TBRC博文：Rare Tibetan Texts 03: Collected Works of the Kadam Masters

Rare Tibetan Texts 03: Collected Works of the Kadam Masters Posted on April 24, 2013 by Michael Sheehy in Research This post is by Kazuo Kano. Crucial sources that were composed during the later dissemination (phyi dar) period, from about the eleventh to the fourteenth centuries, that clarify the formation of the philosophical traditions of Tibetan Buddhism during this timeframe, have recently become available. In particular, many of these works belong to the tradition of Sangpu Monastery), a place that played an important role in this formative period. The Collected Works of the Kadam Masters makes available for the first time doctrinal and philosophical works of which we had previously only known titles or heard of their existence. Some of these texts were listed as rare works (dpe dkon) by Aku Ching Sherab Gyatso (1803-1875). They contain, for instance, compositions by Rinchen Zangpo (958-1055), by founders of the Sangpu tradition including Ngok Loden Sherab (1059-1109), Drolung Lodro Jungne (11th cent.), Chapa Chokyi Sengge (1109-1169) and by those belonging to the Kadampa traditions of Zhung and Mangak, by those belonging to the tradition of Nartang Monastery, etc. Textual witnesses from this tradition were largely presumed to be lost and the tradition has only been known in fragments, based on quotations and references found in later sources. As an exception to this, a few of these works were made available in the form of block-prints that were reproduced by Geluk monks of Labrang Tashi Kyil in the early 20th century, though they are replete with scribal errors and lacunae. The situation drastically changed with the discovery of a number of old manuscripts in the Nechu Temple of Drepung Monastery. Thanks to Zenkar Rinpoche Tudeng Nyima and Paltsek Publications, this available material is now being published. It is in fact filling many of the “missing puzzle pieces.” The texts were roughly catalogued and manuscripts of Kadam works are being published in the form of facsimile editions (see below). Most of these rare manuscripts are from the Nechu Temple located on the second storey of the main assembly hall (‘du khang) of Drepung Monastery. Nechu Temple constitued the private manuscript collection of the Fifth Dalai Lama, and preserves statues of the Sixteen Sthaviras (the Sixteen Arhats “十六羅漢” in the Chinese Buddhist tradition), which were, according to Purbu Ngawang Jampa (1682-1762), first gifted to Tibet by an emperor of the Ming dynasty. They were preserved at Tse Lhagang Monastery of the Karma Kagyu order until they were acquired by the Fifth Dalai Lama. The Fifth Dalai Lama’s private library collection consists of more than three thousand bundles of texts. The rare texts came in most part from monasteries other than Drepung, including libraries of the Phakmodru tradition, libraries in the Zhigatse region from the period of the Tsang Ruler, Karma Tenkyong Wangpo (1606-1642), and Tse Lhagang Monastery. Those manuscripts are labeled as be from “outside” (“phyi“), followed by a sigla that indicates its genre or system: Ka (dus ‘khor), Kha (‘khor lo bde mchog), Ga (dgyes rdor), Ta (unknown), Tha (gsung ‘dus), Da (‘jigs byed), Pa (rnam ‘byor rgyud), Pha (spyod rgyud), Ba (bya rgyud spyi), Ma (bka’ brgyud chos skor sna tshogs), Tsa (dbu ma), Tsha (sher phyin), Dza (mngon pa), Wa (‘dul ba), Zha (tshad ma), Za (sgra rig pa), ‘a (gso ba rig pa), Ya (bzo rig pa), Ra (chos ‘byung lo rgyus), La (dkar chag skor dang lam rim blo sbyong sogs), Bā (rgyud sde spyi rnam), Mā (mgon po’i chos skor), Zwa (rtsis gzhung) (Drepung Catalogue, pp. 14-15). Sample from Collected Works of the Kadam Masters The first set (vols. 1-30) was published in June 2006, the second set (vols. 31-60) in 2007, and the third set (vols. 61-90) in 2009. In the first set, for instance, 110 works of a toal of 131 are from Nechu Lhakang and 21 other texts come from various monasteries such as Sera, Palkor Chode, and Gomang Monastic College at Drepung Monastery. It also contains manuscripts from private collections, including from the late E. Gene Smith of