Jikji
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Jikji is the abbreviated title of a Korean Buddhist document, whose full title can be translated "The Monk Baegun's Anthology of the Great Priests' Teachings on Identification of the Buddha’s Spirit by the Practice of Seon." Printed during the Goryeo Dynasty in 1377, it is the world's oldest extant movable metal print book. UNESCO confirmed “Jikji” as the world oldest metalloid type in September 2001 and includes it in the Memory of the World program. [1]
[edit] The name of Jikji
「Baekunhwasang Chorok Buljo Jikji Simche Yojol」(We'll call it 「Jikji」from now) is the oldest book published by metal printing method in the world among existing books, which was made 78 years before Gutenberg in German had published 「The 42-line Bible, 1452-1455)」.
You can see its historical value, from the event that the world's most famous presses pointed out that the metal printed type had mostly influenced on the human historical development during the last 1000 years.
Although 「Jikji」 was published in Hungduk Temple, 866 Ave. Uncheondong Hungdukgu Cheongju city Chungcheong Province in Korea, in 1377, it has not been valued for a long time.
However, it was registered to Memory of the World of UNESCO in SEP 4 2001 thanks to that every circle started to value high.
Only the last volume of 「Jikji」is now in safekeeping in Manuscript Orianteaux of France National Library, and the recovery movement of 「Jikji」is actively spreading, centered round Cheongju.
The original name of 「Jikji」is 「Buljo Jikji Simche Yojol」, and now also called 「Buljo Jikji Simche Yojol」, 「Sim Yo」, 「Simche Yojol」, 「Jikji」, 「Jikji Simkyung」, 「Jikji Sim Yo」, 「Jikji Simche」, 「Jikji Simche Yojol」.
[edit] The author of Jikji
「Jikji」was written by the representative Buddhist, Priest Baekun Hwasang, in the end of Goryeo era, the 14th century, his pen name is Baekun, and Buddhist name is Kyunghan(1298-1374).
Baekun was the big Buddhist priest with Wonjung Taego Kooksa and Naong Hyegun Hwasang in the end of Goryo era.
Hwasang(The 24th year of the reign of King Coongyul in 1298) was born in Gobu Jeolla Province (Now Jeongub) He sought for Buddhism from Prist Seokok Cheongkong of Chinese authority in MAY 1351(The 3rd year of the reign.
King Choongjeong was 54 years old). At that time, Hwasang got a volume of 「Buljo Jikji Simche Yojol」from Seokok Sunsa, learned Buddhism, and finally mastered it in January 1353(The 2nd year of the reign.
King Gongmin was 56 years old.) by opening mind. Additionally, Hwasang learned from the high priest, Jikong Hwasang, of India.
After that, he served as the chief priest of Ahnkook Temple and Shingwang Temple in Haeju, and raised pupils, and then published two volumes of 「Jikji」 in Seongbulsan in 1372(The 21st year of the reign. King Gongmin was 77 years old.), and finally passed away in Chwiam Temple of Yuju in 1374(The 23rd year of the reign. King Gongmin was 23 years old.).
Hwasang focused on doctrines as well as perceiving by meditation in Zen Buddhism on foresight, compared that Taego Kooksa or Hyegun Hwasang focused on perceiving by meditation in Zen Buddhism at the end of Goryo, and maintained the foresight that 「Moosimmunyum」 and 「Moosimmusang」were Jijjong simultaneously.
The motive that Baekun Hwasang published 「Jikji」 seems that he wanted to succeed to his teacher, Seokok Sunsa, and then he spread Buddhist doctrine for the future pupils.
According to the preface of Seongsadal in Xylographic Book of「Jikji」, that states . Considering this above statement, we can confirm that the motive that Hwasang wrote 「Jikji」was to succeed to his teacher's will and teach the pupils.
[edit] The structure and contents of Jikji
「Jikji」is made of two volumes, the first and last volume. Metal printed 「Jikji」 that was published in Hungdeok Temple is kept in Manuscrit Orianteaux of France National Library, with the first page of the last volume(Book 1 in Chapter 38) torn off. Xylographic Book of 「Jikji」 published in Chwiamsa Temple consists of the first and last volume, which is a complete book. This is kept in the National Library of Korea and Jangsagak and Bulgap Temple in the Academy of Korea Studies. We can see thoroughly details of the structure or contents, which have not been known through Xylographic Book.
