Korean netizens seek to change English name for 'Palman Daejanggyeong'

A group of South Korean netizens are campaigning to change the official English name for a Korean collection of Buddhist texts carved on more than 80,000 wooden blocks.

Tripitaka Koreana, or Palman Daejanggyeong in Korean, is considered the most comprehensive set of Buddhist scriptures found to date. The Haein Temple, where the texts are kept in Hapcheon, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

 The netizens filed a petition on the "Agora" bulletin board of the local Internet portal Daum with the Cultural Heritage Administration on Monday, demanding the English name of the item be changed to "Goryeo Daejanggyeong" or "Palman Daejanggyeong" as Koreans call it.

The petition has so far gathered more than 100 signatures since it was issued on Monday.

They argued that the current name undervalues the Korean collection that is a far more complete and comprehensive set of Buddhist texts than India's Tripitaka, a Sanskrit word meaning "three baskets."

Tripitaka is the traditional term used by Buddhist traditions to describe three main categories of teachings -- the Sutra, the sermons of the Buddha; the Vinaya, the precepts and rules of monastic discipline; and the Abhidharma, commentaries and explications of the teachings. 

The move comes after a similar opinion was raised during an international symposium held in Seoul earlier this month as part of the 2013 Tripitaka Koreana Festival. The 45-day festival opened in Hapcheon, 354 kilometers south of Seoul, to increase the world's awareness of the Korean cultural property.

The Korean netizens also noted that the name is a rare exception from UNESCO's tradition of using names being used by indigenous people on its world heritage lists.

The Haein Temple; the government of South Gyeongsang Province, where the temple is situated; and the organizing committee of the Tripitaka Koreana Festival said they will consider formally requesting for a name change with UNESCO through the central government if the online petition gathers a large number of proponents. (Yonhap News)