Saddharmapundarika Sutra (The Lotus Sutra), Volumes 4-7 (Gimhae-si)

The Lotus Sutra is a Buddhist scripture emphasizing how all beings have the potential to become a buddha. It greatly informed Korean Buddhist thought. In Korea, the most widely published and distributed version of the sutra was the classical Chinese translation made by Monk Kumarajiva (344-413) in 406.

This copy of the Lotus Sutra kept at Wonmyeongsa Temple consists of volumes 4-7 (out of the total seven) bound into a single book. The sutra was transcribed by hand in 1405 by the brothers and renowned calligraphers Seong Dal-saeng (1376-1444) and Seong Gae (?-1440) to pray for the afterlife of their late father. This transcribed text was then taken to Ansimsa Temple in Wanju, Jeollabuk-do, by the lay worshiper Sinmun so that printing woodblocks could be made and the book could be printed. Part of the original blue silk cover remains, and the book’s title is written in gold on a scarlet background. The book measures 26.8 cm in height and 16 cm width.

Source: Korea Heritage Service signboard ↗ · collected 2026-10-08