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Review: [untitled]

Author(s): Leonard W. J. van der KuijpSource: Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 105, No. 2 (Apr. - Jun., 1985), pp. 32322Published by: American Oriental SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/601713

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REVIEWS OF BOOKS

Mi-dhang rtogs-hrjod hi' Mdo-nmkharTshe-ring. Edited byZHllANGJING. Pp. 861. Chengdu: SICHItANPEOPLE'SPITBLISIINGOISE.1981. Rmb 2.43.

The name Mdo-mkhar Tshe-ring dbang-rgyal (hereafterMdo-mkhar-ba) should be a familiar one to anyone who istihbtisant, whether he or she be a historian or lover oflexemes. His important Sanskrit-Tibetan dictionary was pub-lished by J. Bacot in Paris in 1930, and L. Petech's magistralanalysis of the Sino-Tibetan interface of the first half of theeighteenth century (see the second edition of his China andTibet in the Earl' X Vlllth Centur.y,Monographies du T'oungPao, Volume I [Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1972]) contains a greatdeal of information on this fine scholar, statesman, andoutstanding poet. In addition, Petech's work was the first todescribe briefly the work under review, being the biography ofPho-lha-nas Bsod-nams stobs-rgyas (hereafter Pho-lha-nas)(1689-1747), ruler of Tibet from 1728 to 1747, and was thefirst to have made extensive use of it. A brief survey of "TheHouse of Mdo-mkhar"as well as a short biographicalnote onMdo-mkhar-ba can be found in L. Petech's Aristocracy andGov'ern7mentn Tibet 1728-1959 (Serie Orientale Roma XLV[Roma: Istituto Italiano per il Medio ed Estremo Oriente,1973] pp. 70-79). This biographical note is based on thethirty-sixth chapter (of some fifty-five folia) of the history ofthe Stag-lung rulers, that is the Mdo-mkhar family, whichwas compiled at the order of 'Gyur-med tshe-dbang dpal-'byor (1804-1842) of the house of Mdo-mkhar. I suspect thatthis group of fifty-five folia, added to the history by 'Gyur-med himself, was nothing other than Mdo-mkhar-ba's auto-biography, the Bka'-hlon rtogs-hr/ol (Beijing: People's Pub-lishing House, 1981), or a paraphrase therefrom. This workwas completed in 1762,one year before his death. Yet anotherresum&of his life together with a summary appraisal of thecontents of the Mi-dhang rtogs-hr/od (hereafter MDRB) isgiven in the introduction to the latter by Dung-dkar Blo-bzang 'phrin-las. Along with Dmu-dge Bsam-gtan, Dung-dkar dge-bshes, formerly of Se-ra monastery, is one of themost learned and prolific scholars of Tibetan culture active inthe People's Republic of China. He is at present a professor atthe Central Institute for Minorities, Beijing.Mdo-mkhar-ba was born in 1697 and as Petech (1973:71,n. 1) has stated "his career (was) intertwined with that ofPho-lha-nas." From the age of twenty-six onwards, Mdo-mkhar-ba'scareerwas directly dependent on that of Pho-lha-nas. But they had more in common. Both were born into the

landed aristocracy, and both had had Lo-chen Dharmasri ofSmin-grol-gling monastery as their teacher. As such Mdo-mkhar-ba did what every young scion of his time wassupposed to be doing: studying linguistics, poetics, astrology,and literarycomposition. From the age of thirteen to sixteen,Mdo-mkhar-ba stayed at Smin-grol-gling where upon thesuccessful completion of his term, Lo-chen Dharmasirbestowed upon him the name of Tshangs-sras dgyes-pa'i rdo-rje. This name bears witness to his expertise in especially thelinguistic sciences (including poetics). During his two-yearstay at Lcags-rtse gri-gu-he had been sent to this districtsituated on the periphery of central Tibet by the regent ofTibet, Stag-rtse Lha-rgyab rab-brtan, in 1718-Mdo-mkhar-ba began his celebrated "novel" the Gzhon-nu zla-med-k'igtam-rgyud, which he completed in Mdo-mkhar at around1720. This work has been published several times in India (seeM. Tachikawa et al., A Catalogueof the UnitedStates Lihraryof Congress Collection of Tihetan Literature in Microfiche,Bibliographia Philologica Buddhica, Series Maior III [Tokyo:The International Institute for Buddhist Studies, 1983],pp. 195-196) and the People's Republic of China (Lhasa:Tibetan People's Publishing House, 1979).As is the case withthis "novel," so also the MDRB belongs to the literary genreknown as campu, defined by Dandin in his Kavracdar.sa:31as a mixture of prose and verse. This point is stressed byDung-dkar Blo-bzang 'phrin-las' Snyan-ngag-la 'jug-tshultshig-rgyan rig-pa'i sgo- 'hyedlXining: Qinghai People's Pub-lishing House, 1982, p. 68). Aside from these "experimental"writings, Mdo-mkhar-ba also was responsible for a bilingualedition of Buddha's birth stories (jataka, skyes-rahs), com-mentaries on the grammaticaltreatises of the Sum-cu-pa andRtags-'jug-pa (Petech 1973:71, n. 3 "a commentary on thegrammaticalwork Sumn-rtags . ." is an oversight),and a littlework on the arguments between the goddesses of tea andchang.

