Producing a Deluxe bKa’ ’gyur Manuscript Set at Ngor Monastery: The Commission (1601–1603) of Shar chen Byams pa Kun dga’ bkra shis

Joerg Heimbel

Heimbel, Jörg. 2019. “Producing a Deluxe bKa’ ’gyur Manuscript Set at Ngor Monastery: The Commission (1601–1603) of Shar chen Byams pa Kun dga’ bkra shis.” In Volker Caumanns, Marta Sernesi, and Nikolai Somsdorf (eds.), Unearthing Himalayan Treasures: Festschrift for Franz-Karl Ehrhard. Indica et Tibetica, Monographien zu den Sprachen und Literaturen des Indo-tibetischen Kulturraums 59. Marburg: Indica et Tibetica Verlag, 219–233.

UNEARTHING HIMALAYAN TREASURES INDICA ET TIBETICA MONOGRAPHIEN ZU DEN SPRACHEN UND LITERATUREN DES INDO-TIBETISCHEN KULTURRAUMES Begründet von Michael Hahn Herausgegeben von Jürgen Hanneder, Jens-Uwe Hartmann, Konrad Klaus und Roland Steiner Band 59 Indica et Tibetica Verlag Marburg 2019 Unearthing Himalayan Treasures Festschrift for Franz-Karl Ehrhard Edited by Volker Caumanns, Marta Sernesi and Nikolai Solmsdorf Indica et Tibetica Verlag Marburg 2019 Signet: Bodhnāth stūpa, after Ehrhard 2005 (11991): 3 Gedruckt mit freundlicher Unterstützung der TARA-Stiftung Bibliografische Information Der Deutschen Bibliothek Die Deutsche Bibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen Nationalbibliografie; detaillierte bibliografische Daten sind im Internet über http://dnb.ddb.de abrufbar. 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Satz: Oliver von Criegern Herstellung: BoD – Books on Demand, Norderstedt ISBN 978-3-923776-62-7 ISSN 0723-3337 ༄༅།། ཨོཾ་སྭ་སྟི། སངས་རྒྱས་དང་བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་དཔའ་དགེ་བའི་བཤེས་གཉེན་ཐམས་ཅད་ལ་ཕྱག་འཚལ་ལོ། གནའ་དེང་རིག་པའི་གནས་ལ་སྤྱན་ཡངས་རིས་མེད་སློབ་ཚོགས་རྒྱུ་སྐར་བཀྲ། །ཐུན་མིན་བོད་ཀྱི་རིག་གཞུང་ལ་དགྱེས་ལྷག་བསམ་ཉ་གང་ཟླ་འོད་འཚེར། །ཡོན་ཏན་ཁུར་གྱི་ལོ་འབྲས་ལྕི་ཡང་ཁེངས་དྲེགས་ང་རྒྱལ་རི་བོ་བསྙིལ། །ཚུལ་ལྡན་ཉམ་ཆུང་ཕལ་བའི་རྣམ་ཐར་བདག་གིར་བཞེས་མཛད་ཁྱེད་ཉིད་ཙམ། འཛམ་གླིང་འདི་ན་སྙན་གྲགས་ཤིན་ཏུ་ཆེ་བའི་ཧཱམ་བྷོ་ཆེ་མཐོའི་སློབ་མཐར་ཕྱིན། །རྨད་བྱུང་དཀའ་བཅུ་རབ་འབྱམས་ཞེས་བྱའི་མཚན་གྱི་ཅོད་པན་བདག་གིར་བཞེས། །བལ་ཡུལ་ཞིབ་འཇུག་ལྟེ་གནས་དབུ་ཁྲིད་གནང་བཞིན་ཀ་ཐཱ་མན་གྲུ་རུ། །ནང་བསྟན་ལོ་རྒྱུས་རིག་གཞུང་དང་བཅས་སྣ་མང་དཔེ་ཆར་ཞིབ་འཇུག་བྱས། ནུབ་ཕྱོགས་ལྗར་མན་ལྷོ་ཕྱོགས་མུན་ནིག་མཐོ་རིམ་སློབ་གླིང་ཆེན་མོ་རུ། །ཕུལ་བྱུང་དཀའ་བཅུ་རབ་འབྱམས་པ་ཁྱོད་ཉིས་སྟོང་གསུམ་ནས་ད་ལྟའི་བར། །མཐོ་སློབ་ཆེན་མོའི་དགེ་རྒན་གནང་ཞིང་སློབ་ཕྲུག་གང་མང་སྐྱེད་སྲིང་མཛད། །དེ་དག་གིས་ཀྱང་འཛམ་གླིང་འདི་ན་སྤྱི་ཕན་བསྒྲུབས་ཕྱིར་ཉིད་དང་མཚུངས། འདས་སོང་བགྲང་བྱ་སུམ་ཅུ་ལྷག་བརྒལ་ཇོ་མོ་གླང་མའི་རི་རྒྱུད་ནས། །ཆོས་དང་རིག་གཞུང་ལོ་རྒྱུས་ཡོངས་ལ་དཔྱད་ཞིབ་གནང་བཞིན་འཚོལ་སྡུད་བྱས། །གྲོང་དང་གྲོང་ཁྱེར་དགོན་སྡེ་མང་པོའི་རིན་བྲལ་དཔེ་རྙིང་དུ་མ་ཞིག །བརྒྱ་ཕྲག་ངལ་བས་སྲུང་སྐྱོབ་བྱས་ཤིང་པར་སྐྲུན་བྱས་གྲངས་ཉུང་ཉུང་མིན། དེ་ཕྱིར་ཁྱེད་ཀྱི་མཛད་བཟང་ངོ་མཚར་རི་བོ་གངས་དཀར་ཏེ་སེའི་སྤོར། །བོད་བརྒྱུད་ནང་བསྟན་ཁ་འབབ་རྣམ་བཞི་གཅིག་ཏུ་འཁྱིལ་བ་མ་ཕམ་མཚོར། །ནུབ་ཕྱོགས་མཁས་དབང་སྐད་གཉིས་ལོ་ཙཱའི་རྣམ་དཔྱོད་རིག་པས་ཧུབ་ཀྱིས་བཏུངས། །ཁྱེད་ཀྱི་མཛད་བཟང་དམ་པར་བསྟོད་བསྔགས་མེ་ཏོག་འཕྲེང་བ་ཡང་ཡང་ཕུལ།། ༧ དགེ་རྒན་ཆེན་མོ་ཨེ་ཧར་མཆོག་གི་མཚམས་སྦྱོར་མདོ་ཙམ་བརྗོད་པ་ཇོ་མོ་གླང་མའི་གངས་འོད། ཅེས་བྱ་བ་འདི་ཉིད་ ཁོང་གི་སློབ་མ་མི་ཉུང་བ་ཞིག་གིས་བསྐུལ་བ་ལ་བརྟེན་ནས་ ༧ གནས་མཆོག་ལུམ་བྷི་ནིའི་ཞིབ་འཇུག་ལས་རོགས་པ་ ཚེ་རིང་བླ་མ་ནས་བྲིས་པ་དགེ་ཞིང་བཀྲ་ཤིས་པར་གྱུར་ཅིག །། Tabula Gratulatoria Orna Almogi Achim Bayer Katia Buffetrille Volker Caumanns Oliver von Criegern Christoph Cüppers Olaf Czaja Jacob Dalton Hubert Decleer Elena De Rossi Filibeck Siglinde Dietz Lewis Doney Brandon Dotson Helmut Eimer Marlene Erschbamer Karl-Heinz Everding Hiromi Habata Jens-Uwe Hartmann Jörg Heimbel David Jackson Matthew Kapstein Jowita Kramer Ralf Kramer Leonard van der Kuijp Klaus-Diether Mathes Petra Maurer Gudrun Melzer Burkhard Quessel Jim Rheingans Samyo Rode-Hasinger Ulrike Roesler Lambert Schmithausen Johannes Schneider Peter Schwieger Marta Sernesi Jan-Ulrich Sobisch Nikolai Solmsdorf Vincent Tournier Vinītā Tseng Tsering Lama Helga Uebach Roberto Vitali Dorji Wangchuk Yotsuya Kodo Table of Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Publication List of Franz-Karl Ehrhard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Orna Almogi: The Human behind the Divine: Some Reflections on the Scriptural Evolution of the Ancient Tantras (rNying rgyud) . . . . . . . Achim Bayer: The World Arises from Mind Only: Candrakīrti’s Affirmation of ciamātra at Madhyamakāvatāra 6.87 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Volker Caumanns: A Drop from the Ocean of Marvels: ʼJam mgon A mes zhabsʼs Discussion of sNgags ʼchang Kun dgaʼ rin chenʼs Spiritual Genealogy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christoph Cüppers: A Document of the Official Handover by the dkon gnyer of the ʼPhags pa Wa ti Shrine in Kyirong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hubert Decleer: A Newar / Bon po Guide to Svayambhū: Ācārya Tenzin Namdak’s e Light Illuminating Nepal: e Self-Arisen Caitya . . . . . . Elena De Rossi Filibeck: “Dear Luciano…” Three Unpublished Letters by Giuseppe Tucci to Luciano Petech from Tibet: In Search for Tibetan Texts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Siglinde Dietz and Helmut Eimer: Tibetan Versions of the ye dharmā hetuprabhavā Stanza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lewis Doney: Life and Devotion: The Biography of Padmasambhava in Two Works of A mes zhabs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brandon Dotson: A Fragment of an Early Tibetan Divination Board from Mīrān . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marlene Erschbamer: Learning, Discipline, and Nobility: rJe ’Ba’ ra ba and his Spiritual Father Zur phug pa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jens-Uwe Hartmann and Bṣṇī Vīā: “Bathing the Body with Face Downwards” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jörg Heimbel: Producing a Deluxe bKa’ ’gyur Manuscript Set at Ngor Monastery: The Commission (1601–1603) of Shar chen Byams pa Kun dga’ bkra shis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Jackson: The History of Nā lendra Monastery: Sources and Some Recent Findings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi xix 1 27 51 79 87 119 133 143 165 189 203 219 235 x Table of Contents Matthew T. Kapstein: e All-Encompassing Lamp of Awareness: A Forgotten Treasure of the Great Perfection, its Authorship and Historical Significance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Leonard W. J. van der Kuijp: A lag sha Ngag dbang bstan dar (1759–after August 1, 1840): On Some Chinese Lexemes and the Chinese Language, Part One . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Klaus-Dieter Mathes: Mountain Cult and Religious Geography in Dolpo (Nepal): A Guide to Crystal Mountain Dragon Roar . . . . . . . . . . . Petra Maurer: Obstacles in the Path of the Religious Life: The Early Monastic Years of Grub chen Ngag dbang Tshe ring (1657–1734) . . . . Ulrike Roesler: Biographies, Prophecies, and Hidden Treasures: Preliminary Remarks on Some Early bKa’ gdams pa Sources . . . . . . . . . . . Peter Schwieger: Cultural Revolution in the Grassland: Tibetan Short Stories Addressing a Collective Trauma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marta Sernesi: Writing Local Religious History: The Abbatial History of Brag dkar rta so . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jan-Ulrich Sobisch: Paracanonical Manuscript-Traditions of Tilopa’s Ganggā ma Mahāmudrā: Translation of the Version Preserved by the Aural Transmission Tradition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nikolai Solmsdorf: The Ocean-Like Conqueror (rgyal ba rgya mtsho): A Jina Sāgara Thangka in Mang yul Gung thang . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Helga Uebach: Notes on the Postal System (slungs) in the Tibetan Empire in the 7th –9th Centuries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Roberto Vitali: Bang rim chos sde in Dwags po (11th –13th Century): mKhar nag lo tsā ba’s Treatment and the Bai ser Follow-up . . . . . . . . . . . Dorji Wangchuk: Rong zom pa on the Ālayavijñāna Theory . . . . . . . . Yotsuya Kodo: Some Discrepancies between Candrakīrti and Tsong kha pa: On the Critique of Svatantra Reasoning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259 287 299 323 345 367 387 417 433 449 457 471 479 Introduction Franz-Karl Ehrhard was born on 15 August 1953 in the historic city of Heidelberg, the former centre of Romanticism in south-west Germany. His mother worked as a nurse, his father was a civil servant employed by the German Railways. After completing school, in lieu of military service, he worked at a local hospital. After civilian service, together with a friend, he undertook a trip to Asia which was to shape his academic future: the two travelled widely, visiting also Nepal and India, and it was in Bodhgaya that Franz-Karl Ehrhard was deeply impressed by Tibetans and their culture. The love for Nepal and its rich tradition was also ignited, and would lead him to return to the country regularly throughout his subsequent career.1 The decision was made and, after his return from Asia, Franz-Karl Ehrhard moved to the northern part of Germany, to the “Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,” where he enrolled at the university and began to study Indology, Tibetology, and Social Anthropology. His teachers at the local “Seminar für Kultur und Geschichte Indiens” were distinguished scholars such as the venerable Geshe Gendün Lodrö, Prof. Albrecht Wezler and Prof. Lambert Schmithausen―the former a luminary of traditional Tibetan learning who left a lasting imprint on his Western students, the latter two exceptional mahāpaṇḍitas who inherited the imposing academic tradition of German Indology and Buddhology. Franz-Karl Ehrhard continued his postgraduate studies at the same institution, completing his doctoral dissertation in 1987 under the supervision of Prof. Lambert Schmithausen: this work, published in 1990 with the title Flügelschläge des Garuḍa is devoted to a topic that will run like a thread (among many others) through Franz-Karl Ehrhardʼs Tibetological career, namely the doctrinal system and the history of the rNying ma school. In particular, it consists of an edition and German translation of the spiritual songs (mgur) of Zhabs dkar Thogs drug rang grol (1781–1851): it has to be noted that at the time only the songs of Mi la ras pa had been translated and studied, together with the dohās and caryāgītis, but the English translation of the Ocean of Kagyu Songs and other poetical collections were yet to come. The volume is opened by an introduction to rDzogs 1 We wish to thank Christoph Cüppers for his help in piecing together the information on the early years of Franz-Karl Ehrhard’s career. We are also grateful to Oliver von Criegern for realising the lay-out of this book. The printing of the volume was generously sponsored by the Tara Foundation. xii Introduction chen—especially the sNying thig tradition—with a discussion of Khregs chod and Thod rgal. In 1988 Franz-Karl Ehrhard, now in his mid-thirties, succeeded Christoph Cüppers in the Nepal Research Centre in Kathmandu, coordinating the activities of the Nepal-German Manuscript Preservation Project (ngmpp). He held this position in Nepal for five years (1988–1993), during which he took part in the expeditions aimed at microfilming the textual heritage preserved in private and monastic libraries across the Himalayas: for this purpose, he travelled to Jumla, Jomoson, Junbesi, Helambu, Kutang, Nubri, and Dolpo. This experience awoke his keen interest in regional history and sacred geography, as well as his sensibility for archival research and book history. The wealth of documents filmed during the expeditions were partly of local origin, partly originating in south-western Tibet and precipitously carried across the border after 1959, via ancient trade routes and reactivating long-lasting institutional and personal networks. To the latter typology of books belong the Collected Works (gSung ’bum) of Brag dkar ba Chos kyi dbang phyug (1775–1837) and of