Kinshichijūron 金七十論

  • This material is held at
  • Reference
      GB 59 ORB 30/162
  • Former Reference
      GB 59 15103.e.11
  • Dates of Creation
      1637
  • Language of Material
      Japanese
  • Physical Description
      1 volume Condition: Very good. Few worm holes, confined to margins. Impression: Clear and sharp. Seals of ownership: Two identical oblong red seals of Sir Ernest Satow, 英國薩道藏書, on front mikaeshi and on first page of text. Three very large square red seals, one ornamented with a dragon border, and one smaller ogival seal, all denoting ownership by the Tōeizan Kaisandō 東叡山開山堂.

Scope and Content

Author/compiler:. Translator: Zhendi 眞諦, 499-569. Imprint: Edo, Tōeizan 東叡山, Tenkai 天海 (ganshu), Hayashi Kakei 林花溪 (publisher), Kan'ei 14, 1637. Kanki reads: 寛永十四丁丑暦十二月十七日 / 林氏幸宿花溪居士栞行. Description: 3 kan, 1 satsu, rebound in western style. 30.2 x 21.1 cm. Fukurotoji. Movable type. Printing frame 22.3 x 19.2 cm. Single-line borders above and below text only. No vertical rules. No fishtail design on hanshin. Kanbun text without kunten or reading marks. 12 lines to page, 17 characters to line. Tan front cover only, within a modern western style cloth binding. No title slip. Manuscript gedai: Kinshichijūron 金七十論. Naidai and gedai identical. Hashiragaki: 畫 金七十論巻上 (中, 下) + folio no. Edition: A work belonging to the complete edition of the Tripitaka commissioned by the Tendai priest Tenkai (1536-1643), founder of the Tōeizan 東叡山 (Kan'eiji 寛永寺), in Ueno, Tōkyō. This edition, known as the Tenkai-ban Issai-kyō 天海版一切經, was published at the Tōeizan temple between the latter years of the Kan'ei period and Keian 1 (1648), printed with wooden movable type. From the Shōhō period (1644-48) onwards, however, blockprinting was also used. At the end of most of the works contained in this edition of the Tripitaka, preceding the kanki quoted above, appears a ganmon by the ganshu Tenkai, ending as follows: 日本武州江戸東叡山 / 山門三院執行探題前毘沙門堂門跡 / 大僧正天海願主. The font of type used in printing this edition still survives and is preserved in the Kan'eiji 寛永寺. Contents: Commentary on the 72 verses of the Suronju 数論頌 (Skt. Sāṃkhya-kārikā), translated into Chinese by Zhendi at some time between 548 and 569. Name of original author of commentary unknown. According to Bussho kaisetsu daijiten 仏書解説大辞典, the Sanskrit title of the work was Suvarna-saptati, but the original text of the commentary is no longer extant.

Access Information

Not Public Record(s)

Unrestricted

Acquisition Information

Donated to the British Museum by (Sir) Ernest M. Satow 13 June 1885.

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 12. Miscellaneous scriptures 雑経

Bibliography

Bussho kaisetsu daijiten 仏書解説大辞典, vol. 2, p. 311; Butten kaidai daijiten 仏典解題事典, p. 341; Kokatsujiban no kenkyū 古活字版の研究, pp. 327, 632-3, 729, pl. 113.