Yonezawa Yoswiyasu, Professor of Institute for Comprehensive Studies of Buddhism Taishio University, Japan:"Researches into Sanskrit Manuscripts Preserved in Tibet"

I, Sanskrit Manuscripts Preserved in Tibet

Nobody would deny that, Buddhism is one the indispensable elements in Tibet culture. Historical speaking, an intensive and comprehensive acculturation of all Buddhism traditions available from India was accomplished in Tibet until the fourteenth century. In other words, the whole religious and scholarly culture of Indian Buddhism transformed into the new Tibetan garb when it visibly disappeared more and more quickly from the face of the homeland. This process of acculturation was realized, for instance, by receiving oral transmissions, by translating texts and by analyzing and interpreting their contents. A single glance at one of the Tibetan canonical collections of the bKa’’gyur and the bsTan’gyur suffices to give an idea of the huge amount of effort which had been devoted to the activities.

The large mass of translated literatures is really remarkable in itself. However, we should not ignore the impressive fact that there have been interests in Sanskrit learning among Tibetan Buddhist scholars, although limited number of specialties, and Sanskrit Manuscripts as their study sources were available in Tibetan monastic collections. Most probably, the monastic center specialized in collecting such materials in the very early period.

In thirties of the last century, Indian scholar Rāhula Sāńkrtyāyana visited Tibetan monasteries such as Sa skya Zha lu Ri phug, Ngor, etc. and published his reports on the Sanskrit Manuscripts preserved there. Incidentally, it is to be noted that, a Tibetan scholar dGe ’dun chos ’phel contributed a lot to his researches, although he is seldom referred to in this respect. The other notable foreigner who photographed and copied many Sanskrit Manuscripts is an Indian scholar Giuseppe Tucci (1894-1984). He visited Tibet in 1933, 1935, 1939 and 1949. Their information as well was the photos of the materials they took at that time still gives a great impact on modern scholarship of Indology and Buddhist studies all over the world. Any further searching for Sanskrit Manuscripts in Tibet by foreigners has not been allowed since 1950.

It is quite understandable that the Sanskrit Manuscripts in Tibet are nowadays tralized as an intergral part of Tibetan culture and intellectual history, and therefore became property of Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). However, more progress on the preservation as well as researches into the cultural heritages can be made by means of international cooperations. In this respect, it shall be worthwhile mentioning a contribution of Taisho University.

II, Facsimile Editions in collaboration with Taisho University

Since 1990, Taisho University has engaged in joint researches into Buddhist Sanskrit Manuscripts under authorization of the Culture Department and the Administrative Department of Historical Relic of TAR and the other related organizations in the People Republic of China (PRC). One of the main activities is publication of a series of facsimile editions. The Sravakabhumi in 1994 was our first academic achievement. This text is a part of the huge Yogacarabhumi, a sort if Buddhist encyclopedia attributed to Asanga dated ca.5th century A.D. This joint research on Buddhist Sanskrit Manuscripts bore further fruits; the Anoghapasakalparaja in 1997, an important Buddhist Tantric text; the Abhisamacarika-dharma in 1998, a part of the Mahasangika Vinaya texts; a collection of Sanskrit palm-leaf manuscripts in Tibetan dbu-med script in 2001, in which the Vinayasutra (VS), the Vinayasutravrai (VSV), the Vigrahavyavartani (VV), and the *Laksanatika (*LT) are included; and the Vimalakatinirdesa and the Jnanalokalamkara in 2004, both of which are more influential Mahayana scriptures. N each case, many people in China were responsible for reproduction of the originals.

