The PLLCA Chinese Library serves as the Lecture Hall and houses the extensive Chinese collection, which includes ten editions of the Buddhist Canon, the Complete Library of the Four Branches of Literature, and Selections from the Four Branches of Literature. In addition, there are hundreds of CDs and DVDs for study.
The Buddhist Canon is divided into three parts:
1. Part one is made up of the Sutras, Buddhist teachings of Dharma, attributed to the Buddha.
2. Part two contains the Vinaya or rules of conduct both for monastics and laypeople
3. Part three contains further clarifications of the Dharma, called Śāstras, or treatises. These were written by accomplished monastics and occasionally laypeople through the centuries.
The Chinese version of the Buddhist canon is not limited to translations from Sanskrit and Pali. It also includes works originally written in Chinese after the transmission of Buddhism to China. Thus, it is larger than the original collection of Sanskrit and Pali texts, and is referred to as the Dà Zàng Jīng or "Great Treasury Scriptures."
The Complete Library of the Four Branches of Literature (Siku Quanshu), the largest collection of books in the world, was compiled in the 18th century at the height of the Qing dynasty. It was bound in 36,381 volumes, comprising about 2.3 million pages, and approximately 800 million Chinese words. Siku Quanshu includes most major Chinese texts, from the ancient Zhou dynasty to the Qing dynasty, spanning approximately 3000 years of Chinese history and covering all domains of academia. After more than a century of foreign invasion, war, and turmoil, different editions of Siku Quanshu were either lost or partially destroyed. Fortunately, in the mid-twentieth century, a complete set was taken to Taiwan for safekeeping and subsequently made available for duplication.
Both the English and Vietnamese libraries are housed in the Classroom Building. In addition to these physical collections in Toowoomba, the library has downloadable eBooks, which are available here.
is the ultimate
enjoyment in life.”