dKar brgyud bstan ’dzin nor bu (1899–1959), as well as 16th century printed books from Mang yul Gung thang, that constituted part of the library of Brag dkar rta so hermitage in sKyid grong, and that had been brought to safety to Lobpon Gyurmed in Nubri. These findings, shared with friends and colleagues, were the source material of Franz-Karl Ehrhard’s subsequent major publications. He also contributed to the publication of the recovered literature, in typeset reproduction or facsimile. The earliest was the publication in Tibetan script of Snowlight of Everest: A History of the Sherpas of Nepal, a series of texts compiled by Bla ma Sangs rgyas bstan ’dzin (1923–1990) from Junbesi. Earlier writings by the same author—including the Sher pa’i chos ’byung—had already been published in 1971 in Paris by Alexander Macdonald; the supplement was edited together with this scholar in 1987, and then published shortly after the death of the Sherpa Bla ma (Stuttgart, 1992). It remained a fundamental source for the study of the region, and was translated into Nepali two years later (Kathmandu, 1994). The works of dKar brgyud bstan ’dzin nor bu, filmed in Nubri in 1992, were published in 1996 with a short introduction by their “treasure discoverer.” Franz-Karl Ehrhard thus acquired a direct knowledge of the land, the people, and the history of south-western Tibet and the Himalayas, which led him to participate in the dfg-funded project “Nation Building and Processes of Human Settlements in the Tibetan Himalayas” (“Staatenbildung und Siedlungsprozesse im tibetischen Himalaya”), developed between 1993 and 1998 by the German Archaeological Institute (Bonn) and the Department of Archaeology in Nepal. His individual research project, titled “Religious Geography as Space-structuring Element” Introduction xiii (“Religiöse Geographie als raumstrukturierendes Element”), focused on the sacred sites and pilgrimage routes in the region of Mang yul Gung thang in south-western Tibet, which he could visit for fieldwork in 1997. The research project was hosted by the Institute of Indology of the University of Münster and was overseen by Prof. Adelheid Mette. The main results of this enquiry were presented in the dissertation for his Habilitation, which he submitted at Hamburg University in 1998. The manuscript was published in 2004 as Die Statue und der Tempel des Ārya Va-ti bzang-po: Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte und Geographie des Tibetischen Buddhismus, which, as pointed out in the title, is a work devoted to local history and religious geography. Indeed, it is dedicated to the narratives relating to the temple of Ārya wa ti bzang po in sKyid grong: centred on a composition by Brag dkar ba Chos kyi dbang phyug—edited and translated—it presents in detail the life and works of this master and it explores a wealth of related materials on the self-arising image of Avalokiteśvara hosted in the temple, its “brothers,” and the sacred sites of sKyid grong. Another work by the same Tibetan master that had also been filmed by the ngmpp is the genealogy (gdung rabs) of the Gur family, which for centuries headed the mDo chen bKa’ brgyud tradition in the region: it is edited, translated, and studied in Franz-Karl Ehrhard’s 2008 monograph A Rosary of Rubies. These publications represent breakthroughs into the history and the narrative lore of the south-western Tibetan borderlands and are now essential reference works for scholars furthering these studies. This project was the inception of Franz-Karl Ehrhard’s rich research output tracing the diffusion of Buddhist lineages and teachings (especially rNying ma treasure traditions) and the foundation of temples and monasteries throughout the Himalayas. He investigated the history of the regions that he had journeyed in Nepal on the basis of hagiographies (rnam thar), lists of teachings received (gsan yig), genealogies (gdung rabs), guidebooks (dkar chag), and travel accounts (gnas yig) that for the great part had been filmed by ngmpp expeditions.2 During this period, Franz-Karl Ehrhard begun to compose a picture of the religious history of the Tibetan-Himalayan borderlands, piecing together biographical information, travel accounts, and his own observations in the field. This opus is still ongoing, and may be followed up and expanded upon by others thanks to the extensive and 2 These contributions include, inter alia, a follow up to Snellgrove’s classical study on the “Lamas of Dolpo” (“Two Further Lamas of Dolpo,” 1996), “Tibetan Sources on Muktināth: Individual Reports and Normative Guides” (1993), “Sa-’dul dgon-pa: A Temple at the Crossroads of Jumla, Dolpo and Mustang” (1998), “Religious Geography and Literary Traditions: The Foundation of the Monastery Brag-dkar bsam-gling” (2001), “The Enlightment Stūpa in Junbesi” (2004), and “Concepts of Religious Space in Southern Mustāṅ: The Foundation of the Monastery sKu-tshab gter-lnga” (2001). “The Lands are like a Wiped Golden Basin” (1997) provides an overview of the Sixth Zhwa dmar pa’s travelogue of the 1629/30 journey to Nepal, a rare source that was later the topic of a PhD Dissertation supervised by Franz-Karl Ehrhard at the University of Munich (Navina Lamminger 2012/13). xiv Introduction detailed bibliographical references to the primary sources that constitute the backbone of his studies. His contributions allow identifying the individual trajectories of influential Buddhist teachers, dating the foundation of specific sites, and tracing the origins of lama lineages in the Himalayan valleys. For example, two articles shed light on the origins of the main temples and lama lineages of Yol mo (Helambu), supplementing and offering substantial correctives to earlier contributions by Graham Clarke: “The Story of How bla-ma Karma Chos-bzang Came to Yol-mo’: A Family Document from Nepal” (2004), and “A Forgotten Incarnation Lineage: The Yol-mo-ba Sprul-skus (16th to 18th Centuries)” (2007). The latter follows for five generations the reincarnation lineage of sNgags ’chang Shākya bzang po (16th c.), the “discoverer,” renovator, and first caretaker of the Bodhnāth stūpa in Kathmandu: Franz-Karl Ehrhard returns thus to one of his favourite early topics of study, namely the history of the two main sacred Buddhist monuments in the Kathmandu valley: the stūpa of Bodhnāth and the Svayambhūcaitya. His articles on the Tibetan sources for investigating the successive renovations of the sites (1989, 1990, 1991) were supplemented in 2007 by another survey of “Old and New Tibetan Sources Concerning Svayaṃbhūnāth.” He also published a study of the register (dkar chag) of the small reliquary of the yogin Rang rig ras pa (17th c.) that flanks to the East the main stūpa of Bodhnāth (2002). Franz-Karl Ehrhard’s love for the Kathmandu valley, where he has lived for so long and regularly returns to with joy, transpires from a booklet collecting images of Bodhnāth and verse compositions dedicated to the site, published in Kathmandu in 1991 with the title Views of the Bodhnāth-stūpa, and a contribution to e Changing Town-scapes of the Kathmandu Valley (1995). Remaining in the field of sacred geography, we may emphasise Franz-Karl Ehrhard’s important contribution to the study of “hidden lands” (sbas yul), a phenomenon that brings together his interest in the masters and teachings of the rNying ma tradition and his work on local Himalayan history. Alongside his wellknown articles on “The Role of ‘Treasure Discoverers’ and their Writings in the Search for Himalayan Sacred Lands” (1994) and “Political and Ritual Aspects of the Search for Himalayan Sacred Lands” (1996), which discuss the tradition and its ideology, he published case-studies of specific sites such as “A ‘Hidden Land’ in the Tibetan-Nepalese Borderlands” (1997), and “A ‘Hidden Land’ at the Border of ’Ol-kha and Dvags-po” (2009–2010). He also wrote about the “opening” of hidden lands in Bhutan (“Addressing Tibetan Rulers from the South” 2008), and Sikkim (“The mNga’ bdag family and the tradition of Rig ’dzin Zhig po gling pa [1524– 1583] in Sikkim” 2005), two other Himalayan regions that attracted his scholarly attention. Introduction xv In 1998 Franz-Karl Ehrhard became Research Fellow at the Lumbini International Research Institute (liri), where in the following years he pursued his own project, inspired, once more, by textual materials filmed by the ngmpp. In particular, it was the inception of a twenty-year-long fascination with the beautifully produced, and richly illustrated, 16th century printed editions from Mang yul Gung thang. His Early Buddhist Block Prints from Mang-yul Gung-thang (2000) is a contribution to the study of Tibetan xylographic printing: in describing the life and works of Chos dbang rgyal mtshan (1484–1549) and Nam mkha’ rdo rje (1486–1553) it brings together for the first time accounts of book production from biographical sources and exemplars of the mentioned editions. The transcriptions of the full printing colophons of the books, and the study of the artisans that worked in various capacities (scribes, carvers, illustrators, etc.) at their production, complete the monograph, which remains a reference work, in both method and contents, for the study of xylography in Tibet. This study was accompanied by the facsimile reproduction from ngmpp microfilms of two volumes printed in Mang yul Gung thang in the early 16th century, namely the 1533 editio princeps of Klong chen pa’s eg mchog mdzod, and a collection of works on the Great Seal by the influential master of the Bo dong pa school bTsun pa chos legs (1437–1521). Franz-Karl Ehrhard continued to pursue this avenue of research in a series of articles devoted to early Tibetan printing projects;3 in particular, he investigated the transmission history and the editorial history of the Maṇi bka’ ’bum, and he also recently co-edited a volume on Tibetan Printing: Comparisons, Continuities and Change (2016). This substantial output has greatly advanced our knowledge of early Tibetan xylographic printing, and has confirmed him as the leading expert in this field of enquiry. Franz-Karl Ehrhard’s interest in history and cultural history led him to study narratives, teaching lineages, cloth paintings (thang kas), law and administration, and donation inscriptions. In particular, he has investigated the relationship between secular and religious authority, and patterns of patronage, in 15th and 16th century Tibet, focusing on the individual trajectories of influential masters such as Kaḥ tog pa bSod nams rgyal mtshan (1466–1540), Vanaratna (1384–1468), mChog ldan mgon po (1497–1531), dBus smyon Kun dga’ bzang po (1458–1532), or Chos 3 See “The Transmission of the dMar-khrid Tshem-bu lugs and the Maṇi bka’ ’bum” (2000), “The Royal Print of the Maṇi bka’ ’bum” (2013), “Editing and Publishing the Master’s Writings” (2010), “Gnas Rab ’byams pa Byams pa phun tshogs (1503–1581) and His Contribution to Buddhist Block Printing in Tibet” (2012), “Buddhist Hagiographies from the Borderlands” (2016), “Collected Writings as Xylographs” (2016), “Printing a Treasure Text” (2018), and “Apropos a Recent Contribution of Tibetan Xylographs from the 15th to the 17th Centuries” (in press). xvi Introduction dpal bzang po (1371–1439);4 e Life and Travels of Lo-chen bSod-nams rgya-mtsho (1424–1482) is introduced by a synopsis of the life of the 4th Zhwa dmar pa Chos kyi grags pa (1453–1524), and is accompanied by the facsimile publication of the Great Translator’s “Buddhist Correspondence” (2002). As may be seen, Franz-Karl Ehrhard’s contributions to Tibetan and Himalayan studies are highly significant in different fields of research, reflecting the impressive range and depth of his expertise. In 2003 Franz-Karl Ehrhard became Professor for Tibetology and Buddhist Studies at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich. In the years leading up to this appointment he had been visiting Professor at the University of Vienna (2000), and at Harvard University (2001). In Munich, he has been a passionate and inspiring teacher, and has greatly worked to foster the discipline: he acted as Faculty Students’ Dean for many years, he oversaw about twenty Magister, Master and Bachelor theses, and he supervised eight PhD Dissertations and four Habilitation Dissertations.5 Between 2009 and 2015, he supported and directed five 4 See “Kaḥ thog pa bSod nams rgyal mtshan (1466–1540) and his Activities in Sikkim and Bhutan” (2003), and “Kaḥ thog pa Bsod nams rgyal mtshan (1466–1540) and the Foundation of O rgyan rtse mo in Spa gro” (2007), “Spiritual Relationships between Rulers and Preceptors: The Three Journeys of Vanaratna (1384–1468) to Tibet” (2004), “Addressing Tibetan Rulers from the South: mChog-ldan mgon-po (1497–1531) in the Hidden Valleys of Bhutan” (2008), “The Holy Madman of dBus and His Relationships with Tibetan Rulers in the 15th and 16th Centuries” (2010), “Chos dpal bzang po (1371–1439): The ‘Great Teacher’ (bla chen) of rDzong dkar and his Biography” (2017). 5 PhD Dissertations: Frank Müller-Witte, “Die Kategorien bdag und gzhan bei dPa’-ris sangsrgyas und Dor-zhi gdong-drug und ihre Relevanz für das Verständnis tibetischer Texte” (ss 2009); Volker Caumanns, “Leben und Werk des Sa-skya-Gelehrten gSer-mdog Paṇ-chen Shākya-mchogldan (1428–1507)” (ss 2012); Navina Lamminger, “Der Reisebericht des Sechsten Zhva dmar pa nach Nepal. Textkritische Edition, Übersetzung und Studie” (ws 2012/13); Nikolai Solmsdorf, “Rig-’dzin Gar-dbang rdo-rje snying-po (1640–1685). A Treasure-Discoverer of the rNying-ma-pa School from mNga’-ris Gung-thang” (ss 2013); Marlene Erschbamer, “Die Lehrtradition der ’Ba’-ra-ba bKa’-brgyud-pa. Untersuchungen zur Geschichte und zur gegenwärtigen Verbreitung einer Schule des tibetischen Buddhismus” (ss 2016); Christoph Burghart, “Leben und Werk des 17. Thronhalters der ’Bri-gung bka’-brgyud-Tradition Rin-chen phun-tshogs (1509–1557) unter besonderer Berücksichtigung seines Schatzzyklus Dam chos dgongs pa yang zab” (ss 2017); Marco Walter, “Leben und Lehren des Gling-ras-pa Padma rdo-rje (1128–1188), Gründer der ’Brug-pa bKa’-brgyud-pa” (ss 2017); Yüan Zhong, “Lives and Works of Karma nor-bu bzang-po (1906–1984) and Karma stobs-rgyal (1944–2014)” (ws 2017/18). Habilitation Dissertations: Petra Maurer, “Die Grundlagen der tibetischen Geomantie dargestellt anhand des 32. Kapitels des Vaiḍūrya dkar po von sDe srid Sangs rgyas rgya mtsho (1653–1705). Ein Beitrag zum Verständnis der Kultur- und Wissenschaftsgeschichte Tibets zur Zeit des 5. Dalai Lama Ngag dbang blo bzang rgya mtsho (1617–1682)” (ss 2006); Ulrike Roesler, “Der dPe chos rin chen spungs pa des Po-to-ba Rin-chen-gsal. Die Verschmelzung indischer und tibetischer Traditionen in einem frühen ‘Stufenweg zur Erleuchtung’ (lam rim)” (ws 2006/07); Brandon Dotson, “The Victory Banquet: The Old Tibetan Chronicle and the Rise of Tibetan Historical Narrative” (ss 2013); Marta Sernesi, “Early Tibetan Printed Books: History and Xylography in South-Western Tibet” (ws 2018/19). Introduction xvii externally-funded research projects spanning a wide range of topics, from bKa’ brgyud contemplative traditions, to Sa skya hagiographical sources, to Old Tibetan lexicography, and ideals and practices of kingship during the Tibetan Empire.6 He served as series-editor of Collectanea Himalayica: Studies on the History and Culture of the Himalayas and Tibet (Indus Verlag, München), which published five volumes, and, since 2008, of Contributions to Tibetan Studies (Reichert Verlag, Wiesbaden), which published seven volumes (nos. 6–12). All these endeavours ensured that the small Department of Indology and Tibetology of Munich University developed into a major centre of Tibetan studies, were students and young scholars could learn and work in a stimulating and supportive environment. Franz-Karl Ehrhard is deeply passionate for his subject and generous with his sources and knowledge, sharing widely the many Tibetan texts of his library, together with his carefully handwritten summaries and notes. His knowledge of academic scholarship published in English, French, and German is impressive, as is his learning in history, anthropology, history of religions, cultural history, book history—just to name a few disciplines. He takes a real pleasure in studying, discussing, sharing, and exploring Tibetan and Himalayan history, culture, and literature. Because of this, alongside his institutional and didactic duties, he always continued to dedicate time and energy to research, producing a wealth of scholarly output throughout his career. Hence, this short sketch cannot make justice to the breadth of Franz-Karl Ehrhard’s research interests and the impact of his contribution to the field of Tibetan and Himalayan studies. He is an inspiring role model for his mentees, and a knowledgeable and amiable colleague, and this volume wishes to be but a modest token of our appreciation. Marta Sernesi 6 “Re-Enacting the Past. The Heritage of the Early bKa’ brgyud pa in the Life and Works of gTsang smyon Heruka (1452-1507) and His Disciple rGod tshang ras pa sNa tshogs rang grol (1482-1559),” funded by the daad (2009–2010) and the Gerda Henkel Stiftung (2010–2012), realised by Marta Sernesi; “Die Hagiographie des tibetischen Gelehrten Shākya-mchog-ldan (1428–1507): Quellen und historischer Kontext,” funded by the dfg (2010–2012), realised by Volker Caumanns; “Kingship and Religion in Tibet,” funded by the Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung (2010–2015), realised by Brandon Dotson; “Lexikologische Analyse des alttibetischen Wortschatzes unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Komposita,” funded by the dfg (2013–2015), realised by Joanna Bialek; “bKa’ brgyud History and Xylography in South-Western Tibet. The Legacy of Yang dgon pa rGyal mtshan dpal bzang po (1213-1258),” funded by the dfg (2012–2018), realised by Marta Sernesi. Publication List of Franz-Karl Ehrhard Monographs 1. Flügelschläge des Garuḍa: Literar- und ideengeschichtliche Bemerkungen zu einer Liedersammlung des rDzogs-chen. Tibetan and Indo-Tibetan Studies 3. Stuttgart: Steiner Verlag, 1990. 2. Early Buddhist Block Prints from Mang-yul Gung-thang. Lumbini International Research Institute, Monograph Series 2. Lumbini: Lumbini International Research Institute, 2000. 3. Life and Travels of Lo-chen bSod-nams rgya-mtsho. Lumbini International Research Institute, Monograph Series 3. Lumbini: Lumbini International Research Institute, 2002. 4. Die Statue und der Tempel des Ārya Va-ti bzang-po: Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte und Geographie des Tibetischen Buddhismus. Contributions to Tibetan Studies 2. Wiesbaden: Reichert Verlag, 2004. 5. A Rosary of Rubies: e Chronicle of the Gur-rigs mDo-chen Tradition from South-Western Tibet. Collectanea Himalayica 2. München: Indus Verlag, 2008. Articles 1. “Tibetan Texts in the National Archives, Kathmandu.” Journal of the Nepal Research Centre 4, 1980: 233–250. 2. “Observations on Prāsaṅgika-Madhyamaka in the rÑing-ma-pa School.” In Helga Uebach and Jampa L. Panglung (eds.). Tibetan Studies: Proceedings of the th Seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies, Schloss Hohenkammer, Munich . Studia Tibetica: Quellen und Studien zur tibetischen Lexikographie 2. München: Kommission für Zentralasiatische Studien, Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1988, 139–147. 3. “A Renovation of Svayaṃbhūnāth Stūpa in the 18th Century and its History (According to Tibetan Sources).” Ancient Nepal: Journal of the Department of Archaeology 114, 1989: 1–8. 4. “The Stūpa of Bodhnāth: A Preliminary Analysis of the Written Sources.” Ancient Nepal: Journal of the Department of Archaeology 120, 1990: 1–9. 5. “Further Renovations of Svayaṃbhūnāth-Stūpa (From the 13th to the 17th Centuries).” Ancient Nepal: Journal of the Department of Archaeology 123–125, 1991: 10–20. 6. “The Nepal German Manuscript Preservation Project.” European Bulletin of Himalayan Research 2, 1991: 20–24. 7. “The ‘Vision’ of rDzogs-chen: A Text and its Histories.” In Ihara Shōren (ed.). Tibetan Studies: Proceedings of the th Seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies, Narita . 2 vols. Monograph Series of Naritasan Institute for Buddhist Studies, Occasional Papers 2. Narita: Naritasan Shinshoji, 1992, vol. 1: Buddhist Philosophy and Literature, 47–58. 8. “Two Documents on Tibetan Ritual Literature and Spiritual Genealogy.” Journal of the Nepal Research Centre 9, 1993: 77–100. 9. “Tibetan Sources on Muktināth: Individual Reports and Normative Guides.” Ancient Nepal: Journal of the Department of Archaeology 134, 1993: 23–39. 10. “The Role of ‘Treasure Discoverers’ and their Writings in the Search for Himalayan Sacred Lands.” e Tibet Journal 19/3 (special issue: Powerful Places and Spaces in Tibetan Religious Cul- xx 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. Publication List of Franz-Karl Ehrhard ture), 1994: 2–20 (reprinted in Toni Huber [ed.]. Sacred Spaces and Powerful Places in Tibetan Culture: A Collection of Essays. Dharamsala, 1999, 227–239). “Religious Places in the Valley.” In Andreas Proksch (ed.). Images of a Century: e Changing Townscapes of the Kathmandu Valley. Kathmandu: GTZ and UDLE, 1995, 12–25. “Two Further Lamas of Dolpo: Ngag-dbang rnam-rgyal (born 1628) and rNam-grol bzang-po (born 1504).” Journal of the Nepal Research Centre 10, 1996: 55–75. “Political and Ritual Aspects of the Search for Himalayan Sacred Lands.” Studies in Central and East Asian Religions 9, 1996: 37–53 (reprinted in Toni Huber [ed.]. Sacred Spaces and Powerful Places in Tibetan Culture: A Collection of Essays. Dharamsala, 1999, 240–257). “A ‘Hidden Land’ in the Tibetan-Nepalese Borderlands.” In Alexander W. Macdonald (ed.). Maṇḍala and Landscape. Emerging Perceptions in Buddhist Studies 6. New Delhi: D. K. Printworld, 1997, 335–364. “‘The Lands are like a Wiped Golden Basin’: The Sixth Zhva-dmar-pa’s Journey to Nepal and his Travelogue (1629/30).” In Samten Karmay and Philippe Sagant (eds.). Les Habitants du toit du monde: Études recueillies en hommage à Alexander W. Macdonald. Recherches sur la Haute Asie 12. Nanterre: Société d’ethnologie, 1997, 125–138. “Recently Discovered Manuscripts of the rNying ma rgyud ’bum from Nepal.” In Helmut Krasser, Michael Thorsten Much, Ernst Steinkellner and Helmut Tauscher (eds.). Tibetan Studies: Proceedings of the th Seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies, Graz . 2 vols. Beiträge zur Kultur- und Geistesgeschichte Asiens 21. Wien: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1997, vol. 1, 253–267. “Sa-’dul dgon-pa: A Temple at the Crossroads of Jumla, Dolpo and Mustang.” Ancient Nepal: Journal of the Department of Archaeology 140: 3–19. “The Transmission of the dMar-khrid Tshem-bu lugs and the Maṇi bka’ ’bum.” In Christine Chojnacki, Jens-Uwe Hartmann and Volker M. Tschannerl (eds.). Vividharatnakaraṇḍaka: Festgabe ür Adelheid Mee. Indica et Tibetica 37. Swisttal-Odendorf, 2000, 199–215. “A Printed Laudation of Si-tu Chos-kyi ’byung-gnas and a Note on his Tradition of Tibetan Medicine.” Lungta 13 (special issue: Situ Paṇchen: His Contribution and Legacy), 2000: 28–32. “Religious Geography and Literary Traditions: The Foundation of the Monastery Brag-dkar bsam-gling.” Journal of the Nepal Research Centre 12, 2001: 101–114. “Concepts of Religious Space in Southern Mustāṅ: The Foundation of the Monastery sKu-tshab gter-lnga.” In Perdita Pohle and Willibald Haffner (eds.). Kāgbeni: Contributions to the Village’s History and Geography. Giessener Geographische Schriften 77. Gießen: Selbstverlag des Instituts für Geographie der Justus-Liebig-Universität, 2001, 235–246. “The Transmission of the ig-le bcu-drug and the bKa’ gdams glegs bam.” In Helmut Eimer and David Germano (eds.). e Many Canons of Tibetan Buddhism. PIATS : Tibetan Studies: Proceedings of the Ninth Seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies. Brill’s Tibetan Studies Library 2/10. Leiden: Brill, 2002, 29–56. “The Register of the Reliquary of Lord Raṅ-Rig Ras-pa.” Wiener Zeitschri ür die Kunde Südasiens 46, 2002: 146–167. “Kaḥ thog pa bSod nams rgyal mtshan (1466–1540) and his Activities in Sikkim and Bhutan.” Bulletin of Tibetology 39/2 (special issue: Contributions to Sikkimese History), 2003: 9–26. “Spiritual Relationships between Rulers and Preceptors: The Three Journeys of Vanaratna (1384– 1468) to Tibet.” In Christoph Cüppers (ed.). e Relationship between Religion and State (chos srid zung ’brel) in Traditional Tibet: Proceedings of a Seminar Held in Lumbini, Nepal, March . liri Seminar Proceedings Series 1. Lumbini: Lumbini International Research Institute, 2004, 245–265. “‘The Story of How bla-ma Karma Chos-bzang Came to Yol-mo’: A Family Document from Nepal.” In Shoun Hino and Toshihiro Wada (eds.). ree Mountains and Seven Rivers: Prof. Mushashi Tachikawa’s Felicitation Volume. Delhi: Motilal Barnasidass, 2004, 581–600. Publication List of Franz-Karl Ehrhard xxi 27. “A Monument of Sherpa Buddhism: The Enlightenment Stūpa in Junbesi.” e Tibet Journal 29/3 (special issue: Tibetan Monuments), 2004: 75–92. 