III. Sanskrit Manuscripts in Tibetan jdbu-mcd Script

Each of these fice publications in collaboration with Taisho University is an invaluable primary source of Buddhist studies. On this occasion, I would like to focus on the unique Sanskrit Manuscripts ccopied in Tibetan dbu-med script, for they are good examples of a close linkage between Tibet and India. Four Sanskrit texts included in the collection i.e, two Vinaya texts of Gunaprabha and tow Madhyamaka texts, were certainly written by the same Tibetan scribe. Among them, *LT shows an interesting sample of script employment. The first tow and half leaves are written in Indian script called “Proto-Maithili-cum-Bengali”, whereas the remaining leaves are in Tibetan dbu-med script. As the text has no gap between the tow lines, it is certain that the Tibetan scribe changes his writing style at that point. Concerning the Tibetan scribe, we know his name from both colophons of VV and VS:

“This [work] was written down by a saint Dharmakiru for the benefit of people just as [he] obtained.” (likhitam idam sri-Dharmakirtina (sic.) sarvasattvahetoh yatha labdam iti//, VV7b4) “[This work] was written down by sakyabhiksu Dharmakirti (gnur Chos grags) for the benefit of people during his stay at Vikramasila in the month of phalguna” (sakyabhiksu-dharmakirtina satvarthe <<gnur chos gyi(sic.) grags pas bris pa/>>likhitam srimad-vikramasilam asritya phalgunamase<<dpal Idan ’bkyi(sic.) kra ma shi lar dpyod(sic.) zla ra ba (sic.) la>>, VS65b6).

From both colophons, we know that the scribe is named Chos grags in Tibetan as well as Dharmakirti in Sanskrit. (The Tibetan word “gnur” probably indicates the family name of the scribes.) More over, it is very likely that the Tibetan scribe was also called Dharma grags, for this name can be found as a name of lo tsa ba (Tibetan translator). Among the lo tsa bas called Dharma grags, the Tibetan scribe can be identified as snur Dharma grags who translated the Sunyatasaptanviui together with Indian pandit Abhayakaragupta. Concerning Abhayakaragupta also called Abhayakara, Abhaya or Abhya, information can be collected from the works of later Tibetan hagio-historiographers such as Bu ston (1290-1364), gZhon nu dpal (1392-1481). Taranatha (Chos ’byung dated 1608), and Sum pa mKhan po (1704-1788). According to Taranatha, for instance, Abhayakaragupta was invited to act as an upadhyaya at Vajrasana (Buddhagaya) shortly after King Ramapala ascended to the throne (i.e.1084 A.D.) and later became an abbot of Vikramasila monastery. It would be not be unreasonable to presuppose that Abhayakaragupta was the supervisor in the copying VS and VSV, since the Tibetan sources describe Abhayakaragupta as a great Vinaya expert. The other two Madhyamaka texts, i.e., VV and *LT. Might also have been copied or written down under the guidance of Abhayakaragupta, for his vast knowledge including the Madhyamaka philosophy is reflected in his Munimatalamkara.

Thus for Sanskrit Manuscripts in Tibetan dbu-med script can be construed as a production of a close relation between both Indian and Tibetan scholars, i.e., manuscripts were copied an written by Dharma grags under supervision of Abhayakaragupta at any time during the last decade of the 11th century and the first quarter of the 12th century. Further investigations on the contents of the texts are still in progress.

IV. Researches Environment Expected in Future

By means of a series of publications, Taisho University has never intended to monopolize the important Sanskrit Manuscripts. On the contrary, the aim of publications is to disclose information about the important source material with permission of TAR and the other related organizations of PRC and to contribute to the preservation and researches in to ‘memories of human kind’. Among scholarship of Buddhist studies all over the world, however, the contents of more important materials are hoped to be open and easy to be accessed. In this respect, CAPDTC will play an important role in preservation and researches into Tibetan cultural heritages including Sanskrit Manuscripts.

At the end of my talk, I would like to make a suggestion about the preservation and researches into Sanskrit Manuscripts in Tibet. First of all, an exhaustive inventory list should be compiled at one place. Needless to say, each organization in charge of the original materials is responsible for the preservation. However, their information should not be enclosed to the limited number of people. In the modern time of advanced computer network, a construction of digital archives accessible from all over the world might be necessary in the process of preservation of the International Dunhuang project (http://utlsktms.Ico.u-tokyo.ac.jp/index.jsp) in which the database of Sanskrit Manuscripts in the Tokyo University Library can be accessible would be highly expected by Buddhist scholars all over the world.

Yonezawa Yoswiyasu, Professor of Institute for Comprehensive Studies of Buddhism Taishio University, Japan

Oct.10,2006