Yangju City Announces Preliminary Designation of 'Buljosamgyeong' as Provincial Cultural Heritage

‘Buljo Samgyeong’ Published at Yangju Hoiamsa Temple, Held by the Hoiamsa Temple Site Museum
Historical and Academic Value Very High... Seoul Cultural Heritage Committee Approves Application for Designation

Yangju City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Kang Su-hyun) announced on the 29th that through the review of the Gyeonggi-do Cultural Heritage Committee's Tangible Cultural Heritage Subcommittee (hereinafter referred to as the Committee), one item of ‘Buljo Samgyeong’ held at the Yangju City Hoam Temple Site Museum has been preliminarily designated as a Gyeonggi-do Tangible Cultural Heritage.

Exterior view of Yangju City Hoam Temple Site Museum. Provided by Yangju City

According to the city, the Committee approved the application for designation of ‘Buljo Samgyeong’ as a tangible cultural heritage on the 14th, and the cultural heritage subject to the preliminary designation will be officially designated as a Gyeonggi-do Tangible Cultural Heritage early next year after a 30-day public notice period.

‘Buljo Samgyeong’ is a compilation edition consisting of the 'Bulseol Sasipijang Gyeong (佛說四十二章經)', known as the Buddhist scripture first transmitted from India to China by Monk Deok-i of Mount Meng, the 'Bulyugyo Gyeong (佛遺敎經)', which contains the Buddha’s final teachings, and the 'Wisan Gyeongchaek (?山警策)' by Wisan Yeong-u (靈祐), the first patriarch of the Chinese Weiyang Sect (僞仰宗). It is conventionally called ‘Buljo Samgyeong’.

The ‘Buljo Samgyeong’ preliminarily designated this time is a significant material showing the publication and distribution of Buddhist scriptures from the late Goryeo to early Joseon periods. It is especially meaningful as it is confirmed to have been published at Hoam Temple, a representative Seon (Zen) sect temple. Notably, it includes the colophon, donation records, and copyist notes from Hoam Temple in 1449 (the 31st year of King Sejong’s reign), which greatly enhances its value as a cultural heritage.

The Yangju City Hoam Temple Site Museum held an academic conference on ‘Hoam Temple and Buddhist Scriptures’ in July to conduct research on the Buddhist scriptures published at Hoam Temple.

Mayor Kang Su-hyun of Yangju City stated, “Through the recent academic conference, research on the ‘Buljo Samgyeong’ held by the museum has progressed, and the preliminary designation as a provincial tangible cultural heritage signifies its great historical and academic value.” He added, “The cultural heritage (Buljo Samgyeong) subject to preliminary designation is an important Buddhist scripture that introduces Hoam Temple Site, a Seon sect temple in Yangju, and we will do our best to preserve, manage, and utilize it in the future.”