About 註四十二章經
Song · by 真宗皇帝註
8,794 · about 29 min
The Sutra in Forty-Two Sections with Imperial Commentary (Emperor Zhenzong's Commentary) is the Northern Song Emperor Zhenzong Zhao Heng's commentary on the Buddhist scripture *The Sutra in Forty-Two Sections*. *The Sutra in Forty-Two Sections* is one of the earliest Chinese-translated Buddhist sutras, traditionally attributed to the joint translation by Kāśyapa Mātaṅga and Dharmaratna of the Eastern Han dynasty, which extracts the essence of the Buddha's teachings. As a sovereign of the Northern Song, Emperor Zhenzong personally composed this commentary, reflecting the imperial patronage and support for Buddhism during the Song dynasty. The commentary integrates Confucian thought to elucidate the sutra's core principles, emphasizing the cultivation of personal virtue and the practice of compassion and loving-kindness. This annotated edition is not only a significant document for Buddhist studies but also illustrates the cultural characteristic of Confucian-Buddhist syncretism in the Song period, holding a unique place in the history of Chinese Buddhism.