Buddhism was introduced to China from India in the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 220).

This Song Dynasty edition of the "Tripitaka," carved in bas-relief onto 130,000 wood plates, contains nearly 2,000 different books composed of more than 5,048 volumes, according to historical records. Most were translated directly from Sanskrit and the originals are now lost in India.

The "Tripitaka", or three-part teachings, included discourses with the Buddha (Sutra), regulations of monastic life (Vinaya), and commentaries on the sutras by renowned Buddhist scholars (Abhidhamma). Moreover, it shared human knowledge and studies covering philosophy, history, ethnic groups, languages, literature, astronomy, astrology medicine and architecture, among other topics.

The successive Yuan and Ming dynasties both produced their own editions.

In 1733, Emperor Qianlong, the third emperor of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), had 130-odd monks collate the previous royal editions.

Emperor Qianlong then engaged artisans to carve in bas-relief the texts that numbered some 76 million Chinese characters onto some 79,036 pieces of fine hardwood. Each wood plate is 60 centimetres long, 30 metres wide and five to six centimetres thick. Altogether, they weigh some 480 tons.

The end product, completed in 1738, was limited to 100 sets of what popularly was known as the "Dragon edition" of the Qing Dynasty Chinese language "Tripitaka," which contained 7,245 volumes in 1,625 titles.

The pages, if lined up, could stretch as long as 100 kilometres.

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