(Gǔjīn túshū jíchéng) Shìjiàobù huìkǎo (古今圖書集成)釋教部彙考
Comprehensive Examination of the Buddhist Section [from the Compendium of Books Ancient and Modern]
compiled within the imperial Gǔjīn túshū jíchéng 古今圖書集成 project, late Kāngxī 康熙 / early Yōngzhèng 雍正 era
About the work
A seven-juan extract from the imperial encyclopaedia Gǔjīn túshū jíchéng 古今圖書集成 (“Synthesis of Books Past and Present”) — the great early-Qīng encyclopaedia compiled under 陳夢雷 (Chén Mènglèi) under the Kāngxī emperor and finalised under Yōngzhèng (presented in 1725; printed in 1728). The encyclopaedia is divided into the Lìfǎ huìbiān 曆法彙編, Fāngyú huìbiān 方輿彙編, Míngwù huìbiān 明倫彙編, Bówù huìbiān 博物彙編, Lǐxué huìbiān 理學彙編, and Jīngjì huìbiān 經濟彙編. Within the Bówù huìbiān, the Shényì diǎn 神異典 (“Canon of Divine Marvels”) includes a Shìjiàobù 釋教部 (“Buddhist Section”), of which the present huìkǎo (textual examination) and jīshì (KR6r0184) are extracted reprints. The Shìjiàobù huìkǎo compiles passages from earlier Buddhist universal histories, eminent-monk biographies, and standard secular histories, organised topically.
Abstract
The seven juan comprise a chronological huìkǎo — i.e. a topically organised compendium of source-passages — covering the institutional and bibliographic history of Buddhism in China. The contents are not original to the Gǔjīn túshū jíchéng compilers but are extracts from earlier sources: the Lìdài sānbǎo jì (KR6r0011), the Fózǔ tǒngjì (KR6r0012), the Fózǔ lìdài tōngzài (KR6r0013), Buddhist gazetteers, and various dynastic-history Shìlǎo zhì 釋老志 sections. The extract was reprinted into the Manji Xuzangjing because of its convenience as a topically arranged reference to Buddhist material that is otherwise scattered.
The encyclopaedia as a whole was compiled 1700–1725; the Shìjiàobù extract reflects the editorial work of that span. The compiler-of-record is 陳夢雷, though the actual work was carried out by a large bureau, and after Chén’s political disgrace in 1722 the editorship was assumed by 蔣廷錫 (Jiǎng Tíngxí). No individual Buddhist editor is identified for the extracted Shìjiàobù.
Translations and research
- Lionel Giles, An Alphabetical Index to the Chinese Encyclopaedia (London: British Museum, 1911) — the standard Western-language guide to navigating the Gǔjīn túshū jíchéng.
- No dedicated study of the Buddhist extract located.
Links
- CBETA: X77n1521
- Wikipedia: Gujin Tushu Jicheng