TBRC. Each of the three sets was published along with a catalogue (dkar chag) listing all titles included in each volume and giving short overviews on the lives and works of its authors. The editors of the Kadam collections provide us also with a synopsis (sa bcas) of selected works. To date, 3 of the 4 sets or 90 of the 120 volumes are published. A very rough overview of the contents is as follows (see the dkar chags for each set): 1) Bka’ gdams gsung ’bum phyogs bsgrigs dang po (TBRC#: W1PD89051) 1: Works of Rin chen bzang po and rNgog Blo ldan shes rab 2-6: Works of ‘Bre Shes rab ‘bar, Ar Byang chub ye shes, Gro lung pa, rGya dmar ba, and Phya pa 7-9: Works of Phya pa 10: Works of Khu Shes rab brtson ‘grus and ‘Jad pa Gzhon nu byang chub 11: Works of Pa tshab, Bya ‘Chad kha pa, and Dpar phu ba Blo gros seng+ge 12: Works of Gnyal zhig ‘Jam dpal rdo rje 13: Works of Gtsang nag pa and Rma bya Byang chub brtson ‘grus 14-30: Commentaries on miscellaneous Madhyamaka and Maitreya works 2) Bka’ gdams gsung ‘bum phyogs bsgrings theng gnyis pa (TBRC#: W1PD89084) 31-39: Commentaries on miscellaneous Vinaya texts 40-44: Commentaries on Abhidharma texts 47-49: Works of Mchims Nam mkha’ grags 50: Works of Skyo stong Smon lam tshul khrims 51-57: Works of Bcom ldan ral gri 58-60: Works of Rgyal sras thogs med 3) Bka’ gdams gsung ‘bum phyogs bsgrigs thengs gsum pa. (TBRC#: W1PD153536) 61: Works of Mchims Nam mkha’ grags and sKyo ston 61-63: Works of Bcom ldan ral gri 64: Commentaries on miscellaneous Madhyamaka works 65: Works of Rma bya and Rgyals sras thogs med 66-67: Commentaries on the Bodhicaryāvatāra 68-69: Commentaries on miscellaneous texts 70-75: Commentaries on the Prajñāpāramitā literature 76-77: Commentaries on Maitreya works 78-79: Commentaries on Vinaya texts 80-86: Commentaries on Abhidharma texts 87-88: Commentaries on Pramāṇa texts 89-90: Commentaries on miscellaneous works 4) Bka’ gdams gsung ‘bum phyogs bsgrigs thengs bzhi pa. (Forthcoming) 91: Works of Atiśa, Rin chen bzang po, Po to ba, and Shes rab grags 92: Works of Dol pa Shes rab rgya mtsho 93: Lam rim and Be’u bum literature 94: Works of Sha ra ba 95-98: Works of Lce sgom Shes rab rdo rje 99-102: Lam rim, Blo sbyong, and Dpe chos literature 103-105: Works of Sems pa chen po Gzhon nu rgyal mtshan 106: Works of Las chen Kun dga’ rgyal mtshan 107: Commentary on the Laṅkāvatārasūtra 108: Commentaries on Jātaka and Vinaya works 109: Commentaries on Maitreya works 110-112: Commentaries on Madhyamaka and miscellaneous works 113-120: Commentaries on grammatical and rhetorical literature It is now important to conduct a systematic study of the colophons of each work in order to confirm the title and authorship of each text (on the colophons of the works in vols. 1-60, see Kano 2007 and 2009, respectively). Then, after clarifying the contents of these texts, we will be able to relocate the works in the history of the doctrinal development of Tibetan Buddhism during the later dissemination period. By locating these “dots” in appropriate places in the history, then, a broader “picture” will gradually emerge. Related Posts Rare Tibetan Texts 01: The Drepung Catalog and Related Publications by Michael Sheehy Rare Tibetan Texts 02: The Drepung Monastery Libraries by Maho Iuchi Sources Dpal brtsegs bod yig dpe rnying zhib ‘jug khang (ed.). 2004. ‘Bras spungs dgon du bzhugs su gsol ba’i dpe rnying dkar chag, vols. 2. W28949. Beijing: Mi rigs dpe skrun khang, vols. 2. Kano, Kazuo. 2007. “A Critical Edition of rNgog Blo ldan shes rab’s sPring yig bdud rtsi’i thig le,” Mikkyobunka Kenkyujokiyo 20, 1–50 (in Japanese). __________. 2009. “An Annotated Translation of rNgog Blo ldan shes rab’s sPring yig bdud rtsi’i thig le,” Mikkyobunka Kenkyujokiyo 22, 121–178 (in Japanese). Hugon, Pascale and Vose, Kevin. 2010. “Introduction: Unearthing the foundations of Tibetan Buddhist philosophy.” in Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies, 32, 1-2, 237-248. By Kazuo Kano is an Assistant Professor at Koyasan University in Japan. Edited by Jörg Heimbel and Michael Sheehy. http://blog.tbrc.org/rare-tibetan-texts-03-collected-works-of-the-kadam-masters/