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| ▲ This photo, provided by the National Museum of Korea, shows the cover page of 'Jikji.' (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ This photo, provided by the National Library of France, shows pages of 'Jikji.' (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, Apr. 6 (Yonhap) -- The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism is set to hold a conference at the Korean Cultural Center in France on April 13 (local time) under the title of “Background of Compilation of Jikji and Printing Culture of Korean Buddhism.”
The National Library of France is planning to exhibit Jikji, the abbreviated title of one of the most pre-eminent Buddhist documents whose title can be translated to “Anthology of Great Buddhist Priests’ Zen Teachings,” during the special exhibition that will be held from April 12 to July 16. The exhibition will be carried out with the Korean Cultural Center in France in order to promote an understanding of the document and printing culture of Korean Buddhism.
Buddhist monk Beomjong, the head of the social affairs department of the Jogye Order General Affairs Office, will be attending the exhibition to give a lecture on the background of Jikgi, which is also the world's oldest extant book printed with movable metal type, and answer questions regarding the book.
In the meantime, Professor Yannick Bruneton of Paris Diderot University who was in charge of translating the book into French, will be providing a French translation of the lecture.
Jikji, also called Jikji Simgyeong or Jikji Simcheyojeol, was published in two volumes at Heungdeoksa Temple in the city of Cheongju in the North Chungcheong Province, in 1377, during the reign of King Gongmin of Goryeo. “Jikji Simche” means “If you look at a person’s heart accurately via the Zen meditation, you will be able to realize that the nature of the heart resembles the heart of Buddha.”
Only 38 pages-long second volume is on display at the National Library of France. Through this exhibition, this historical document will be displayed to the public for the first time in fifty years since the “Treasure of the East” exhibition that was held in 1973 at the National Library of France.
(This article is translated from Korean to English by Ha eun Lee)
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