![]() ![]() It is ironic to note that the entire Tripitaka printing-block collection was burned by the invading Mongols in the thirteenth century, following which Korean Buddhists set about carving it all over again. By the time it was finished the Khitan actually had been defeated by the Jurchen. Clark wrote in “Culture and Customs of Korea”: The Tripitaka is “one of the most spectacular achievements of Korean Buddhism.Devout Korean Buddhists had craftsmen carve everything in the Tripitaka onto 84,000 printing blocks (each block could print four pages), a massive project that took many years, partly as a pious response to the fact that Korea was under attack from northern Khitan invaders. Lacquered using sap from the lacquer tree, the woodblocks have excellent durability and can still print crisp copies 760 years after their creation.ĭonald N. In addition, this heritage is recognized as the most comprehensive example of the woodblock printing technique in all known Buddhist scriptures of that time in terms of its scholastic excellence (comparing, proofreading, adjusting, and arranging) as well as technical aspect. Since the first half of the Koryo Dynasty (918~1392), the Tripitaka Koreana was stored in the buildings of Janggyeongpanjeon Hall of Haeinsa Temple in Gyeongsangnam-do with other existing printing blocks, and was designated as the country's national treasures altogether. ![]() The work is also known as the Palman Daejanggyeong (meaning Eighty Thousand Tripitaka in Korean due to the number of the printing blocks in the collection). Tripitaka Koreana is a complete collection of Buddhist scriptures, including Buddha’s sutras (rules of discipline), "discourses" (basic teachings), explanations of the discourses, and rules for the priesthood that extend into thousands of volumes, all carved into wooden printing blocks. Despite their age the blocks are in perfect condition today and can still be used for printing. They were made by monks who repeatedly carved the wood and dipped it in salt water to preserve it. The Tripitaka Koreana woodblocks are admired for their craftsmanship and scientific advancement. Completed in 1252 after 26 years of work by an army of monks, the blocks contain the entire catalogue of Buddhist sutras at that time, and are one of the most comprehensive compilations of Buddhist scriptures in the world. The “Tripitaka Koreana” (housed in a repository at Haeinsa Temple) is a set of 80,000 wooden printing blocks regarded by some scholars as the first examples of large-scale printing. They were found in Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju in October 1966. The oldest woodblocks have been dated to A.D. The oldest existing work completely printed with woodblocks is the “Mugujonggwang Taerdaranigyong” (Pure Light Dharani Sutra), Buddhist scriptures (sutras) printed sometime before the Silla monarch King Kyongdok was enthroned in A.D. Tripitaka Koreana: Oldest Woodblock Printing When the bell is wrung by a particularly strong monk, it is said, the sound can be heard 40 miles away. The sound of the bell is reminiscent of a child's cry and word Emille comes from the Korean word for Mama. After earlier casting failed, legend has it, a small child was tossed into the molten metal to ensure success. 771, it is 11 feet long and weighs 23 tons. The Emille Bell (at the National Museum in Gyeongju) is one the largest, oldest and most resonant bells in Asia. On August 15, 1597, 12 turtle ships confronted a fleet of 133 Japanese vessels and destroyed 31 of the Japanese warships. A drummer pounded out a rhythm for the oarsmen to follow. Sailors pumped up and down on the oars to maneuver the boat. The oars went through the bottom, instead if the sides, an innovation that kept the vessels from braking up during collisions. On the bow was a dragon’s head, which emitted a vile-smelling smoke, produced by burning sulphur and acid and was intended to spook the enemy not poison hem. ![]() They were propelled by oars and covered with metal spikes mainly to repel boarders. Known as turtle boats, because the were shaped like turtles and turtle means long life, they were not really iron clad ships as we know them. Koreans developed the world's first rain gauge n 1442 and the worlds first ironclad ships, known as turtle ships, in the 1500s. Early Koreans made handmade rice paper and traditional "hanji" from mulberry trees. Some scholars say the first paper was invented in Korea and was introduced to Europe by way of China, which is usually given credit for inventing the first paper. KOREA INVENTIONS AND CULTURAL ACHIEVEMENTS
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |