Korean Buddhism - History, Condition, Art #223040

Source of information, as vast in bulk as either of the other two; it is the inscriptions on monuments, which are scattered in thou sands over the peninsula. The gleaning of information from these three sources — for the work must absolutely be of the nature of gleaning — will require many years, but the work is worth the doing. It is urgent also. Every one of these three sources is subject to destruction and even now is threatened. Old books in Korea are being constantly lost and destroyed; new editions of them are often carelessly and inaccur ately reproduced; in some cases, the new editions are intentionally mutilated, im portant passages being suppressed. The monastery records are less secure than ever before; with the new life and energy in these old establishments, renovation and clearing out of nooks and corners and over hauling of accumulations of papers, places documents, the value of which is unknown or unappreciated, in serious jeopardy. As for the monuments many are disappearing and others are becoming undecipherable through weathering. There is pressing.