2004 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Publication of The JiaXing Tripitaka and its Influences
| Project/Area Number |
13021204
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Priority Areas
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Review Section |
Humanities and Social Sciences
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| Research Institution | Tohoku University |
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Principal Investigator |
NAKAIIMA Ryuzo Tohoku University, Graduate School of Arts and Letters, Professor, 大学院文学研究科, 教授 (10004061)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2001 – 2004
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| Keywords | The JiaXing Tripitaka / Ke Zang Yuangi / JiaXing Zang Mulu / Tripitaka in folded binding / colophon / Publishing costs / price of copies / Tetsugan's Obaku edition |
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| Research Abstract |
The objectives of the research are to elucidate, based on concrete evidence, the following problems surrounding the publication of the The JiaXing Triptaka: (1) Under what project and with what purposes the texts were published as well as the sources of the fund that made such a project possible and who were its figureheads and who the real promoters of the publication; (2) the actual processes (of establishing authoritative texts, preparation of fair copies, engraving, proof-reading, and publication), the manner of distribution, and the influences of the published collection.
As to the first problem, a number of documents contained in Ke Zang Yuangi have provided valuable information. The research has revealed that the objective of the publication was to make a cheap and workable edition in folded binding available. It will help people who were living in the latter days of Buddhism realize its true image and lead them to an enlightened state of mind by exhorting them to practice teachi
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ngs of Buddha in a way suitable to the situation and qualities of each individual. The funding of the publication was understood to be based on donations from supporters but opinions were divided between those who tried to publish the collection Quickly relying on large contributions from potent benefactors and those who inclined to delaying the project, waiting for the accumulation of small subscriptions from the poor. Differences of opinion and policies among the figureheads and actual promoters had become apparent.
As to the problems concerning the second subject, the JiaXingZang Mulu and the colophons at the end of each volume offer valuable information. Our research into them has revealed the following facts. At the outset, the view that the establishment of authoritative texts should be pursued under a unifying principle of strict rules seems to have been shared. However, this apparently had not always been adhered to; though reconfirmation of the rules were repeated at least three times, they seem to have been not consistently upheld, resulting in the lack of formal unity of the entire Tripitaka. The cost of publication was enormous but the copies could easily be purchased by defraying a small amount for actual expenses of paper, printing, and binding, thus achieving the primary objective.
Though in China the published Tripitaka has not always been used as the basis in preparing subsequent editions of Buddhist scripts, in Japan it was used as the basic text when Tetsugan published the baku edition. Less
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