Hokke gengi shakusen 法華玄義釋籤 [法華玄義釈籤]

Variant title: Shakusen 釋籤 [釈籤]. Variant title: Myōhō renge-kyō gengi shakusen 妙法蓮華經玄義釋籤 [妙法蓮華経玄義釈籤]. Author/compiler: Zhanran 湛然 (Japanese: Tannen), Chinese monk of the Tiantai sect, 711-82. Imprint: N.p. [Hieizan 比叡山] , Kōan 4-9, 1281-86. Maki 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10: each has a printed ganmon, some dated; maki 2, 3 and 8 are signed by the ganshu Shōsen 承詮. These ganmon read as follows: (maki 1) 弘安四年七月十二日書寫訖 ／ 執筆大法師覺濟; (maki 2) 天台教觀典 適畢摸寫功 使後賢鑽仰 令來者弘通 ／ 三聖垂迹砌 神徳陪尊崇 百王鎮護嶺 人法弥紹隆 ／ 過現恩所類 緇素結緣衆 悉離煩惱域 倶遊真如宮 ／ 願主法印權大僧都承詮 ／ 弘安七年甲申五月十一日書寫訖 ／ 執筆阿闍梨覺濟; (maki 3) the same 4-line ganmon as in maki 2, followed by 弘安九年歳次丙戌十月十三日奉書寫 ／ 願以此功德普及於一切我等與衆生 ／ 皆具成佛道 ／ 右筆朝請大夫近作少尹安倍雅遠; (maki 5) 弘安六年六月 日書訖 ／ 執筆阿闍梨了覺 ／ 法印權大僧都忠源; (maki 6) 大宋人盧四郎書; (maki 7) 弘安六年三月十八日同終功畢 ／ 權大僧都親守; (maki 8) the same 12 verses in 4 + 1 lines by Shōsen 承詮 as in maki 2 and 3, followed by 弘安五年壬午十月十八日 ／ 結緣短筆權律師清譽; (maki 10) 弘安七年四月廿二日宋了一敬書. Description: 9= kan (of 10), 10 jō. Incomplete copy, lacking maki 1 honsatsu 本冊. Folios unnumbered. 25.6 x 15.8 cm. Bound in detchō style, within 3 chitsu cases of gold and brown figured brocade. Blockprint. Printing frame 22 x 14.5 cm. (average). No borders or vertical rules. Text printed on both sides of thick ganpi paper. Kanbun text without printed kunten. 7 lines to page, 17 characters to line. Pale-buff covers, original except for renewed back cover on satsu 3. No title slips, but each satsu has a handwritten gedai: Gengi shakusen maki dai... 玄義釋籤巻第･･･ , followed by signature in black ink, Kakugen 覺玄. Original front cover of the missing first volume, with half-deleted gedai, has been re-used as back cover of satsu 4. Title from naidai at head of each maki. Edition: Eizan-ban, of an edition similar in all respects to the British Library's copy of Maka shikan 摩訶止觀 (no. 198). There is a close resemblance between the two in size, quality of paper and hanshiki. The two works are likewise similar in character, both being important Tendai Buddhist scriptures. The present work is printed from hanshita of good calligraphic quality written by Japanese and Chinese scribes, some of whom (e.g. Kakuzai, or Kakusei, 覺濟) are named in the ganmon transcribed above. This edition of Kōan period (1278-88) does not appear to be recorded in any other standard work of reference. Contents: A detailed commentary by the Chinese monk Zhanran 湛然 on the Hokke gengi 法華玄義; one of the Hokke sandaibu 法華三大部, three basic works of Tendai Buddhism concerning the Lotus Sutra. Teachings expounded by Zhiyi 智顗, founder of the Tiantai sect in China; recorded by Guanding 灌頂 (561-632).

Unrestricted

Acquired from Kōbunsō, 1 Nov. 1976.

Kenneth Gardner, Descriptive Catalogue of Japanese books in the British Library printed before 1700 (London and Tenri, 1993).B. Buddhist works 仏書 10. Tendai sect 天台宗

Bussho kaisetsu daijiten 仏書解説大辞典, vol. 10, p. 58; Butsuzō butten kaisetsu jiten 仏像仏典解説事典, p. 464; Mochizuki bukkyō daijiten 望月仏教大辞典, vol. 5, p. 4576; Bukkyō tetsugaku daijiten 仏教哲学大辞典, vol. 5, p. 525; Kōbunsō zenpon mokuroku 弘文荘善本目録 (五十周年記念, 訂正版), p. 206.