North Yongle Tibetan (Premium Collector's Edition)

Author: Editorial Committee of the "Yongle Northern Tripitaka"
Publisher: None
Publishing Date: None
Features: The ancient book project "Yongle Northern Tripitaka" has been completed and published, as invited by the line, the editorial committee now adds a few words to express its intentions. Buddhism is one of the world's major religions and an essential part of the enduring and splendid Chinese culture. Originating in India, Buddhism was founded by Sakyamuni in the 5th-6th centuries BC and was introduced to China in the late Western Han Dynasty. After gradually blending with Chinese thought and culture during the Jin and Northern and Southern Dynasties periods, it flourished, giving rise to a diverse range of schools and exerting a significant influence on traditional Chinese society.
Although Buddhism originated in India, its transformation, development, inheritance, and dissemination were primarily carried out in China. After the Middle Ages, Buddhism in India gradually declined, and modern Indian Buddhism was introduced from China and Sri Lanka. The propagation of Buddhism in China serves as a successful example of cultural integration. Culture is not inherently right or wrong, and civilization does not necessarily lead to conflict. Instead, Chinese culture has become even more profound and enduring through its fusion with foreign cultures, absorbing the best and spreading widely.
The Tripitaka, or Buddhist Canon, is a comprehensive collection of Buddhist scriptures and a treasure trove of Buddhist thought, as well as a gem of Chinese culture. The original Tripitaka consisted of three parts: Sutras (Buddhist teachings and discourses), Vinaya (monastic rules), and Abhidharma (scholastic commentaries). Due to the spread and development of Buddhist thought, the content of the Tripitaka gradually expanded. The Han-language Tripitaka we see today includes not only the three original parts but also explanations of scriptures, writings by masters, methods of practice, biographies of figures, records of mountains and temples, separate collections of monks, and Buddhist dictionaries, nearly encompassing all Buddhist materials related to the religion.
Since ancient times, China has had a fine tradition of compiling and printing the Tripitaka. From the "Kaibao Canon" in the early Song Dynasty to the "Pengjia Canon" in the late Qing Dynasty, over a thousand years of official and private editions have been produced, with about twenty types preserved. If these Tripitakas had been displayed earlier, they would undoubtedly have been magnificent, with countless volumes. However, most of them have been lost, and those that remain are often incomplete. Therefore, restoring and preserving the Tripitaka is a crucial task in safeguarding Chinese cultural heritage.
The "Yongle Northern Tripitaka," also known as the "Northern Tripitaka," is one of the most exquisite complete Tripitakas preserved today, with extremely high documentary value. It was commissioned by the Ming Dynasty's third emperor, Zhu Di (the Yongle Emperor), and was published in Beijing in 1421 (the 19th year of the Yongle era). Twenty years later, it was completed in 1440 (the fifth year of the Zhengtong era under Emperor Yingzong, Zhu Qizhen). In 1584 (the 12th year of the Wanli era under Emperor Shenzong, Zhu Yijun), 36 additional volumes belonging to various schools were added, along with five works found in the "Southern Tripitaka" but missing in the "Northern Tripitaka." This completed the entire Tripitaka. The entire work was numbered from "Tian" to "Huo" in the Thousand-Character Classic, packaged in 693 boxes, totaling 6,930 volumes, and1,662. Compared to previous Tripitakas, the Yongle Northern Tripitaka followed the same scroll-binding style but had slight variations in formatting, with each scroll measuring approximately 28 cm in height and 13 cm in width. The text was written in the Zhaozi style, elegant and refined, with an impressive layout—typical of a royal edition.
After its completion, the printing blocks were stored in the palace, used for imperial worship, and some printed copies were distributed to major Buddhist monasteries across the country. However, like the "Southern Tripitaka," private printing was not allowed, making the Yongle Northern Tripitaka extremely rare. Today, only a few complete copies remain, making them invaluable treasures.
The current restoration and reprinting of the Yongle Northern Tripitaka are based on a copy preserved in the Palace Museum Library, an old imperial collection from the Qing Dynasty. Due to its age, the original text is incomplete, with over 500 volumes missing, and it has suffered significant damage from insects. With the strong support of the Buddhist Association of China and the Palace Museum, the editorial committee devoted immense effort to this restoration. Their tireless dedication, working day and night with meticulous care, has made this. Of course, we must acknowledge that due to the original text's imperfections, finding suitable reference copies has been challenging, and there is still room for improvement in this work.
I believe that ancient book restoration is a long-term endeavor, with achievements for the present and benefits for future generations. May those who are dedicated to this cause continue their efforts, contributing more of China's cultural heritage to the people.