28. “The mNga’ bdag Family and the Tradition of Rig ’dzin Zhig po gling pa (1524–1583) in Sikkim.” Bulletin of Tibetology 41/2 (special issue: Tibetan Lamas in Sikkim), 2005: 11–29. 29. “A Short History of the g.Yu thog snying thig.” In Konrad Klaus and Jens-Uwe Hartmann (eds.). Indica et Tibetica: Festschri ür Michael Hahn, zum . Geburtstag von Freunden und Schülern überreicht. Wiener Studien zur Tibetologie und Buddhismuskunde 66. Wien: Arbeitskreis für Tibetische und Buddhistische Studien, Universität Wien, 2007, 151–170. 30. “Kaḥ thog pa Bsod nams rgyal mtshan (1466–1540) and the Foundation of O rgyan rtse mo in Spa gro.” In John A. Ardussi (ed.). Bhutan: Traditions and Changes. PIATS : Tibetan Studies: Proceedings of the Tenth Seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies, Oxford . Brill’s Tibetan Studies Library 10/5. Leiden: Brill, 2007, 73–95. 31. “A Forgotten Incarnation Lineage: The Yol-mo-ba Sprul-skus (16th to 18th Centuries).” In Ramon N. Prats (ed.). e Pandita and the Siddha: Tibetan Studies in Honour of E. Gene Smith. Dharamshala: Amnye Machen Institute, 2007, 25–49. 32. “The Biography of sMan-bsgom Chos-rje Kun-dga’ dpal-ldan (1735–1804) as a Source for the Sino-Nepalese War.” In Birgit Kellner, Helmut Krasser, Horst Lasic, Michael T. Wieser-Much and Helmut Tauscher (eds.). Pramāṇakīrtiḥ: Papers Dedicated to Ernst Steinkellner on the Occasion of his th Birthday. 2 vols. Wiener Studien zur Tibetologie und Buddhismuskunde 70. Wien: Arbeitskreis für Tibetische und Buddhistische Studien, Universität Wien, 2007, vol. 1, 115–133. 33. “Old and New Tibetan Sources Concerning Svayaṃbhūnāth.” Zentralasiatische Studien 36, 2007: 105–130. 34. (together with Christoph Cüppers) “Die Kupferplatten der Könige Ādityamalla und Puṇyamalla von Ya-tshe.” In Petra Maurer and Peter Schwieger (eds.). Tibetstudien: Festschri ür Dieter Schuh zum . Geburtstag. Bonn: Bier’sche Verlagsanstalt, 2007, 37–42. 35. “Addressing Tibetan Rulers from the South: mChog-ldan mgon-po (1497–1531) in the Hidden Valleys of Bhutan.” In Brigitte Huber (ed.). Chomolangma, Demawend und Kasbek: Festschri ür Roland Bielmeier zu seinem . Geburtstag. 2 vols. Beiträge zur Zentralasienforschung 12. Halle: International Institute for Tibetan and Buddhist Studies, 2008, vol. 1 (Chromolangma), 61–91. 36. “‘Turning the Wheel of the Dharma in Zhing sa Va lung’: The dPal ri sPrul skus (17th to 20th Centuries).” Bulletin of Tibetology 44/1–2, 2008: 5–29. 37. “The Lineage of the ’Ba’-ra-ba bKa’-brgyud-pa School as Depicted on a Thangka and in ‘Golden Rosary’ Texts.” Münchener Beiträge zur Völkerkunde: Jahrbuch des Staatlichen Museums ür Völkerkunde München 13, 2009: 179–209. 38. “A ‘Hidden Land’ at the Border of ’Ol-kha and Dvags-po.” e Tibet Journal 34/3–35/2 (special issue: e Earth Ox Papers: Proceedings of the International Seminar on Tibetan and Himalayan Studies, Held at the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, September  on the Occasion of the ‘ank you India’ Year), 2009–2010: 493–521. 39. “Buddhist Fasting Lineages: A Thangka of the Eleven-faced and Thousand-armed Avalokiteśvara.” In Eli Franco and Monika Zin (eds.). From Turfan to Ajanta: Festschri for Dieter Schlingloﬀ on the Occasion of His Eightieth Birthday. Lumbini: Lumbini International Research Institute, 2010, 291–302. 40. “The Holy Madman of dBus and His Relationships with Tibetan Rulers in the 15th and 16th Centuries.” In Peter Schalk (ed.). Geschichten und Geschichte: Historiographie und Hagiographie in der asiatischen Religionsgeschichte. Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis, Historia Religionum 30. Uppsala: Uppsala Universitet, 2010, 219–246. 41. “Editing and Publishing the Master’s Writings: The Early Years of rGod tshang ras chen (1482– 1559).” In Anne Chayet, Cristina Scherrer-Schaub, Françoise Robin and Jean-Luc-Achard (eds.). xxii 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. Publication List of Franz-Karl Ehrhard Edition, éditions: l’écrit au Tibet, évolution et devenir. Collectanea Himalayica 3. München: Indus Verlag, 2010, 129–161. “The Narrative of the Birth of the Buddha as Told by Bskal-bzang Chos-kyi Rgya-mtsho (15th Century).” In Christoph Cueppers, Max Deeg and Hubert Durt (eds.). e Birth of the Buddha: Proceedings of the Seminar Held in Lumbini, Nepal, October . liri Seminar Proceedings Series 3. Lumbini: Lumbini International Research Institute, 2010, 355–376. “‘Flow of the River Gaṅgā’: The gSan-yig of the Fifth Dalai Bla-ma and its Literary Sources.” In Henk Blezer and Roberto Vitali (eds.). Studies on the History and Literature of Tibet and the Himalaya. Kathmandu: Vajra Publications, 2012, 79–96. “Gnas Rab ’byams pa Byams pa phun tshogs (1503–1581) and his Contribution to Buddhist Block Printing in Tibet.” In Charles Ramble and Jill Sudbury (eds.). is World and the Next: Contributions on Tibetan Religion, Science and Society. PIATS : Tibetan Studies: Proceedings of the Eleventh Seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies, Königswinter . Beiträge zur Zentralasienforschung 27. Andiast: International Institute for Tibetan and Buddhist Studies, 2012, 149–176. “The Scribe’s Remark: A Note on the ‘Rig-’dzin Tshe-dbang nor-bu (Waddell) Edition’ of the rNying ma rgyud ’bum.” Zentralasiatische Studien 41, 2012: 231–237. “The Royal Print of the Maṇi bka’ ’bum: Its Catalogue and Colophon.” In Franz-Karl Ehrhard and Petra Maurer (eds.). Nepalica-Tibetica: Festgabe for Christoph Cüppers. 2 vols. Beiträge zur Zentralasienforschung 28. Andiast: International Institute for Tibetan and Buddhist Studies, 2013, vol. 1, 143–172. “Spreading the sNying thig Teachings: The Biographical Account of rDzogs chen pa bSod nams rin chen (1498–1559).” Bulletin of Tibetology 49/1 (special issue: rNying ma Studies: Narrative and History), 2013: 55-76. “Lowo Khenchen (1456–1532) and the Buddhist Pilgrimage to the Ārya Wati Zangpo.” In Benjamin Bogin and Andrew Quintman (eds.). Himalayan Passages: Tibetan and Newar Studies in Honor of Hubert Decleer. Somerville: Wisdom Publications, 2014, 15–43. “‘An Ocean of Marvelous Perfections’: A 17th -Century Padma bka’i thang yig from the Sa skya pa School.” In Jim Rheingans (ed.). Literary Genres, Texts, and Text Types: From Genre Classiﬁcation to Transformation. Brill’s Tibetan Studies Library 37. Leiden: Brill, 2015, 139–181. “Glimpses of the Sixth Dalai Bla ma: Contemporary Accounts from the Years 1702 to 1706.” In Olaf Czaja and Guntram Hazod (eds.). e Illuminating Mirror: Tibetan Studies in Honour of Per K. Sørensen on the Occasion of his th Birthday. Contributions to Tibetan Studies 12. Wiesbaden: Reichert Verlag, 2015, 131–154. “‘A Thousand-spoke Golden Wheel of Secular Law’: The Preamble to the Law Code of the Kings of gTsang.” In Dieter Schuh (ed.). Secular Law and Order in the Tibetan Highland: Contributions to a Workshop Organized by the Tibet Institute in Andiast (Switzerland) on the Occasion of the th Birthday of Christoph Cüppers from the th of June to the th of June . Monumenta Tibetica Historica iii/13. Andiast: International Institute for Tibetan and Buddhist Studies, 2015, 105–125. “‘Throne-holders of the Middle Valley’: Buddhist Teachers from Southern Dolpo.” Bulletin of Tibetology 51/1–2 (special issue: Buddhist Himalaya: Perspectives on the Tibetan Cultural Area), 2015: 7–45. “Collected Writings as Xylographs: Two Sets from the Bo dong pa School.” In Hildegard Diemberger, Franz-Karl Ehrhard and Peter Kornicki (eds.). Tibetan Printing: Comparisons, Continuities and Change. Brill’s Tibetan Studies Library 39. Leiden: Brill, 2016, 212–236. “Buddhist Hagiographies from the Borderlands: Further Prints from Mang yul Gung thang.” In Orna Almogi (ed.). Tibetan Manuscript and Xylograph Traditions: e Wrien Word and Its Media within the Tibetan Culture Sphere. Indian and Tibetan Studies 4. Hamburg: Department of Indian and Tibetan Studies, Universität Hamburg, 2016, 127–169. Publication List of Franz-Karl Ehrhard xxiii 55. “Chos dpal bzang po (1371–1439): The ‘Great Teacher’ (bla chen) of rDzong dkar and his Biography.” In Volker Caumanns and Marta Sernesi (eds.). Fieenth Century Tibet: Cultural Blossoming and Political Unrest. Proceedings of a Conference Held in Lumbini, Nepal, March . liri Seminar Proceedings Series 8. Lumbini: Lumbini International Research Institute, 2017, 1–32. 56. “A Thangka from Brag dkar rta so and its Inscription.” In Katia Buffetrille and Isabelle HenrionDourcy (eds.). Musique et épopée en Haute-Asie: Mélanges oﬀerts à Mireille Helﬀer a l’occasion de son e anniversaire. Le Pré-Saint-Gervais: L’Asiathèque, 2017, 371–383. 57. “Printing a Treasure Text: The 1556 Edition of the Bya rung kha shor lo rgyus.” In Oliver von Criegern, Gudrun Melzer and Johannes Schneider (eds.). Saddharmāmṛtam: Festschri ür JensUwe Hartmann zum . Geburtstag. Wiener Studien zur Tibetologie und Buddhismuskunde 93. Wien: Arbeitskreis für Tibetische und Buddhistische Studien, Universität Wien, 2018, 75–93. 58. (together with Marta Sernesi) “Apropos a Recent Collection of Tibetan Xylographs from the 15th to the 17th Centuries.” Revue d’Etudes Tibétaines 48 (special issue: Perspectives on Tibetan Culture: A Small Garland of Forget-me-nots Oﬀered to Elena De Rossi Filibeck, ed. by Michela Clemente, Oscar Nalesini and Federica Venturi), 2019 (in press). Edited Volumes 1. (together with Christoph Cüppers and Philip Pierce) Views of the Bodhnāth-Stūpa. Kathmandu: Bauddha Book, 1991. 2. (together with Alexander W. Macdonald) Snowlight of Everest: A History of the Sherpas of Nepal. Nepal Research Centre Publications 18. Stuttgart: Steiner Verlag, 1992. (Nepalese translation, Kathmandu, 1994). 3. (together with Ingrid Fischer-Schreiber) Das Lexikon des Buddhismus: Grundbegriﬀe und Lehrsysteme, Philosophie und meditative Praxis, Literatur und Kunst, Meister und Schulen, Geschichte, Entwicklung und Ausdrucksformen von ihren Anängen bis heute. München: Scherz, 1992. 4. e Collected Works of dKar-brgyud bsTan-ʼdzin nor-bu: A Recent Lama of Brag-dkar rta-so. Smanrtsis Shesrig Spendzod 142. Leh: D. L. Tashigangpa, 1996. 5. e Oldest Block Print of Klong-chen Rab-ʼbyams-paʼs eg mchog mdzod. Facsimile Edition of Early Tibetan Block Prints. Lumbini International Research Institute, Facsimile Series 1. Lumbini: Lumbini International Research Institute, 2000. 6. Four Unknown Mahāmudrā Works of the Bo-dong-pa School. Facsimile Edition of Early Tibetan Block Prints. Lumbini International Research Institute, Facsimile Series 2. Lumbini: Lumbini International Research Institute, 2000. 7. A Buddhist Correspondence: e Leers of Lo-chen bSod-nams rgya-mtsho. Facsimile Edition of a th Century Tibetan Manuscript. Lumbini International Research Institute, Facsimile Series 3. Lumbini: Lumbini International Research Institute, 2002. 