Obaku edition

This is one of the woodblock Tripitaka (Buddhist Buddhist scriptures) made during the Edo period. Tetsugen Doko, a monk of the Obaku sect, undertook the huge undertaking of carving the Tripitaka onto a wooden block, traveling around the country to raise funds and completing the work over a period of 13 years. It is known as the "Obaku edition Tripitaka" or "Tetsugen edition Tripitaka." Woodblock Tripitaka were actively produced in China from the Song dynasty onwards, and some of them were brought to Japan. During the time of Tokugawa Iemitsu, the first Tripitaka in Japan made using wood type was made by Tenkai, a monk of the Tendai sect. Only a very limited number of copies of this "Tenkai edition Tripitaka" were printed, but the Obaku editions made afterwards were distributed to temples of all sects throughout the country, making a great contribution to Buddhist studies. The Obaku edition is a reprint of the Wanli edition from the Ming Dynasty in China, and consists of 6,956 volumes. The woodblocks are still preserved at Obakusan Manpukuji Temple in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, and are designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan.

[Kazuo Okabe]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸時代につくられた木版大蔵経(だいぞうきょう)の一つ。黄檗宗の僧であった鉄眼道光(てつげんどうこう)が大蔵経を板木に刻むという一大事業を企て、全国を行脚(あんぎゃ)して浄財を集め、前後13年を費やして完成したもので、「黄檗版大蔵経」または「鉄眼版大蔵経」という。木版の大蔵経は中国では宋(そう)代以後盛んにつくられ、そのいくつかは日本にも伝えられた。徳川家光(いえみつ)の時代には、わが国最初の木活字による大蔵経が天台宗の僧天海(てんかい)によってつくられた。この「天海版大蔵経」はきわめて限られた部数しか摺(す)られなかったが、その後つくられた黄檗版は全国の各宗寺院に流布し、仏教研究に大きく貢献した。黄檗版は中国明(みん)代の万暦版を覆刻したもので、6956巻からなる。その版木は京都府宇治の黄檗山万福寺(まんぷくじ)に現存し、国の重要文化財に指定されている。

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