Sunday 23 February 2025
Third International Seminar «Towards the English translation of the monument of Korean Buddhist literature "Sеokpo sangjеol": terminology, source study, approaches to translation»
On February 20th, 2025, in the conference hall of the Hyatt Centric Victoria Harbour Hotel,Hong Kong and on February 22-23rd, 2025, in the conference hall of M Social Hotel, Thailand,the Third International Seminar "Towards an English Translation of the Korean Buddhist Literary Monument " Sеokpo sangjеol": Terminology, Source Studies, Approaches to Translation" was held.
The international seminar was held based on the results of research work for years 2023-2024 with the participation of the scholars from the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Buddhist Studies of Dongguk University, the Dasan Foundation, Seoul National University of the Republic of Korea – the members of the research team of the joint international project within the framework of the Academic Translation Program of the Academy of Korean Studies (Republic of Korea) on the translation of one of the first monuments published in Hunmin jeong’eum (훈민정음) “Sеokpo sangjеol". The previous seminars were held in 2022 and 2023.
The Seminar’s organizer: Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences with the support of the Academy of Korean Studies.
Seokpo sangjeol (釋譜詳節) is a biography of the Buddha and his teachings, collected and compiled by King Sejo and translated from Chinese sources. It is the first translation of Buddhist sutras from Chinese into Korean, completed on July 25, 1447, the year after the creation of the Korean alphabet Hunmin Jeong’eum. It contains the most important Mahayana sutras, including the most revered and influential in East Asian Buddhism. Seokpo sangjeol was created, among other things, to facilitate the understanding and transmission of Buddhist teachings to the people of Korea, and played a significant role in the spread of Buddhism in Korea. Another purpose of the book is to commemorate Queen Seoheon, her repose, and also to address the Buddha in order to remind of her virtues and good deeds, and to facilitate her transition to the next life. The aim of the seminar to develop methodological approaches to working with the source (Seokpo sangjeol), exchange experiences and translation results, analyze the pecualirities of commenting on Korean Buddhist texts, and accurately interpreting Buddhist terms and names.
At the seminar meeting on 20.02.2025, the translations of volumes 9 and 11 of the Seokpo sangjeol were considered, their main themes and emphases, their predecessors and sources (especially early commentaries), connections with other works, the context of their compilation, and other similar issues.
A series of reports, readings, and discussions of selected text excerpts from the specified volumes of the Seokpo sangjeol, each of which was prepared and presented by a seminar participant with a brief introduction, lasted no more than 30 minutes.
The project director, head of the Center for the History and Culture of Korea, Bella Borisovna Pak, presented a report on the intermediate results of the translation of Seokpo sangjeol. Vol. 9, 11.
An assessment of the prospects for continuing the project to translate Seokpo sangjeol, its significance, and relevance was given in the speech of Natalia Gennadievna Romanova, Deputy Director for Science of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
The translator-researcher Stanislav Olegovich Belyansky spoke about the "Experience of Translating " Seokpo sangjeol" in his report.
Professor Kim Seongju of Dongguk University gave a report "On the Grammatical Translation of "Seokpo sangjeol". Vol. 9, 11".
At the seminar on February 22nd, 2025, the project director Pak Bella Borisovna gave a report on "Methodological approaches to working with the translation of "Seokbo sangjeol".
Professor of Dongguk University Kim Cheonghaq spoke about "Some features of commenting on Korean Buddhist texts"
Director of the Dasan Foundation's R&D Lee Juhaeng reported on "The problems that arise when studying and editing the translation of volumes 9 and 11 of "Seokbo sangjeol" and ways to solve them"
At the final meeting on February 23rd, 2025, a discussion was held on the results of the seminar. The details of the translation of the "Sutra of the Main Vows, Merits and Virtues of the Tathagata Master of Medicine", which served as the source text for volume IX of "Seokbo sangjeol", were analyzed; the sources of the text of volume XI of "Seokbo sangjeol" were considered; the subject of discussion was also "The main methodological approaches to working with the translation of " Seokbo sangjeol ".
During the discussion, the participants of the seminar touched upon such issues as the features of commenting on Korean Buddhist texts, the specifics of translating Buddhist and linguistic terms in the text of " Seokbo sangjeol", the creation of a glossary, and the prospects for book publishing.
The international seminar contributed to the expansion and deepening of the understanding of the Buddhist commentary tradition, as well as the specific context in which " Seokbo sangjeol" was created in Joseon. The participants of the seminar discussed current issues of translating the original text of " Seokbo sangjeol" and detailed commentaries on the linguistic and Buddhist terminology in the manuscript, and carried out work on additional verification of the preliminary version of the translation.
Responsible person: Pak Bella Borisovna, project director, head of the Center for the History and Culture of Korea, Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences.e-mail: korea_history@mail.ru