Zengen shosenshū 禪源諸詮集 [禅源諸詮集]

This material is held atBritish Library Asia, Pacific and Africa Collections

  • Reference
    • GB 59 ORB 30/84
  • Dates of Creation
    • 1358
  • Language of Material
    • Japanese
  • Physical Description
    • 1 volume Condition: For the most part good, but ff. 1-8 of maki 上 damaged at edges and repaired. Worm damage elsewhere repaired by urauchi. Brown staining in places. Impression: Sharp and clear, though not shozuri. Seals of ownership: Ornate red seal in form of a scroll, Seizan koji sengan bunko 青山居士千巻文庫 (seal of Seizandō Biwamaro 青山堂枇杷麿), on front endpaper. Oblong black seal in double border, Tenkai zō 天海藏 (seal of Tenkai Sōjō 天海僧正), on first page of text. Oblong red seals, Matsumoto-shi toshoin 松本氏圖書印, and Katsushika bunko 勝鹿文庫 (both seals of Matsumoto Yukihiko 松本幸彦), on first and last pages respectively. Manuscript notes: A few headnotes in upper margins of some pages, damaged by cropping.

Scope and Content

Variant title: Zengen shosenshū tojo 禪源諸詮集都序 [禅源諸詮集都序]. Author/compiler: Zongmi 宗密, Chinese monk, 780-841. Imprint: N.p., n.d. [Myōha 妙葩, Enbun 3, 1358] . Kango on last page (transcribed in manuscript) reads: 保壽尼寺檀越菩薩戒尼大友摠持 ／ 施財命工刊行此版伏願人人肅清 ／ 慧目个个開悟霊心恩有報資怨親 ／ 融接延文戊戌春雲居比丘妙葩題. Description: 2 kan, 2 satsu, now rebound in 1 vol. western style. Incomplete copy, comprising the whole of maki 上 and ff. 1-23 of maki 下 in printed form. ff. 24-30 (end of work) have been supplied in manuscript, transcribed possibly c. Eishō 永正 period, 1504-21. (1) ff. 41; (2) ff. 30. 24.1 x 16.9 cm. Fukurotoji. Blockprint. Printing frame varies between 18.2 and 19 x 13.9 cm. Single-line borders above and below text; double-line borders (one thick, one thin) on inner edges of each leaf. Vertical rules between columns. Fishtail design on hanshin. Kanbun text, with manuscript kunten and kaeriten added in black and red ink in Muromachi period. Those in red extend to hosha 補写 portion (ff. 24-30) also. 9 lines to page, 16 characters to line. Old (but not original) embossed vermilion front cover, of a type favoured by Seizandō 青山堂 (see below). Back cover lacking. Book now rebound in half-leather, western style. Large central title slip of yellow paper, bearing manuscript gedai: Zengen shosenshū 禪源諸詮集. Naidai at head of maki 上: Zengen shosenshū tojo 禪源諸詮集都序巻上; at head of maki 下: Zengen shosenshū jo 禪源諸詮集序巻下. Hashiragaki: Zengen jō 禪源上 (ge 下) + folio no. Edition: Gozan-ban. The earliest Japanese edition of this work, hitherto known only from a single copy, formerly in possession of the Mitsui 三井 family, whereabouts now unknown. The next Japanese edition was apparently not published until the Kan'ei 寛永 period (copy in Komazawa Daigaku). Bussho kaisetsu daijiten 仏書解説大辞典 records no edition earlier than that of Genroku 11, 1698. Contents: On the fundamental principles and doctrines of Chan (Zen) Buddhism.

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 11. Zen sect 禅宗

Bibliography

Bussho kaisetsu daijiten 仏書解説大辞典, vol. 6, p. 393; Gozanban no kenkyū 五山版の研究, pp. 123, 404, pl. 145; Shinzan zenseki mokuroku 新纂禅籍目録, p. 253.