8. (together with Petra Maurer) Nepalica-Tibetica: Festgabe ür Christoph Cüppers. 2 vols. Beiträge zur Zentralasienforschung 28/1–2. Andiast: International Institute for Tibetan and Buddhist Studies, 2013. 9. (together with Hildegard Diemberger and Peter Kornicki) Tibetan Printing: Comparisons, Continuities and Change. Brill’s Tibetan Studies Library 39. Leiden: Brill, 2016. Lexicographical Contributions 1. “Tibetischer Buddhismus.” In Ingrid Fischer-Schreiber et al. (eds.). Lexikon Östlicher Weisheitslehren: Buddhismus, Hinduismus, Taoismus, Zen. München: Scherz, 1986. (English translation: xxiv Publication List of Franz-Karl Ehrhard “Tibetan Buddhism.” In e Rider Encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and Religion. London, 1989; e Shambhala Dictionary of Buddhism and Zen. Boston, 1991.) 2. “Himalayan Buddhism.” In Lindsay Jones (ed.). Encyclopedia of Religion. Second Edition. 15 vols. Detroit: Macmillan Reference, 2005, vol. 2, 1230–1235. Reviews 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Hidden Treasures and Secret Lives: A Study of Pemalingpa (–) and the Sixth Dalai Lama (–), by Michael Aris. In Zeitschri der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellscha 142/1, 1992: 206–208. Tibet: Civilisation et société. Colloque organisé par la Fondation Singer-Polignac à Paris, les , ,  avril , ed. by Fernand Meyer. In Zeitschri der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellscha 142/2, 1992: 395–398. Divinity Secularized: An Inquiry into the Nature and Form of the Songs Ascribed to the Sixth Dalai Lama, by Per K. Sørensen. In Zeitschri der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellscha 143/1, 1993: 223–225. Materials for the Study of Āryadeva, Dharmapāla and Candrakīrti. e Catuḥśataka of Āryadeva, Chapters  and , with the Commentaries of Dharmapāla and Candrakīrti: Introduction, Translation, Sanskrit, Tibetan and Chinese Texts, Notes. 2 vols., by Tom J. F. Tillemans. In Zeitschri der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellscha 144/1, 1994: 221–224. e Buddha Within: Tathāgatagarbha Doctrine According to the Shentong Interpretation of the Ratnagotravibhāga, by Susan K. Hookham. In Zeitschri der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellscha 144/2, 1994: 415–419. e Life of Shabkar: e Autobiography of a Tibetan Yogin, by Matthieu Ricard. In e Tibet Journal 22/1, 1997: 87–90. e Full-Fledged Khyung-chen Bird: An Essay in Freedom as the Dynamics of Being, by Klong-chen Rab-ʼbyams-pa Dri-med ʼod-zer and Herbert Guenther. In e Tibet Journal 22/3, 1997: 116–119. Consecration of Images and Stūpas in Indo-Tibetan Tantric Buddhism, by Yael Bentor. In e Tibet Journal 23/3, 1998: 129–132. Natural Liberation: Padmasambhavaʼs Teachings on the Six Bardos, by Gyatrul Rinpoche and B. Alan Wallace. In e Tibet Journal 24/4, 1999: 68–71. sDe-dpon sum-cu: Ritual und Ikonographie der “Dreißig Schutzgoheiten der Welt”, by Namgyal Ronge, Utz Poley, Rudolf Kaschewsky and Pema Tsering. In e Tibet Journal 25/2, 2000: 60–62. e Dating of the Historical Buddha / Die Datierung des historischen Buddha, Part , by Heinz Bechert. In e Tibet Journal 25/3, 2000: 70–71. e Brief Catalogues to the Narthang and the Lhasa Kanjurs: A Synoptic Edition of the “bKaʼ ʼgyur rin po cheʼi mtshan tho” and the “rGyal baʼi bkaʼ ʼgyur rin po cheʼi chos tsʼan so soʼi mtsʼan byaṅ dkar chag bsdus pa”; e Early Mustang Kanjur Catalogue: A Structured Edition of the mDo sṅags bkaʼ ʼgyur dkar chag and of Ṅor chen kun dgaʼ bzaṅ poʼs bKaʼ ʼgyur ro cog gi dkar chag bstan pa gsal baʼi sgron me, by Helmut Eimer. In Indo-Iranian Journal 44/2, 2001: 174–179. Pèlerins, Lamas et Visonnaires: Sources orales et écrites sur les pèlerinages tibétains, by Katia Buffetrille. In Indo-Iranian Journal 44/3, 2001: 279–285. Himalayan Hermitess: e Life of a Tibetan Buddhist Nun, by Kurtis Schaeffer. In Journal of the International Association of Tibetan Studies 2, 2006: 1–8. Life, Transmission, and Works of A-mes-zhabs Ngag-dbang-kun-dgaʼ-bsod-nams, the Great th Century Sa-skya-pa Bibliophile, by Jan-Ulrich Sobisch. In Indo-Iranian Journal 50/2, 2007: 193–196. Producing a Deluxe bKa’ ’gyur Manuscript Set at Ngor Monastery: The Commission (1601–1603) of Shar chen Byams pa Kun dga’ bkra shis* Jörg Heimbel (Universität Hamburg) The monastery of Ngor E waṃ chos ldan is located in gTsang province of central Tibet about 30 km southwest of present-day gZhis ka rtse. Its libraries are best known, at least outside of Tibet, for their textual treasures of Sanskrit palmleaf manuscripts that they once housed. The existence of these manuscripts was brought to light during the 1930s thanks to the expeditions of Rāhula Sāṅkṛtyāyana and Giuseppe Tucci, who must also be credited for their important contribution of preserving the now-lost manuscripts as photographic images.1 Apart from that, however, not much is known about the textual material (handwritten or xylographed) that was once kept in Ngor’s libraries or produced at the monastery, prior to its destruction during the 1960s. One of the few Tibetan sources offering a glimpse of the textual collections— both canonical and non-canonical—that were available at Ngor in the second decade of the twentieth century is the guidebook to the holy places of central Tibet written by Kaḥ thog Si tu Chos kyi rgya mtsho (1880–1925), who also made note of the existence of the above-mentioned Sanskrit manuscripts.2 In addition, thanks to the survey of central Tibetan printing houses ordered by the regent sTag brag Paṇḍita Ngag dbang gsung rab mthu stobs (1874–1952; r. 1941–1950), we have knowledge of twenty-seven printing blocks that were stored in Ngor’s small printery during the 1940s.3 Moreover, an important collection of more than seven hundred manuscripts originating from Ngor—which are predominantly tantric in nature, and some of which apparently date to as early as the fifteenth * I would like to thank Christoph Cüppers, Khang gsar rGan lags Jam ’dbyangs ye shes, Tsering Lama, and Dorji Wangchuk for their valuable comments on difficult Tibetan terms that were encountered in the passage dealing with the bKa’ ’gyur commission discussed in this paper. 1 See Heimbel 2017: 2–3. 2 See the dBus gtsang gnas yig (pp. 427.2–434.4). 3 See the sPar tho (pp. 217.3–218.6). The printery was part of Ngor’s main temple, that is, the assembly hall known as dBang khang chen mo; see the Ngor gyi lo rgyus (p. 42.9–10) and dBus gtsang gnas yig (p. 430.6). 220 Jörg Heimbel century or even earlier—have recently been located among the collections of the National Library of Bhutan, Thimphu. Their investigation will further enhance our understanding of what kind of texts were once stored at Ngor and thus most likely also taught and studied there.4 Further details about the availability and production of texts at the monastery can be learned from the rich biographical tradition of Ngor’s successive abbots. For instance, the biography of Shar chen Byams pa Kun dga’ bkra shis (1558– 1615), the fourteenth abbot (tenure: 1595–1615), contains a rich description of his commissioning of a deluxe bKa’ ’gyur manuscript set at Ngor and also provides interesting details about the wages of the scribes writing his commission in more than one hundred volumes.5 As a token of gratitude for the guidance that Prof. Dr. Franz-Karl Ehrhard has offered me as my second supervisor during the long process of researching and writing my dissertation, it is with great pleasure that I would like to introduce the production of that deluxe bKa’ ’gyur set, especially given his long-standing interest in Tibetan book culture and the important contributions he has made to that field. 1. Canonical Collections at Ngor Monastery During his pilgrimage through central Tibet, Kaḥ thog Si tu visited Ngor in about the ninth month of 1919,6 recording in his guidebook the main sacred objects he encountered in the monastery’s two main temples, as well as in the Thar rtse bla brang, one of Ngor’s four main lama palaces. From his listing, we have come to know of the existence of six bKa’ ’gyur and three bsTan ’gyur sets, as the major collections among the holdings of the monastic libraries.7 For all sets, it is possi4 The manuscript collection was located by Blo gsal don grub from Gong dkar Monastery (Dehradun, India) in 2008 while on his Himalaya expedition in search of old Sa skya texts, which had been initiated by the late mKhan chen A pad Rin po che Yon tan bzang po (1927–2010). This collection is nowadays studied by the author within the scope of his research project “Ngor’s Tantric Treasures: An Investigation of an Old Manuscript Find” funded by the Lumbini International Research Institute (LIRI), Nepal. 5 On Tibetan deluxe editions, see Wangchuk 2016. 6 If the guidebook chronologically records his journey, Kaḥ thog Si tu travelled from Ngor to Sa skya, where he reached on the fifteenth day of the ninth month of 1919; see the dBus gtsang gnas yig (p. 435.2). 7 Kaḥ thog Si tu enumerates the chapels of both temples as one list without differentiating between both monastic structures. For the chapels of the assembly hall, the dBang khang chen mo, see the dBus gtsang gnas yig (pp. 429.4–432.1). For those of the gZims khang Ka drug ma, see the dBus gtsang gnas yig (pp. 432.1–433.6). Kaḥ thog Si tu also gives a detailed description of the chapels belonging to the Thar rtse bla brang, in which he stayed in the dGos ’byung tshom chen; see the dBus gtsang gnas yig (pp. 427.2–428.6). But since the Thar rtse bla brang was only one of Ngor’s four main lama Producing a Deluxe bKa’ ’gyur Manuscript Set at Ngor Monastery 221 ble to ascertain from his record whether they were handwritten manuscripts (two sets) or block-prints (seven sets). For six of them, he was even able to specify the provenance, which in all cases, however, was not Ngor. But given the close relationship that existed between the Ngor branch of the Sa skya school and their royal patrons from the house of sDe dge, it is not surprising to see that six blockprints—one first-print (par phud) bKa’ ’gyur, two other bKa’ ’gyur, and three bsTan ’gyur sets—were originally printed at sDe dge’s famous printing house. The seventh block-print was a bKa’ ’gyur from the printing house of the nearby sNar thang Monastery.8 Of the two handwritten bKa’ ’gyur sets, one was written in golden ink and was reportedly donated to the monastery’s founder—Ngor chen Kun dga’ bzang po (1382–1456)—by a king of the royal house of Glo bo (i. e., Mustang), which was another important early patron of Ngor. Nothing can be learned about the provenance of the second manuscript bKa’ ’gyur, however.9 But Ngor was not always so rich in canonical collections as the description of Kaḥ thog Si tu might suggest. The majority of block-print sets mentioned by him came from sDe dge in the eastern Tibetan province of Khams, where it was not until the second quarter of the eighteenth century that the first xylographed editions of the bKa’ ’gyur (1729–1733), Sa skya bka’ ’bum (1734–1736), and bsTan ’gyur (1737–1744) were printed, when, under the patronage of the great king of sDe dge, bsTan pa tshe ring (1678–1738; r. 1714–1738), the famous sDe dge printing house was established.10 By that time, retired or ex-abbots of Ngor were serving as court chaplains at the royal court of sDe dge and they were, to some extent, palaces—the other three being Klu dings, Khang gsar, and Phang khang—, there might have existed still more canonical collections in those three lama palaces, which Kaḥ thog Si tu does not describe. 8 This is most likely a reference to the bKa’ ’gyur block-print edition commissioned by Pho lha nas (1689–1747, r. 1728–1747) in the early 1730s; see Almogi 2012: 509 and Schaeffer 2009: 110–119. 