Chūron geju 中論偈頌

Alternative reading of title: Chūron geshō. Variant title:. Author/compiler: Nāgārjuna (Japanese. Ryūju 龍樹), c. 150-250. Chinese translation by Kumārajīva Japanese. (Kumarajū 鳩摩羅什), 4th-5th century. Imprint: [Nara] , Daianji 大安寺, Sokei 素慶, Shōō 5, 1292. Kango on last fold reads in full: 夫斯本頌者八万藏之骨髓十万頌之樞鍵 ／ 也故存玄道於絁域領深不於無言是以西 ／ 天翫斯論而作注釋者七十餘家東复崇此 ／ 宗兮致鑽仰者幾許處所哉今聊為酬祖師 ／ 式開印板冀玄心獨悟之慧風遍扇率土蕭然 ／ 物外之覺日更耀扶桑耳 ／ 旹正應五禩壬辰南呂中旬於大安寺刊定流傳 ／ 三論宗幹緣沙門素慶謹誌. Description: 1 kan, 1 jō 帖, in a white and gold brocade chitsu case. 25.2 x 8 cm. (each half-fold). Orihon in 121 half-folds. Blockprint. Printing frame (height) 20.9 cm. (average). No borders above or below. No vertical rules between columns. Kanbun text, without kunten or printed reading marks. 4 lines to half-fold, 20 characters to line (in 4 groups of 5-character stanzas). Original mid-brown covers without title slip. No gedai, printed or manuscript Title from naidai (bidai) at end of text. Naidai at head of text: 中論觀因緣品第一. Text paper: thick kōzo, lightly sprinkled with maca dust. Edition: Daianji-ban, printed at the Daianji, Nara, under supervision of the monk Sokei素慶, who was also responsible for the Daianji edition of Hokke gisho 法華義疏 and for assisting in the printing of Daihannya haramittakyō 大般若波羅蜜多經 (see Or.81.c.5). Contents: Verses (gāthā) by Nāgārjuna comprising a major part of the Chūron 中論 (Ch. Zhonglun, Skt. Mūla-mādhyamaka-śāstra), a fundamental text of the Sanron 三論 sect. Sanron was the first Buddhist sect to reach Japan from China in the 7th century.

Unrestricted

Acquired from Kōbunsō, 1 March 1982.

Kenneth Gardner, Descriptive Catalogue of Japanese books in the British Library printed before 1700 (London and Tenri, 1993). B. Buddhist works 仏書 8. Sanron sect 三論宗

Nara kangyōshi 寧楽刊経史, pp. 201, 283; Kōbunsō keiaisho zuroku 弘文荘敬愛書図録, p. 206 (and earlier Kōbunsō catalogues).