Anrakushū 安樂集 [安楽集]

  • This material is held at
  • Reference
      GB 59 ORB 30/153
  • Dates of Creation
      [1400-1450]
  • Language of Material
      Japanese
  • Physical Description
      1 volume Condition: Very good, apart from minimal worm damage at beginning and end, and slight staining at edges. Impression: Bold, sharp and clear, using jet-black ink. Seals of ownership: None. Manuscript notes: A few textual notes in upper margins.

Scope and Content

Author/compiler: Daochuo 道綽, Chinese Chan monk, 562-645. Imprint: N.p., n.d. [Muromachi period] . Spurious kanki on verso of last folio, blockprinted at some time after printing of text, reads: 至德三年正月二十五日 / 印本願主法眼慈辯. In fact, the date of printing was probably early- to mid-Muromachi period, c. 1400-50; later than the spurious date Shitoku 3 至徳三年 (1386) given in the above kanki. Description: 2 kan, formerly in 2 jō 帖 bound in detchō style, now rebound in 1 vol. western style. (上) ff. [69]; (下) ff. [53] . (Each pair of leaves is numbered at the inner edge, now almost hidden by sewing of the binding.) 25.4 x 16.4 cm. Folios printed on both sides. Blockprint. Printing frame 20.5 x 15.2 cm. No borders. Kanbun text, with kunten and kaeriten added in black ink (Muromachi period). 6 lines to page, 17 characters to line. Old dark blue front cover of jō 1 only, with title slip of gold paper on left, hand-lettered in Muromachi period with gedai: 安樂集, Naidai and gedai identical. Text paper: thick, fibrous choshi 楮紙. Edition: Jōdokyō-ban. Two earlier editions are recorded in Jōdokyō-ban no kenkyū 浄土教版の研究: the earlier with kanki dated Kangen 3 寛元三年 (1245) and the other (of which no copy survives) dated Kōan 3 弘安三年 (1280). The present copy belongs to an undated edition of the Muromachi period (c. 1400-50), of which the only other recorded copy is in the Chion'in 知恩院, Kyōto. A movable type edition in 2 kan followed in Keichō 18 (1613). Contents: An expression of faith by Daochuo, in the light of his own experience, dividing the teachings of Buddhism into two streams: the ancient sages and the Pure Land. In the mappō age, he advocates reliance on Amida Buddha to achieve rebirth in the Pure Land.

Access Information

Not Public Record(s)

Unrestricted

Acquisition Information

Acquired from Ernest M. Satow, 22 Sept. 1884.

Other Finding Aids

Kenneth Gardner, Descriptive Catalogue of Japanese books in the British Library printed before 1700 (London and Tenri, 1993). B. Buddhist works 仏書 4. Jōdo, jōdo shinshū sects 浄土・浄土真宗

Bibliography

Bussho kaisetsu daijiten 仏書解説大辞典, vol. 1, p. 82; Kokatsujiban no kenkyū 古活字版の研究, pp. 44, 318;Jōdokyō-ban no kenkyū 浄土教版の研究, pp. 57-8, 70, 140, pl. 77; Butten kaidai daijiten 仏典解題事典, p. 190.