9 From Kaḥ thog Si tu’s listing, we come to know of the following collections and their respective repository: In the bKa’ ’gyur lha khang of the Thar rtse bla brang: sde dge’i bka’ ’gyur cha gnyis/ bstan ’gyur cha gnyis/ ; in one chapel of the dBang khang chen mo: lha khang gcig na bka’ ’gyur bris ma/ ; on the walls of a vestibule on an upper floor of the dBang khang chen mo: phyi khyams ngos su ngor chen la glo bo rgyal pos phul ba’i gser yig bka’ ’gyur/ ; in the gSang sngags pho brang on the top floor of the gZims khang Ka drug ma: snar thang bka’ ’gyur spar/ sde dge’i bstan ’gyur/ ; and in the g.Yab chen on the second floor of the gZims khang Ka drug ma: sde dge’i spar phud bka’ ’gyur/ ; see the dBus gtsang gnas yig (pp. 427.3, 430.3–4, 431.5, 432.2, 432.4–5), respectively. Cf. the table by Almogi 2012: 528, which lists an additional bKa’ ’gyur set. This set, however, did not exist at Ngor but at one of those sites that Kaḥ thog Si tu visited on the way between Ngor and Sa skya; see the dBus gtsang gnas yig (p. 434.4–6): bar ’dir seng ge rtse hral ba dang/ bkra shis lhun po’i dgon lag lhun po rtse dang/ tsha rong ltag der (…) bka’ ’gyur/ (…) sogs yod/ . 10 See Chaix 2010. In his bsTan ’gyur catalogue, Zhu chen Tshul khrims rin chen (1697–1774) reveals interesting details on the number of entire sets that were printed of those collections under the patronage of bsTan pa tshe ring and his sons, from the time of completing carving the woodblocks until the time of Zhu chen completing his bsTan ’gyur catalogue in 1744: one thousand five hundred copies of the bKa’ ’gyur (108 vols.) were printed between 1733 and 1744, three hundred copies of 222 Jörg Heimbel also involved in those printing projects.11 The sets from sDe dge that Kaḥ thog Si tu records could thus very well be prints from those first printing projects.12 Prior to that, Ngor Monastery apparently possessed only one bKa’ ’gyur in the seventeenth century, as we learn from the biography of bSod nams rgya mtsho (1617–1667), the twenty-first abbot (tenure: 1658–1667). For a more convenient usage, he thus immediately had a second set written on white paper in black script (skya chos).13 According to Kaḥ thog Si tu’s record, the only bKa’ ’gyur set that did exist during bSod nams rgya mtsho’s time should have been the one that the king of Glo bo (i. e., either A ma dpal or his son and heir A mgon bzang po) had donated to Ngor chen, the monastery’s founder. However, the deluxe edition that Shar chen Byams pa Kun dga’ bkra shis commissioned between the years 1601 and 1603, which shall be introduced below, should also be considered a possible candidate for that identification, though this would give us two bKa’ ’gyur sets at Ngor, which would raise new questions on how to align the account of Kaḥ thog Si tu with bSod nams rgya mtsho’s statement and the commission of Kun dga’ bkra shis. The earliest reference to the production of a canonical collection at Ngor dates even earlier, namely to the time of the monastery’s founder, Ngor chen. For the the Sa skya bka’ ’bum (15 vols.) between 1737 and 1744, and twenty-one copies of the bsTan ’gyur in 1744; see the bsTan ’gyur dkar chag (pp. 447.7–449.10). 11 See Chaix 2010; Heimbel 2017: 37–42, 416–421, 527. 12 In his addendum to the abbatial history of Ngor, dPal ldan chos skyong (1702–1760)—who served as the thirty-fourth abbot of Ngor (tenure: 1733–1739) and afterwards as court chaplain of Bla chen Phun tshogs bstan pa (d. 1751; r. 1738–1751) alias Kun dga’ phrin las rgya mtsho—mentions two bKa’ ’gyur sets that were brought to Ngor in the third decade of the seventeenth century; see the Ngor gyi gdan rabs 2 (pp. 532.5–6, 534.2–3). In his autobiography, he mentions a bKa’ ’gyur set donated by bsTan pa tshe ring, which could be the aforementioned first-print (par phud) bKa’ ’gyur (dPal ldan chos skyong gi rtogs brjod, vol. 1, p. 226.3): sde dge chos rgyal bstan pa tshe ring nas kyang nged rang khrir slebs thog bka’ ’gyur bar [= par?] thog ma’i yon ’bul phud kyi ja mang ba dang/ . In 1822, while beginning his term as chaplain in sDe dge, Byams pa Kun dga’ bstan ’dzin (1776–1862), the forty-seventh abbot of Ngor (tenure: 1812–1821), received from the king of sDe dge, Tshe dbang rdo rje rig ’dzin (1786–1847), among many other gifts, a bKa’ ’gyur set in 103 volumes; see the Byams pa kun dga’ bstan ’dzin gyi rnam thar (pp. 231.3–232.2). 13 See the bSod nams rgya mtsho’i rnam thar (p. 64.4–5): ngor pa la bka’ ’gyur cha gcig las mi ’dug pa/ ’phral du bde spyod byed rgyu’i bka’ ’gyur skya chos zhig bri thub na nges par mkho ba ’dug/ de la dgongs nas skya chos kyi bka’ ’gyur rdzogs par bzhengs pa dang/ . From his capsule biography, as included in the first abbatial history of Ngor, it becomes evident that bSod nams rgya mtsho passed away before the project was completed (Ngor gyi gdan rabs 1, p. 48.1–2): phyag g.yog rnams kyis dgongs rdzogs kyi rim pa rje nid kyis bzhengs pa’i bka’ ’gyur gyi ’phros rgyud ’bum dang/ (…) sogs dgongs rdzogs yang dag bsgrubs so// . See also the bSod nams rgya mtsho’i rnam thar (p. 74.4–5): gzhan yang rje de nyid kyi dgongs pa rdzogs phyir rje nyid kyi zhal chems bzhin du rgyud ’bum bzhengs pa dang/ . Producing a Deluxe bKa’ ’gyur Manuscript Set at Ngor Monastery 223 day prior to his passing away in the fourth month of 1456, his biography contains an account about the commissioning of a bsTan ’gyur set:14 Then, [on] the day of the twenty-fourth, [Ngor chen] gave instructions, saying: “Though [I] thought to edit this bsTan ’gyur for lDan ma Drung Rin po che and assist [in its production], [I am unable to do so]. Now send the books to the personal attendant and give directions on [the process of] writing. You should return to [your native] land. [In the future, you or lDan ma Drung Rin po che] might shortly come [back to Ngor]. lDan ma Drung Rin po che—that is, sGa Rab ’byams pa Kun dga’ ye shes (1397– 1470), Ngor chen’s old student and founder of Thar lam Monastery in the sGa region of Khams15 —must have made plans to have a copy of the bsTan ’gyur commissioned at Ngor, and possibly sent a trusted monk to oversee it. Though Ngor chen originally intended to help with its commissioning, advanced age and sickness prevented him from doing so. He thus instructed the acquaintance or representative of Kun dga’ ye shes on how to proceed and sent him back to Khams.16 Prior to that, Ngor chen had already overseen the commissioning of sets of both bKa’ ’gyur and bsTan ’gyur during his three sojourns in Glo bo (1427–1428, 1436–1437, 14 Ngor chen gyi rnam thar (p. 562.2–3): de nas nyi shu bzhi’i nyin ldan ma drung rin po che la bstan ’gyur ’di’i zhu dag dang grogs ldan [= dan] byed bsam na’ang/ da nye gnas pa la dpe cha springs la ’bri ba’i zhal da [= ta] mdzod la khyed rang yul du byon dang/ phebs tsam cig ’ong gsung ba’i zhal da [= ta] mdzad do// . 15 lDan ma Drung Rin po che is listed as Ka drug pa Drung Rin po che among Ngor chen’s disciples from lDan ma; see the Ngor chen gyi rnam thar (p. 533.4–5). While staying at Sa skya between 1417 to 1421, gZhon nu seng ge, Ngor chen’s younger half-brother, accommodated him in the Ka drug Tshoms dmar of the bZhi thog bla brang, which is why he received the nickname Ka drug Tshoms dmar Drung Rin po che; see the Kun dga’ ye shes kyi rnam thar (p. 346.2–5). 16 At that time, Kun dga’ ye shes himself was apparently not present at Ngor. According to his biography, he had visited Ngor a couple of years earlier in 1450 during his second sojourn in central Tibet (1450–1451), but did not return afterwards; see the Kun dga’ ye shes kyi rnam thar (pp. 359.14– 360.3). The autobiography of Sangs rgyas phun tshogs (1649–1705), the twenty-fifth abbot of Ngor (tenure: 1686–1689), contains a gloss that confirms the production of a bsTan ’gyur set at Ngor by a certain Drung Rin chen, who is most likely the same person as Drung Rin po che (Sangs rgyas phun tshogs kyi myong ba brjod pa, p. 190.5): bstan ’gyur ’di drung rin chen zhes grags pa des ngor sogs dbus gtsang du bzhengs ’dug/ . The set in question was originally housed in (b)sKal bzang dgon, the abode (bsti gnas) of sGa A gnyan dam pa, but Sangs rgyas phun tshogs had it brought for his personal studies to gDong sprad bSam gtan gling, his main residence while in Khams for collecting offerings for the Thar rtse bla brang; see the Sangs rgyas phun tshogs kyi myong ba brjod pa (p. 190.4–6). The fact that such commissions were executed at Ngor from early on is suggested by another account contained in a letter that Ngor chen sent from Ngor in 1434 or 1446 to a certain dPon rgan Thar pa ye shes; see the ar pa ye shes la springs pa (p. 721.3–4): ’dir bla ma kun dga’ rgyal mtshan pa/ rje btsun gong ma rdo rje ’chang dang dbyer ma mchis pa rnams kyi gsung rab rnams grub nas zhu dag dang/ rab gnas sogs legs par mthar phyin nas/ de phyogs su spyan drangs nas byon yod pas thugs dga’ spro chen po mdzad par zhu/ nyams len gyi rim pa’i chos shig dgos zer ba/ mdor bsdus te brjod na/ . 224 Jörg Heimbel and 1447–1449), though apparently none of these commissions were destined for Ngor itself.17 2. The Deluxe bKa’ ’gyur Commissioned by Shar chen Byams pa Kun dga’ bkra shis Shar chen Byams pa Kun dga’ bkra shis (1558–1615) served as the fourteenth abbot of Ngor Monastery (tenure: 1595–1615), which made him the first member of the famous Shar family to hold that office.18 Kun dga’ bkra shis was officially installed on the twenty-fifth day of the sixth month of 1595,19 as we read in his biography written by his disciple rTa nag mKhan chen Ngag dbang brtan pa’i rdo rje (b. 1584).20 He is portrayed as having then been a very successful abbot in his efforts to secure donations for his monastery, which were always needed for different kinds of religious services, including serving tea to the monastic community on such occasions as death anniversaries of important lamas, or for the votive butter lamps in Ngor’s numerous temples and chapels. In addition to sending a group of twenty monks led by his younger brother bDag chen Kun dga’ dpal bzang to Khams to collect offerings in the autumn of 1598,21 Kun dga’ bkra shis is said to have dispatched many other such alms collectors, effectively establishing new sources of income for his abbacy. The wealth he gained through these campaigns was apparently an important factor in developing the idea of commissioning a bKa’ ’gyur.22 17 See Heimbel 2017: 314–326. Masters from that family at Ngor became known by the title Klu sdings (or lding) pa, taken from the eponymous bla brang founded at Ngor by Byams pa Kun dga’ bkra shis or Shar chen Shes rab ’byung gnas (1596–1653), the eighteenth abbot of Ngor (tenure: 1625–1653); see Heimbel 2017: 112–118. 19 Byams pa Kun dga’ bkra shis was installed by order of his predecessor, Brang ti Paṇ chen Nam mkha’ dpal bzang (1535–1602), the thirteenth abbot of Ngor (two tenures: 1579–1582/83 and 1590– 1595). Prior to that, during the same year, he had already given the Lam ’bras at Ngor, most likely because Nam mkha’ dpal bzang had secluded himself in a strict retreat. On these developments, see the Kun dga’ bkra shis kyi rnam thar AB (fols. 46b.5–47a.3), Kun dga’ bkra shis kyi rnam thar C (p. 677.2–6), Ngor gyi gdan rabs 1 (pp. 32.2–6 and 39.6), and Nam mkha’ dpal bzang po’i rnam thar (pp. 597.1–598.3). 20 For Ngag dbang brtan pa’i rdo rje, who served as the fifteenth abbot of rTa nag Thub bstan rnam rgyal, see the ub bstan rnam rgyal gyi rten gdan rabs dang bcas pa’i lo rgyus (pp. 18.21–19.16) and Heimbel 2017: 401–402, n. 858. 21 The custom of sending alms collectors to Khams was initially established by Go rams pa bSod nams seng ge (1429–1489), the sixth abbot of Ngor (tenure: 1483–1486); see Heimbel (forthcoming). 22 See the Kun dga’ bkra shis kyi rnam thar AB (fol. 47b.4–6) and Kun dga’ bkra shis kyi rnam thar C (p. 679.3–6). 