EAR News Release

Announcement (02-15-2003)

Davis Library receives a gift donation: 乾隆大藏經(Qianlong Great Buddhist Canon)

Davis Library is pleased to receive a significant acquisition, the 168 volume 乾隆大藏經 (Qianlong Great Buddhist Canon), donated by the Pureland Learning College (净宗學院). Through the arrangement of the Amitabha Buddhist Library in Chicago the gift was delivered to Davis Library on February 3, 2003. The Qianlong Great Buddhist Canon is the most authoritative Chinese version of Tripitaka.

A brief introuction of the Canon by The Amitabha Buddhist Society, Chicago:

"Unlike the Bible, the Quran, and other such texts, there is no single Buddhist text. Reflecting the two major branches of Buddhism are the Theravada and the Mahayana canons. Each of these is divided into three sections: sutras, precepts, and commentaries. The sutras are the recorded teachings of the Buddha, precepts are the rules for discipline and the commentaries are the commentarial writings on the Buddha's teachings. The Mahayana canon includes all the texts of the Theravada canon in addition to its own sutras and commentaries.

From the several versions of the Chinese Mahayana Canon currently available, we have chosen to print the Qianlong version. This set of one hundred and sixty-eight volumes (plus an index volume) is the most recent edition that had undergone the exhaustive examination process required for official Certification by the emperor, in this case Emperor Qianlong of China, 1711-1799."