Yuezang Zhijin (Volumes 1-5) (閱藏知津)

About 閱藏知津

Ming · by 智旭彙輯　總目四卷

289,520 · about 965 min

The Guide to the Buddhist Canon is a comprehensive catalogue of Buddhist scriptures compiled by the Ming Dynasty eminent monk Zhixu. This work was composed during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, a period when the vast collection of Buddhist texts made retrieval and study particularly challenging. The entire work is divided into two main sections: a general index spanning four volumes and a detailed catalogue comprising five volumes. It systematically categorizes and provides concise introductions to over 1,700 Buddhist texts contained within the Chinese Buddhist Canon, encompassing the Tripitaka—the sutras, vinaya, and abhidharma—as well as important Chinese commentaries and compositions. Innovatively adopting a framework reminiscent of the Four Treasuries classification system, the Guide organizes the scriptures according to the Tiantai school's doctrinal periodization known as the "Five Periods and Eight Teachings." This approach laid a significant foundation for the future cataloguing of Buddhist canons. As the first systematic, annotated catalogue of the Buddhist Canon in Chinese Buddhist history, the Guide to the Buddhist Canon not only provided scholars with a clear pathway for studying the scriptures but also exerted a profound influence on the development of Buddhist bibliography and textual studies. It is esteemed as an indispensable reference work for the study of Chinese Buddhist texts.