18 Producing a Deluxe bKa’ ’gyur Manuscript Set at Ngor Monastery 225 On top of that, Kun dga’ bkra shis himself embarked on a teaching tour to gain further donations for his intended commission. Before leaving from Ngor, he informed his abbatial predecessor—Brang ti Paṇ chen Nam mkha’ dpal bzang (1535–1602), the thirteenth abbot (two tenures: 1579–1582/83 and 1590–1595)— about his plan, asking him to give the autumn teaching session in his stead. Having secured the latter’s approval, Kun dga’ bkra shis departed on the fourth day of the ninth month of 1600, travelling via rGyal mkhar rtse to lHo rang (which most likely has to be emended to lHo rong: the “southern ravines”). Since his journey led him to such places as Phag ri, sPyi zhing kha,23 and ’O ’dul kha, he was obviously travelling south of rGyal mkhar rtse, in an area including parts of present-day Gro mo rdzong and Bhutan.24 From monastic patrons in those areas, Kun dga’ bkra shis was offered service and donations (bsnyen bkur ’bul nod) on a large scale, and was also extremely well-provided with silver and paper; both important resources for his bKa’ ’gyur commission. In return, he gave all kinds of teachings, such as on Gur drag and the longevity empowerment of Amitāyus according to the system of Grub rgyal. Following the insistent requests of the local religious preceptors and donors to continue to stay during the coming winter and spring, he contacted Nam mkha’ dpal bzang with the request to also give the annual Lam ’bras teachings at Ngor in his stead. But since a divination, which was performed to investigate any possible 23 sPyi zhing kha can be identified as the eponymous fifteenth-century Ngor pa branch monastery in Wang yul of present-day Bhutan; see Heimbel 2017: 256–257, n. 194. Though generally referred to as sPyi zhing in Bhutanese sources, the printing colophon of the collected works of its founder—Blo gros rab dbyangs (b. 1460 or 1474) alias sKal ldan rab dbyangs, who was a disciple of both Go rams pa and Kong ston dBang phyug grub pa (b. 1443), as well as the fourth abbot of rTa nag Thub bstan rnam rgyal—utilises the name sPyi zhing kha; see Gyaltsen 2016: 383, 384, n. 45. On Blo gros rab dbyangs, see Gyaltsen 2016: 382–386 and Heimbel 2017: 256–258, esp. nn. 194–195. 24 See the Kun dga’ bkra shis kyi rnam thar AB (fols. 47b.6–48a.2) and Kun dga’ bkra shis kyi rnam thar C (pp. 679.6–680.2). Also, Shar chen Shes rab ’byung gnas (1596–1653), a nephew of Byams pa Kun dga’ bkra shis who served as the eighteenth abbot of Ngor (tenure: 1625–1653), travelled to lHo rong (in about 1631 or 1643). He had been invited by the religious preceptors and donors (mchod yon) of sPe shing kha, which can most likely be identified as the monastery of sPyi zhing kha as mentioned in the previous note. Having giving teachings there, he received different kinds of offerings in return, among which, interestingly, white rice (’bras dkar) is mentioned. He returned via rGyal rtse, where he was welcomed by sDe pa brGya tsho and, among others, consecrated the assembly hall (’du khang) of the largest Sa skya college of dPal ’khor chos sde, the Gur pa grwa tshang; see the Shes rab ’byung gnas kyi rnam thar (pp. 807.3–808.1). His biography also contains some details about the remuneration of Newari artists and Tibetan thangka painters and carpenters at Ngor; see the Shes rab ’byung gnas kyi rnam thar (pp. 824.6–826.1). Also, dPal ldan chos skyong (1702–1760), the thirty-fourth abbot of Ngor (tenure: 1733–1739), makes mention of that monastery in his autobiography, though by the name of lHo sPe’i shi’i dgon pa. The fact that Ngor received rice from Bhutan (’brug pa’i yul) is mentioned by him as well; see the dPal ldan chos skyong gi rtogs brjod (vol. 1, p. 226.2–3). 226 Jörg Heimbel consequences this decision could entail, turned out to be negative, Kun dga’ bkra shis was officially requested to return to Ngor. Complying with this request, he concluded his teaching tour and returned back to Ngor at the end of the first month of 1601, to begin to give the annual Lam ’bras the next day after his return.25 After this introductory section to the commission of Kun dga’ bkra shis, his biographer continues with the actual description of the production of the bKa’ ’gyur set, focusing on the costs of its production and the remuneration of its scribes.26 In what follows, I shall try to summarise the details of that production by following the presentation as outlined in the biography of Kun dga’ bkra shis. As some Tibetan terms used in that description are unknown to me and are also lexically unattested, my understanding of some parts remains preliminary; however, I hope it can soon be improved through future studies. The project began by summoning many expert scribes (yig mkhan mkhas pa) from sNye mo, and a bKa’ ’gyur was borrowed from rGyal rtse (i. e., most likely from dPal ’khor Chos sde) to serve as the master copy. During its first year, the project benefitted economically from the large amount of donations that arrived from Khams, which had been sent by the aforementioned group of alms collectors lead by bDag chen Kun dga’ dpal bzang, and during its later phase also from those of a certain bDag po sKu skye. In total, twenty scribes (bris pa) worked on writing out the bKa’ ’gyur in 1601, forty-six in 1602, and thirty-seven in 1603. They were remunerated as follows: • • 25 Per day, they received four tea servings and groups of five scribes received three units of chang beer (khrung).27 The wage for each person per month consisted of three khal and five bre of barley, which was measured with the “white ’bo box” (’bo dkar),28 and one khal and seven nyag of thud cake—a mixture of butter, cheese and molasses See the Kun dga’ bkra shis kyi rnam thar AB (fol. 48a.2–4) and Kun dga’ bkra shis kyi rnam thar C (p. 680.2–4). 26 For this description, see the Kun dga’ bkra shis kyi rnam thar AB (fol. 48a.4–b.5), Kun dga’ bkra shis kyi rnam thar C (pp. 680.4–682.1), and the Appendix of this paper. 27 Perhaps the unit (tshod) of chang beer refers to an earthenware pot in which the chang was brewed. 28 Such octagonal boxes were used for weighing grain and one khal was their largest volume unit. But the size of these boxes could vary in different Tibetan regions, though the central Tibetan government established an official, standard khal in the seventeenth century; see Schuh 2012, vol. 1: xxiii, xxvi–xxvii; vol. 2: 703–704; vol. 4: s. v. ’bo; Surkhang 1966: 18. On Tibetan units for volume and weight, see Schuh 2012, vol. 2: 703–705; vol. 4: s. vv. khal, bre, phul and khal, ñag, spor. It needs further clarification, however, with regard to what exactly the white ’bo box of Ngor was. Producing a Deluxe bKa’ ’gyur Manuscript Set at Ngor Monastery • • 227 that can also contain roasted barley flour—, which was weighed with Ngor’s “iron scale” (lcags srang).29 As additional payment, they each received a square of silk and half of a carcass of “white meet” (dkar sha) (i. e., of a sheep).30 Twice per month, they were given additional rewards: “excellent tea” (gsol ja bzang ba) was served twice, chang beer was provided as far as possible, and per head, they were given an uncut piece of “white meat” (dkar sha) (i. e., mutton) and “meat for eating” (za sha).31 On some occasions, they also received tra (a silver coin?) along with butter as additional gifts. The total number of offerings (’bul ba) for the scribes for each volume was calculated with eighty khal of barley as the reference value. The offerings for the scribes doing the relief-like scripts (or raised lettering) modelled on the first few pages amounted to twice that amount per volume.32 It was possible for the scribes to exchange the thud cake and other offerings for such goods as turquoise, coral, amber, and silk. As the basic raw material “southern paper” (lho shog), of which many layers were pressed or glued together, was used. This very thick and high-quality paper was then prepared with indigo dye. According to the scribes, the amount of dung (lud) that was needed in the process of preparing the paper was the amount produced during one year by the animals of a middle-sized family (also accounting for the paper that was hidden away by the scribes).33 29 This iron scale is also mentioned in another context in the biography of Byams pa Kun dga’ bkra shis, namely when building a silver stūpa as an “inner sacred object” (nang rten) for dKon mchog dpal ldan (1526–1590), the twelfth abbot (two tenures: 1569–1579 and 1582/83–1590); see the Kun dga’ bkra shis kyi rnam thar AB (fol. 46a.6–b.1) and Kun dga’ bkra shis kyi rnam thar C (p. 676.1–2): chu mo sbrul lor [i. e., in 1593]/ nang rten bzhengs pa la/ dngul lhag med e waṃ gyi lcags srang gi khal lnga/ gser zho brgyad cu gya lnga/ zangs khal nyi shu/ g.yu la sogs pa’i phra du ma dang bcas/ . See also the Ngor gyi gdan rabs 1 (p. 39.5). The existence of the scale was also confirmed by Klu lding mKhan chen Rin po che (b. 1931), the seventy-fifth abbot (tenure: 1954–1957), who called it ngor pa’i lcags srang, adding that it was also used during the handover of the abbacy (Interview, May 12, 2009, Ngor ma dgon). 30 According to both Khang gsar rGan lags ’Jam dbyangs ye shes (pers. comm., June 17, 2017, WeChat) and Tsering Lama (pers. comm., May 10, 2017, WeChat), dkar sha refers to the meat of a sheep. Also, in the term sha dkar nag, “white meat” (sha dkar) refers to the meat of a sheep and “black meat” (sha nag) to the meat of a yak. This has also been mentioned by Surkhang 1966: 26. 31 According to Khang gsar rGan lags ’Jam dbyangs ye shes (pers. comm., June 17, 2017, WeChat), za sha might perhaps be similar in meaning to sha skal, that is, a share or portion of fresh meat. 32 The Tibetan term for that relief type script and the scribes preparing it is given as lto dkar and lto dkar ba; see the Kun dga’ bkra shis kyi rnam thar AB (fol. 48b.2–3) and Kun dga’ bkra shis kyi rnam thar C (p. 680.2–4). Cf. Cüppers 2010: 119 and 128, where these expressions are spelled lto gar and lto gar ba. On the making of those letters, see Canary 2014: 110. 33 This description suggests that the dung was used for certain processes during the preparation of the paper that required some boiling; most likely in the process of producing the dark blue paper 228 Jörg Heimbel For each volume, twenty-four zho of gold and silver were used. The relief type script and the text of the first few folios were done in gold. Of the remaining folios, each had two lines of gold writing and the remaining lines were done in silver writing. When the writing of ten folios was completed, they were shown to Grong gsar Lo tsā ba from Nyang stod—who was an expert in Sūtra and Mantra and all fields of knowledge—’Bum rab ’byams pa mGon po bkra shis from sNar thang, and others for proofreading. More than one hundred volumes of the bKa’ ’gyur were made, for which were ordered slabs of wooden boards (i. e., the book-covers) painted in vermillion colour with gold patterns, excellent binding straps—the insides of which were made of “southern cloth” (lho gos) and the outsides of which were made of yellow cloth— and “clothing” (na bza’), that is, high-quality covers for wrapping the individual volumes. In addition, single volumes of the mDo phran and gZungs ’dus sections were made as a white edition (skya pod)34 —that is, written with black ink on white paper—along with a hundred head ornaments of the five buddha families that were made as ritual implements to be used in the initiations into the Vajrāvalī cycle. This detailed description of Byams pa Kun dga’ bkra shis’ commission opens an interesting window into the system of remuneration for scribes at the beginning of the seventeenth century in gTsang province of central Tibet. As outlined, their wages were paid as an allowance in kind, mainly consisting of different kinds of foodstuffs. They were provided with tea and chang beer on a daily basis, and their basic monthly wages consisted of barley and thud cake, to which additional payments of silk and meat were added. On top of that, special rewards of tea, meat, and chang beer were given twice per month. According to the calculations made by Dung dkar Blo bzang ’phrin las (1927–1997), during the period when the kings of gTsang dominated central Tibet (ca. 1565–1642), the highest daily wage for a craftsman working with stone, wood, or iron amounted to three bre and two phul (i. e., 0,166 khal) of grain and the lowest was two bre of grain (i. e., 0,1 khal).35 Comparing these amounts with the quantity of barley the scribes were paid at Ngor (mthing shog); see Helman-Ważny 2014: 42–43, 103–104, 194–196. For references to five brief Tibetan works on how to make dark blue paper, see Wangchuk 2016: 403. On the preparation of deluxe manuscript editions on dark blue paper, see also Canary 2014. 