Korea Journal of Buddhist Studies ISSN:1598-0642(Print) 불교학연구

This study examined the characteristics of the Joseon import process and edition of Tongrun’s “Wei Mo Jie Suo Shuo Jing Zhi Shu.” In the Goryeo Dynasty, which was founded based on Buddhism, the Daejanggyeong was engraved twice, for which all national resources were mobilized. The publication of Buddhist books was in its heyday and played a major role in the dissemination and development of printing. Even after the founding of the Joseon Dynasty, royal sponsorship and publication of Buddhist books at temples continued. In the late 16th century, when the Neo-Confucian ideology was settled upon as the principle of social management, the publication of books at the royal level dropped sharply. However, book publishing continued with the aim of distributing books necessary for rituals, such as Gangwon textbooks involving Buddhist scripture publication, missionary activities requiring book publishing orders, and prayers for the repose of the dead.
During the Joseon Dynasty, “Wei Mo Jing” was distributed, but those who studied it found certain parts challenging because they were difficult to understand. Yuseongjong went to Yanjing and obtained the “Wei Mo Jie Suo Shuo Jing Zhi Shu” compiled by Tongyoon, a Buddhist monk of the Ming Dynasty, and published it in Joseon the year after. The scripture was kept in Seongjuam.
In total, 14 copies of this Joseon text have been confirmed, of which 12 are in Korea, one is in France, and one is in Taiwan. These are all Joseon publications, and these editions are particularly valuable because no copies of the Ming Dynasty edition of Tongrun’s “Wei Mo Jie Suo Shuo Jing Zhi Shu” have been found in China.