Библиосфера (Sep 2019)
Section «Lam-rim» of tibetan literature collection "Choira". Oriental manuscripts and xylographs center IMBTS SB RAS
Abstract
The article discusses the “additional” course of Buddhist education lam-rim, which was taught in the monasteries of Northwest China, Mongolia and Transbaikalia (19th – early 20th centuries). The databases of the Buddhist scholastic collection “Choira” of the Center of Oriental manuscripts and xylographs in the Institute of Mongolian Studies, Buddhology and Tibetology of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IMSBT SO RAN), as well as traditional bibliographic handbooks – “garchaks”, make it possible to understand that the texts of lam-rims are an integral part of the Buddhist book culture of this region. Our analysis has demonstrated that the study of this scholastic subject in the monasteries of Northwest China, Mongolia and Transbaikalia (19th – beginning 20th centuries) was based on a variedTibetan Buddhist literature from fundamental works of Indian classics to popular works of local scholastics. It is also necessary to emphasize that if to compare this section (lam-rim) of Tibetan scholastic literature “Choira” (in IMBT SB RAS) with the other sections (Pramana, Prajna-Paramita, Madhyamika Vinaya, Abhidharma) we find that the largest number of works of local authors are found in lam-rim. An important result of the research is the historical fact that the books of the Buryat monastic printing houses (Aga, Tsugol, Egita, Ana datsans of Trans-Baikal region) make it possible to understand the level of development of lam-rims literature in this region (19th – beginning 20th centuries) in the field of writing and publishing scholastic works in Northwest China, Mongolia and Transbaikalia. The study of authorship of lamrim texts stored in the IMBT SB RAS can confirm that, thanks to the works of representatives of these cross-border regions, a kind of Renaissance of Tibetan scholasticism took place in the Buddhist culture of the entire Inner Asia. A special role in this process was played by the Amdo, Mongolian and Buryat monasteries. It may be assumed that representatives of the historical Amdo region (the territory where Tibetans and Mongols lived together), Mongolia and Transbaikalia in these centuries created a culture of mass writing of Buddhist educational and philosophical literature.
Keywords