34 Cüppers 2010: 124–125 describes a bka’ ’gyur skya pod tshar gcig as “a simple Bka’ ’gyur set, i. e. one written on white paper with black ink.” On the terms skya chos (“white scriptures / treatises”) and skya bris can (“white edition”), see Wangchuk 2016: 372–373 and 381, n. 36, respectively. 35 See the Bod yig dpe rnying par skrun dang ’brel ba’i gnad don ’ga’ shig skor gleng ba (p. 425.14–18) and Chaix 2016: 59. Producing a Deluxe bKa’ ’gyur Manuscript Set at Ngor Monastery 229 (3,25 khal per month; i. e., 0,108 khal per day), one could be inclined to draw the conclusion that they were at the lower end of the pay scale. However, such a conclusion can only be preliminary. As has been pointed out by Rémi Chaix in his recent study of wages at the sDe dge printing house (including a comparative assessment of these wages with those of central Tibet), “without knowing the exact exchange rate in barley for any other item”—which in the case of Ngor would be the thud cake, silk, meat, etc.—“we cannot calculate the exact remuneration.”36 Nevertheless, the data gained about the bKa’ ’gyur commission by Byams pa Kun dga’ bkra shis, adds a small piece of information to the large puzzle of how artisans were remunerated in Tibet. Along with other such studies, it will hopefully make a small contribution to our better understanding of the Tibetan system of remuneration.37 Appendix Passage on the bKa’ ’gyur Commission from the Biography of Shar chen Byams pa Kun dga’ bkra shis38 (AB48a.5/C680.4) de nas snye mo nas yig mkhan mkhas pa mang po bkug/ rgyal rtse nas ma dpe g.yar te bka’ ’gyur bzhengs pa’i dbu btsugs/ lo de la khams nas gcung rin po che’i ’bul skyel stobs che ba/ bar lam bdag po sku skye’i drung gis kyang ’bul skyel bsam las ’das pa sleb/ lo gsum bka’ ’gyur bzhengs pa’i glang lor bris pa nyi shu/ stag lor bris pa bzhi bcu zhe drug/ yos lor sum cu so bdun la/ nyi ma re la gsol ja ’dab sbyor bzhi re/ bris pa lnga lnga la khrung tshod gsum re/ zla re la phogs (C681.1) mi re la ’bo dkar gyi nas khal gsum bre lnga ma/ thud lcags (AB48b.1) srang gi khal re nyag bdun ma/ phogs rgyab dar kha re/ dkar sha khog phyed re/ zla re la gsol ras ’phar ma lan gnyis gnang ba/ gsol ja bzang ba sbyor gnyis/ khrung gang yong/ dkar sha dras med re dang za sha re/ skabs dag la zur gsos kyi tra mar dang bcas pa/ ’bul ba pusti re la nas khal brgyad cu re’i rtsis/ lto dkar ba la ’dab log/ thud dang ’bul ba rnams la g.yu byi ru spos shel dar ras la sogs pa’i spus bsgyur dang gang ’dod gnang/ shog bu lho shog mang po sbyar ba shin tu mthug cing bzang ba rams tshos ’ba’ zhig mdzad de/ bris pas sbas bskung byas pa tshun/ grong ’bring gi lo gcig gi lud tsam ’gro ba yod ces bris pa dag zer/ pusti re la gser dngul lhad med zho nyi shu rtsa bzhi re/ lto dkar dang dbu’i shog grangs ’ga’ zhig gser ma/ lhag ma rnams la ngos re la gser phreng gnyis gnyis/ lhag ma dngul yig/ shog bu bcu bcu tshar ba dang spyan lam phabs pa mdzad/ nyang stod 36 Chaix 2016: 61. For such studies, see, for instance, Caumanns 2013: 72–74; Chaix 2010; Chaix 2016; Cüppers 2010. See also the important contribution by Dung dkar Rin po che, the Bod yig dpe rnying par skrun dang ’brel ba’i gnad don ’ga’ shig skor gleng ba, and its English translation by Gonkatsang 2016. 38 AB = Kun dga’ bkra shis kyi rnam thar AB; C = Kun dga’ bkra shis kyi rnam thar C. 37 230 Jörg Heimbel nas mdo sngags rig gnas mtha’ dag la mkhas pa grong gsar lo tsā ba dang/ snar thang nas ’bum rab ’byams pa mgon po bkra shis sogs kyis zhus dag byas/ glegs shing mtshal ma dmar ’byams gser ris can/ glegs thag bzang po lho gos kyi nang dang ras ser pos phyi byas pa/ rten khebs che legs kyi na bza’ re dang bcas pa’i pusti brgya lhag pa bzhengs/ mdo phran pusti gcig dang gzungs ’dus pusti gcig skya pod du bzhengs/ rdo rje phreng (C682.1) ba’i dbang rdzas rigs lnga’i dbu rgyan brgya tham pa bzhengs/ Bibliography Primary Sources Kun dga’ bkra shis kyi rnam thar A = rTa nag mKhan chen Ngag dbang brtan pa’i rdo rje (b. 1584). dPal chos kyi rje ’jig rten gsum gyi yongs su ’dren pa shar chen chos kyi rgyal po’i yon tan rgya mtsho gsal bar byed pa’i rnam par thar pa ye shes chen po’i glu dbyangs. In De bzhin gshegs pa thams cad kyi bgrod pa gcig pa’i lam chen gsung ngag rin po che’i bla ma brgyud pa’i rnam thar, vol. 3 (ga), fols. 28b.1–64a.6. Block-print from sDe dge. Kun dga’ bkra shis kyi rnam thar B = rTa nag mKhan chen Ngag dbang brtan pa’i rdo rje (b. 1584). dPal chos kyi rje ’jig rten gsum gyi yongs su ’dren pa shar chen chos kyi rgyal po’i yon tan rgya mtsho gsal bar byed pa’i rnam par thar pa ye shes chen po’i glu dbyangs. In De bzhin gshegs pa thams cad kyi bgrod pa gcig pa’i lam chen gsung ngag rin po che’i bla ma brgyud pa’i rnam thar, vol. 3 (ga), fols. 28b.1–64a.6. Block-print from sDe dge. (tbrc w00chz0103345). Kun dga’ bkra shis kyi rnam thar C = rTa nag mKhan chen Ngag dbang brtan pa’i rdo rje (b. 1584). dPal chos kyi rje ’jig rten gsum gyi yongs su ’dren pa shar chen chos kyi rgyal po’i yon tan rgya mtsho gsal bar byed pa’i rnam par thar pa ye shes chen po’i glu dbyangs. In Lam ’bras 2, vol. 28 (sa), pp. 631–719. Kun dga’ ye shes kyi rnam thar = mKhan ’Jam dbyangs Shes rab. bDag nyid chen po gzhung lugs rab ’byams pa kun dga’ ye shes kyi rnam par thar pa ngo mtshar sprin dkar gzhon nu’i rol rtsed/ byin rlabs bdud rtsi’i char ’bebs. In bSe mkhar rNam sras (ed.). sGa rab ’byams pa kun dga’ ye shes kyi gsung ’bum, [s. l.]: [s. n.], 2005, vol. 1, pp. 308–380. Ngor gyi gdan rabs 1 = ’Jam mgon Sangs rgyas phun tshogs (1649–1705). dPal e waṃ chos ldan gyi gdan rabs nor bu’i phreng ba. In Lam ’bras tshogs bshad, vol. 4, pp. 1–52. Ngor gyi gdan rabs 2 = dPal ldan chos skyong (1702–1760). E waṃ pa’i gdan rabs rin chen phreng mdzes kyi kha skong rtogs brjod byin rlabs ’dod dgu’i dpal ster. In Lam ’bras tshogs bshad, vol. 4, pp. 495–593. Ngor chen gyi rnam thar = ’Jam mgon Sangs rgyas phun tshogs (1649–1705). rDo rje ’chang kun dga’ bzang po’i rnam par thar pa legs bshad chu bo ’dus pa’i rgya mtsho. In Lam ’bras 1, vol. 1 (ka), pp. 475–585. bsTan ’gyur dkar chag = Zhu chen Tshul khrims rin chen (1697–1774). Kun mkhyen nyi ma’i gnyen gyi bka’ lung gi dgongs don rnam par ’grel ba’i bstan bcos gangs can pa’i skad du ’gyur ro ’tshal gyi chos sbyin rgyun mi ’chad pa’i ngo mtshar ’phrul gyi phyi mo rdzogs ldan bskal pa’i bsod nams kyi sprin phung rgyas par dkrigs pa’i tshul las brtsams pa’i gtam ngo mtshar chu gter ’phel ba’i zla ba gsar pa. Lhasa: Bod ljongs mi dmangs dpe skrun khang, 1985. ar pa ye shes la springs pa = Ngor chen Kun dga’ bzang po (1382–1456). ar pa ye shes la springs pa. In Ngor chen gyi bka’ ’bum. 4 vols. Dehra Dun, U. P.: Ngor Pal E-Wam Cho Dan, 1993, vol. 4 (a), pp. 721.2–722.2. (tbrc w11577). Producing a Deluxe bKa’ ’gyur Manuscript Set at Ngor Monastery 231 ub bstan rnam rgyal gyi rten gdan rabs dang bcas pa’i lo rgyus = rTa nag mKhan chen Mi pham Ngag gi dbang phyug. Chos grwa chen po thub bstan rnam rgyal gyi rten gdan rabs dang bcas pa’i lo rgyus mdo tsam brjod pa ngo mtshar dad pa’i sgo ’byed. Kathmandu: Sachen International (rGyal yongs sa chen), [s. d.]. Nam mkha’ dpal bzang po’i rnam thar = Drung chen bSod nams shes rab (fl. 16th /17th century). ar rtse nam mkha’ dpal bzang po’i rnam par thar pa byin rlabs myur du ’jug pa’i phyo nya. In Lam ’bras 2, vol. 28 (sa), pp. 563–630. dPal ldan chos skyong gi rtogs brjod = dPal ldan chos skyong (1702–1760). Ṅor mkhan-chen dpal-ldanchos-skyoṅ źabs kyi rnam thar sna tshogs ljon pa stug po’i khri śiṅ: e autobiography of the rd Abbot of Ṅor Dpal-ldan-chos-skyoṅ. Completed and edited by Źu-chen Tshul-khrims-rin-chen of Sde-dge. Reproduced from tracing of a print from the Sde-dge blocks from the library of Burmiok Athing by e Eight Khams-sprul Don-brgyud-ñi-ma. 4 vols. Tibetan Craft Community Tashijong, Palampur, H. P.: The Sungrab Nyamso Gyunpel Parkhang, 1974–1975. sPar tho = Gangs can gyi ljongs su bka’ dang bstan bcos sogs kyi glegs bam spar gzhi ji ltar yod pa rnams nas dkar chag spar thor phyogs tsam du bkod pa phan bde’i pad tshal ’byed pa’i nyin byed. In ree Karchacks. Edited and reproduced by Ngawang Gelek Demo with an English Introduction by E. Gene Smith. Gedan Sungrab Minyam Gyunphel Series, vol. 13. New Delhi: Ngawang Gelek Demo, 1970, pp. 169–243. Bod yig dpe rnying par skrun dang ’brel ba’i gnad don ’ga’ shig skor gleng ba = Dung dkar Blo bzang ’phrin las (1927–1997). Bod yig dpe rnying par skrun dang ’brel ba’i gnad don ’ga’ shig skor gleng ba. In sKal bzang dar rgyas (ed.). Dung dkar blo bzang ’phrin las kyi gsung rtsom phyogs bsgrigs. Beijing: Krung go’i bod kyi shes rig dpe skrun khang, 1997, pp. 406–451. Byams pa kun dga’ bstan ’dzin gyi rnam thar = Thar rtse mKhan chen Byams pa Kun dga’ bstan pa’i rgyal mtshan (1829–1870). dPal chos kyi rje khams gsum gyi mgon po mkhan chen thams cad mkhyen pa byams pa nam mkha’ ’chi med khu dbon gsum gyi thun mong ba’i rtogs pa brjod pa ngo mtshar me tog g.yo ba’i ’khri shing byin rlabs ’dod rgu’i ’byung gnas. In Lam ’bras 1, vol. 7 (ja), pp. 148–345.6. dBus gtsang gnas yig = Kaḥ thog Si tu Chos kyi rgya mtsho (1880–1925). An Account of a Pilgrimage to Central Tibet during the Years  to , being the text of Gangs ljongs dbus gtsang gnas bskor lam yig nor bu zla shel gyi se mo do. Photographically reproduced from the original Tibetan xylograph by Khams-sprul Don-brgyud-nyi-ma. Tashijong, Palampur, H. P.: The Sungrab Nyamso Gyunphel Parkhang, Tibetan Craft Community, 1972. Lam ’bras 1 = Lam ’bras slob bśad: e Sa-skya-pa teachings of the path and the fruit, according to the Tshar-pa transmission. As arranged by ’Jam-dbyaṅs-blo-gter-dbaṅ-po and supplemented by texts continuing the lineage through Khaṅ-gsar Dam-pa and Sga-ston Ṅag-dbaṅ-legs-pa Rin-po-ches. 21 vols. Reproduced from prints from the Sde-dge redaction from the library of the Ven. Klu-sdiṅs Mkhan Rin-po-che of Ṅor. Sa-skya Lam ’bras Literature Series, vols. 1–21. Dehra Dun, U. P.: Sakya Centre, 1983–1985. Lam ’bras 2 = mKhan chen A pad Rin po che Yon tan bzang po (1927–2010; ed.). Sa skyaʼi lam ʼbras. 43 vols. Kathmandu: Sachen International (rGyal yongs sa chen), 2008. • gSung ngag lam ’bras slob bshad chen mo: e Great Collection of the Lamdre Lobshe Teachings. 26 vols. (vols. 1–26). • gSung ngag lam ’bras tshogs bshad chen mo: e Great Collection of the Lamdre Tshogshe Teachings. 5 vols. (vols. 27–42). • Lam ’bras kha skong rdo rje rin po che’i mdzod: A Treasure of Vajra Jewels: Supplement Text on the Lamdre. 1 vol. (vol. 43). Lam ’bras tshogs bshad = Lam ’bras Tshogs bśad: e Sa-skya-pa teachings of the path and the fruit, according to the Ṅor-pa transmission. As arranged by ’Jam-dbyaṅs Blo-gter-dbaṅ-po and his successors and incorporating other texts transmiing the lineage through the present Ṅor and Sa-skya 232 Jörg Heimbel systems. 6 vols. Reproduced from prints from the Sde-dge blocks from the library of the Ven. Klusdiṅs Mkhan Rin-po-che of Ṅor. Sa-skya Lam ’bras Literature Series, vols. 22–27. Dehra Dun, U. P.: Sakya Centre, 1985. Shes rab ’byung gnas kyi rnam thar = bDag po rGyal rtse ba Byang pa Ngag dbang bsod nams rgyal mtshan (1598–1674). Shar chen chos kyi rgyal po ’jam mgon shes rab ’byung gnas kyi rnam par thar pa dge legs ngo mtshar lhun po. In Lam ’bras 2, vol. 28 (sa), pp. 783–827. Sangs rgyas phun tshogs kyi myong ba brjod pa = ’Jam mgon Sangs rgyas phun tshogs (1649–1705). Bya bral ba sangs rgyas phun tshogs kyi myong ba brjod pa nges ’byung gtam gyi rol mtsho. 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