Memory of the World; 2012 - unesdoc - Unesco

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Printing woodblocks of
the Tripitaka Koreana
and miscellaneous Buddhist scriptures
Inscribed 2007
What is it
The Tripitaka Koreana is a Korean collection of the
Tripitaka or Buddhist scriptures which were carved onto
81,258 wooden printing blocks in the 13th century. The
collection is stored at Haeinsa Monastery in southwest
Korea.
Why was it inscribed
The Tripitaka Koreana is the only existing example of a
Tripitaka in the form of wooden blocks and the only
complete canon of Buddhist scriptures still extant on
the Asian mainland. The Tripitaka and the associated
scriptures at Haeinsa Monastery are examples of the
best printing and publishing techniques of the period.
Where is it
Haeinsa Monastery, South Gyeongsang province,
Republic of Korea
The Tripitaka, or Daejanggyeong in Korean, refers to the
collection of Buddhist scriptures, or Buddhist canon,
that relate to discourses with the Buddha, regulations
98 Printing woodblocks of the Tripitaka Koreana
of monastic life and commentaries on the sutras by
renowned monks and scholars. The Tripitaka Koreana
is the oldest extant complete canon of Buddhist
scripture edited, compiled and collated from the various
contemporary Tripitakas that did not survive to the present.
After Buddhism was transmitted to East Asia through
China and Buddhist scriptures were translated from
various Indian and Central Asian languages into classical
Chinese (the lingua franca of educated discourse
throughout East Asia, including Korea), several countries
tried to inscribe them in wooden printing blocks for
distribution. However, the Tripitaka Koreana is the only
complete canon still extant on the mainland of Asia.
The first edition of the Tripitaka was begun in 1011 and
completed in 1087. However, it was destroyed in 1234
during a Mongol invasion. The Goryeo royal dynasty
of Korea (AD 918–1392) commissioned the production
of another Tripitaka in 1236. According to inscriptions on
the blocks, as many as 1800 scribes worked on the job,
which was completed in 1251. This edition is the Tripitaka
Koreana and from these printing blocks, the monastery
continually printed, published and distributed new copies
whenever the need arose.
Each of the 81,258 blocks was meticulously prepared and
individually inscribed with care and regularity. The blocks
are 24.2 cm long, 69.7 cm wide, 3.6 cm thick and weigh
about 3.5 kg. They exemplify the pinnacle of East Asian