「Jikji」has 370 chapters such as Ke·Song·Chan·Ka·Myung·Seo·Bubeo·Moondap. Hwasang made up for the contents by extracting from Seonmoonyumsong and Chimoonkyunghoon on Jikji Simche Yojol that the Hwasang's teacher, Priest Seokok, had given to him. He extracted from 145 Buddhist sermons such as past 7 Buddhism, Indian 28 founders and Chinese 110 Zen priests. Shilla Priest Daeryung is solely mentioned in the last volume as our priest.
is originated from the famous phrase that was perceived by Buddhism of Seonjong. , which means "When you see a man's mind through meditation in Zen Buddhism, you will understand that the nature of the mindset is Buddha's mind." The Jebuljosa's words recorded in 「Jikji」are considered to be a piece of high-valued masterpiece which was made by Hwasang by extracting the important sayings at the end of Goryeo, in spite of his aged eyesight, in order to teach the way to meditation of Zen Buddhism and to pass down the tradition of Buddhism to Buddhist pupils.
[edit] The person who printed Jikji with metal type
The postscript of is printed at the last part of Metal Printed 「Jikji」, following the record related to 「Jikji」publication which is .
Seokchan showed in 「Jikji」 is the best pupil of Baekun Hwasang, who made Metal Printed Book after collecting the first and last volume of 「Baekun Hwasang's Sayings」written by Baekun Hwasang.
Also, Bublin played a important rule in making Xylographic Book in Yuju Chwiamsa in JUN 1378(The 4th year of the reign of King Woo)
Daljam is stated as "The literary man that made an offering in publishing the collection of sayings in Chwiamsa a year after typing 「Jikji」 with Seokchan and Bublin." in the preface of 「Baekun Hwasang's Sayings」 written by Esaek Especially, Biguni Myodeok described as Joyunmunin is expressed a donor even in Metal Printed Book, and he was the person involved in publishing both Metal Printed Book and Xylographic Book.
[edit] The story about how Jikji as been kept in France
The background that Metal Printed 「Jikji」 has been kept in Manuscrit Orianteaux of France National Library is complex. In MAY 1886, Korea had a Korea-France defence commerce treaty with France, and in the next year of 1887, the official diplomatic relations were entered into by ratifying the treaty between Kim Yoon Sik(1835-1922) and Collin de Plancy(1853-1922). Plancy, who majored in law in France University and studied Chinese in Eastern language school had served as the translator of France Legation for six years from 1877. He had come to Seoul as the first representative minister in Korea in 1888 and stayed to 1891.
At that time, he collected korean ceramics and old books. He let Kulang, who had moved to Seoul as the official secretary, classify them. During the next five years, Plancy who had served in Japan, continued to collect old books while staying in Korea as a consul and diplomatic minister in Seoul for ten years from 1896 to 1906 again.
Although the channels that Plancy had collected from are not clearly known, he seems to have had it at the beginning of 1900s, judging from circumstances. Most old books that Plancy had collected from Korea in MAR 1911 went to the National Library of France at an auction, and Metal Printed 「Jikji」was donated by his will and kept in the National Library of France, after Henri Vever(1854-1943), who was a famous jewel seller and old book collector, had bought it at 180 franc and possessed.
[edit] The discovery of Jikji
Metal Printed 「Jikji(直指)」 was known to the world, by being recorded in the appendix in 「Hankook Seoji」written by Maurice Courant(1865-1935) in 1901. It had not been known for a long time, but the exhibition of that to The International Exhibition in memory of in 1972 confirmed us that it was the oldest Metal Printed Book in the world among existing books.
We can make sure that it was published with metal prints in Hungdeok Temple outside Cheongjumok in JUL 1377(The 3rd year of the reign of King Woo), through the postscript, which is "Sunkwang Chilnyun Jungsa Chilwolil Chongju Mokwe Hungdeoksa Jujainsi" in the last part of Metal Printed 「Jikji」. The fact that it was printed in Hungdeok Temple in Uncheondong Cheongju was known, after Museum people of Cheongju University dug 「Hungdeok Saji」 in 1985.
With this, Hungdeok Temple was not only recognized high from the academic world, through sponsored by Chungcheong Province in JUN 1986, but Hungdeok Temple also was rebuilt in MAR 1992. In 1992, the Early Printing Museum of Cheongju was opened and whose subject was 「Jikji」 was held in 2000. Only the last volume of Metal Printed 「Jikji」 was kept as a unique book in Manuscrit Orianteaux of France National Library, and the recovery movement of 「Jikji」is actively spreading in Korea these days.
[edit] Book's content
The Buddhist priest Baegun Hwasang compiled and annotated the book, a collection of excerpts from analects by the most revered Buddhist monks throughout successive generations.
It was created as a guide for students of Buddhism, then Korea's national religion under the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392).
The Jikji propounds on the essentials of Seon, the predecessor to Japan's Zen Buddhism.
