Pinjia da zangjing 頻伽大藏經

Pínjiā jīngshè jiàokān dà zàngjīng 頻伽精舍校刊大藏經 The Kalaviṇka Hermitage Canon

Also called Pínjiā dà zàngjīng 頻伽大藏經 (The Kalaviṇka Canon) Contributors: Published by: Liza Roos 羅迦陵 Zōngyǎng 宗仰 Zhāng Tàiyán 章太炎

Published Editions: Kalaviṇka Hermitage 頻伽精舍, 1909-1913 Yǒuzhèng Books 有正書局, 1914? Reprint: 100 Vols. Běijīng 北京: 九州圖書出版社, 1998.

Article editor: Erik Hammerstrom

Pínjiā dà zàngjīng 頻伽大藏經 (The Kalaviṇka Canon), also known as Pínjiā jīngshè jiàokān dà zàngjīng 頻伽精舍校刊大藏經 (The Kalaviṇka Hermitage Canon) was the first letterpress edition of the Buddhist canon printed in China.

History

This canon, in 8,416 volumes, was first published from 1909 to 1913. It was organized by Zōngyǎng 宗仰 with assistance from Zhāng Tàiyán 章太炎. The cost of publication was borne by Liza Roos (Mrs. Silas Hardoon 羅迦陵). It was the first Buddhist canon published in China using relief printing and was relatively inexpensive.^[1] It also included extensive punctuation, making it easier to read than most previous canons.^[2]

A Kalaviṇka 迦陵頻伽, the name of a mythical Indian bird that lives in the Himālayas and has a beautiful voice.

A photocopy reprint of the series was issued in 1998 by 九州圖書出版社.

Digitized Selections

• The Origin of the Kalaviṇka Hermitage Corrected Edition of the Canon by Luó Jiālíng 羅迦陵: 頻伽精舍校刊大藏經緣起
• Preface by Zhāng Tàiyán 章太炎: 頻伽精舍校刊大藏經序 章太炎

Notes

1. ↑ Yǒuzhèng Books 有正書局 advertised the the set for sale at 140 yuán 元 in 1914. For comparison, a year's subscription to Fóxué cóngbào 佛學叢報 listed in the same catalogue, cost 3 yuán.
2. ↑ 《频伽大藏经》影印出版

References