[edit] Metal printed book
Metal Printed 「Jikji」 was published in Hungdeok Temple in 1377(The 3rd year of the reign of King Woo) This printed book is the oldest Metal Printed Book among existing books, and registered in Memory of the World in 2001. Originally it consisted of two volumes, the first and last volume, but the first volume is not handed down, and only the last volume, with the first page torn off, is kept in Manuscrit Orianteaux of France National Library.
The printed book of the last volume of 「Jikji」 is Sajudanbyun, and Bankwang is not obviously know, and there is a limiting circle. The number of letters in a line of Banyup is 11 lines and 18-20 letters, and Jumoon is double lines. There is no end of a word on the board, and the title of the board is 「Jikji」 The heading of the book is not known and the ending title is 「Baekun Hwasang Chorok Buljo Jikji Simche Yojol」.
The size of the book is 24.6 x 17.0 cm. The paper is very slight and white. The whole text is doubly folded very slightly.
The cover looks re-made. The title of 「Jikji」 also seems to be written with an indian ink after the original. The cover says in French "This is the oldest Printed Book with molded type." with the chronicle of 1377 written by Maurice Courant.
The characteristics showed in Metal Printed 「Jikji」 are ① The lines are not straight, but askew, and some of them are slant. ② The difference of the thickness of ink color showed on drawn letter paper is large, and spots often occurs. ③ Even some letters such as Day(日) or One(一) are written reversely, and some other letters were not printed out completely. ④ The same typed letters are not showed on the same paper, but the same typed letters are written on the other paper. ⑤ There are also blurs and spots around letters.
[edit] Printing
On the last page of "Jikji" is its record of publication, indicating that it was published in the 3rd Year of King U (July 1377) by using the metal type at Heungdeoksa in Cheongju. The Jikji originally consisted of two volumes totalling 307 chapters. But the first volume is not found yet, and only the second volume, with the first page torn off, is preserved in Manuscrit Orianteaux of France National Library.
Priest Baegun wrote Jikji at Cheongju Heungdeok-sa Temple in 1372. There is a record indicating that Baegun's students, Priest Seokcan, Daldam helped the publication of "Jikji" by using movable metal types and female priest Myodeok donated for the project in 1377. "Jikji" predates Gutenberg's 42-Line Bible, which was printed in Germany between 1452 and 1455, by 78 years.
[edit] Preservation
Toward the end of the [Chosŏn Dynasty]], a French diplomat took the second volume of "Jikji" from Korea to France, which has since been preserved at the National Library of France in Paris.
According to UNESCO records, the Jikji “had been in the collection of Collin de Plancy, a chargé d’affaires with the French Embassy in Seoul in 1887 during the reign of King Gojong. The book then went into the hands of Henri Véver [in an auction at Hotel Drouot in 1911], a collector of classics, and when he died in 1950, it was donated to the Biliothèque nationale de France, where it has been ever since.” [2]
Today only 38 sheets of the second volume exist, although a full version printed earlier from wood type is preserved in the National Library of Korea.
[edit] Commemoration
Jikji was displayed during the "International Book Year" by the National Library of France in Paris in 1972, gaining worldwide attention for the first time.
It was added to the Memory of the World on September 4, 2001. The Jikji Memory of the World Prize was created in 2004 to commemorate the inscription of the Jikji.
[edit] The Value of Jikji
Foreign powerful presses and internet sites took a public opinion pool on the greatest event and invention in human beings' cultural history in the end of 20the century. In this pool, Gutenberg's metal printing arts of German won the first without exception. The reason for this result is because his arts enabled the general public to contact with information by mass-producing information which had been exclusively possessed by high classes.
The mass distribution of information began with mass publications of Bible, and continued to the Revolution. Producing information about industrial science technology was connected to the Industrial Revolution, and cultural arts were connected to Renaissance. All of these overthrew then-ruling classes who had possessed the power of information. This continued to the Civilization Revolution, and made a foundation of democracy today.
We can find the true value of 「Jikji」 here. Although Gutenberg's metal printing arts have completely changed the western history of civilization, we invented the oldest existing Metal Printed 「Jikji」 which is 78 years earlier than Gutenberg's and enables us to produce small but various mass information. Therefore, 「Jikji」 is the starting point of the information age represented by internet as well as the greatest invention in the history of human beings.
[edit] See also
- List of Korea-related topics
- History of Korea
- Korean Buddhism
- Jikji prize
- History of typography in East Asia
[edit] References
- Introduction Jikji, its story and value
- Introduction Jikji and its value
- UNESCO and Jikji
- chronology and world printing
- UNESCO Jikji Prize
- Exhibit flyer (PDF)
- Carnegie Council article on Jikji ownership controversy
- Korean National Commission for UNESCO
- Korea Times article on Chongju's promotion of Jikji
[edit] External links
ko:직지심체요절 csb:Jikji ru:Чикчи