His most significant work is no doubt the MDRB, the fulltitle of which is the Dpal ni'i dlang-po 'i rtogs-par hrjocd-pa'jig-rtenkun-tu cga'-ha 'i'gtam,and, aside from Zhuang Jing'sedition, the only version yet published is the Stog Palace(Ladakh) manuscript which was brought out in Darjeeling in1974. Petech (1972:3-4) does not make clear whether his textwas a print or a handwritten manuscript. Zhuang Jing'sedition of the MDRB is primarily based on the only knownprint of this text which derives from the blocks of the printinghouse of Ltag-rgyab, Lhasa. This print consists of 395 foliaand since Petech's text has the same number of folia, I assumethese to be one and the same print. The blocks were carved at

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Journal of the American OrientalSociety 105.2 (1985)ournal of the American OrientalSociety 105.2 (1985)the initiative of Sri-gcod-tshe-brtan, a friend and fellow bka'-blon of Mdo-mkhar-ba, and this took place shortly after thelatter's death. In other words, Mdo-mkhar-ba never saw hisbiography in print and the reason for the some thirty yearsthat lie between the date of its completion and printingshouldprobably be sought in the sensitive natureof Mdo-mkhar-ba'ssubject. Only a detailed examination of the MDRB and theautobiography should enable one to illuminate this peculiarsituation. Mdo-mkhar-ba explicitly dates his MDRB (p. 860)as follows: the first dkar-po'i phy'ogs-kyi rgyal-ba, of thesmin-drug month, of the water-female-ox year. Zhuangtakes this to be the eleventh hor month of 1733, and Petech,with more precision, gives as its equivalent November 7th,1733. It can be expected that Mdo-mkhar-ba's system ofdating is based on the revised phug-lugs calculation intro-duced by Sde-srid Sangs-rgyas rgya-mtsho who died in1705. Thus, following the Tabellen p. 179 of D. Schuh'sUntersuchungen zur Geschichte der Tibetischen Kalender-rechnung (Wiesbaden: Franz Steiner, 1973), the exact equiva-lent would be November 10th, 1733.

The Ltag-rgyab print is, as Zhuang (pp. 1-2) laments, notwithout its philological problems, and he calls the scribeand/or carver "thoughtless" (hol-rgvugs) and wilfull. For-tunately, Zhuang was able to collate this print(par-ma) with ahandwritten manuscript (494 folia) (bris-ma) housed at theBeijing Library, and completed this important edition of oneof the most extraordinary Tibetan historical texts under thetutelage of Dung-dkar dge-bshes. Zhuang himself is respon-sible for the extremely useful table of contents (dkar-chag)(pp. 11-14) of the MDRB which, in actuality, consists of onecontinuous narrative. Petech (1972:4) has drawn attention tothe fact that the MDRB "is written in a highly ornate andlong-winded style, sometimes quite difficult to understand;occasionally use is made of the rules of Indian alahmkara,ndpoems of various lengths are freely inserted in the narrative."Although this would hold not only for the first "hundredor sopages" as Petech suggests, but for the work as a whole, itmeans that a full understanding of Mdo-mkhar-ba's state-ments, their implications, and nuances presupposes at theminimum more than a passing acquaintance with Dandin'sKivia,darsa and lexicographical niceties.

Zhuang'sedition of the MDRB is an importantcontributionto Tibetan historiography. The printing and production is ofthe high standard that we have now come to expect from allthe Tibetan publications issued in China. Dung-dkar dge-bshes mentions on p. 7 the Rtogs-hrjod of Rdo-ring Pandita.Let us hope that he will bring out this important work for thehistory of seventeenth and eighteenth century Tibet as well.

LEONARD . J. VANDERKUIJPF. U. BERLIN

the initiative of Sri-gcod-tshe-brtan, a friend and fellow bka'-blon of Mdo-mkhar-ba, and this took place shortly after thelatter's death. In other words, Mdo-mkhar-ba never saw hisbiography in print and the reason for the some thirty yearsthat lie between the date of its completion and printingshouldprobably be sought in the sensitive natureof Mdo-mkhar-ba'ssubject. Only a detailed examination of the MDRB and theautobiography should enable one to illuminate this peculiarsituation. Mdo-mkhar-ba explicitly dates his MDRB (p. 860)as follows: the first dkar-po'i phy'ogs-kyi rgyal-ba, of thesmin-drug month, of the water-female-ox year. Zhuangtakes this to be the eleventh hor month of 1733, and Petech,with more precision, gives as its equivalent November 7th,1733. It can be expected that Mdo-mkhar-ba's system ofdating is based on the revised phug-lugs calculation intro-duced by Sde-srid Sangs-rgyas rgya-mtsho who died in1705. Thus, following the Tabellen p. 179 of D. Schuh'sUntersuchungen zur Geschichte der Tibetischen Kalender-rechnung (Wiesbaden: Franz Steiner, 1973), the exact equiva-lent would be November 10th, 1733.

The Ltag-rgyab print is, as Zhuang (pp. 1-2) laments, notwithout its philological problems, and he calls the scribeand/or carver "thoughtless" (hol-rgvugs) and wilfull. For-tunately, Zhuang was able to collate this print(par-ma) with ahandwritten manuscript (494 folia) (bris-ma) housed at theBeijing Library, and completed this important edition of oneof the most extraordinary Tibetan historical texts under thetutelage of Dung-dkar dge-bshes. Zhuang himself is respon-sible for the extremely useful table of contents (dkar-chag)(pp. 11-14) of the MDRB which, in actuality, consists of onecontinuous narrative. Petech (1972:4) has drawn attention tothe fact that the MDRB "is written in a highly ornate andlong-winded style, sometimes quite difficult to understand;occasionally use is made of the rules of Indian alahmkara,ndpoems of various lengths are freely inserted in the narrative."Although this would hold not only for the first "hundredor sopages" as Petech suggests, but for the work as a whole, itmeans that a full understanding of Mdo-mkhar-ba's state-ments, their implications, and nuances presupposes at theminimum more than a passing acquaintance with Dandin'sKivia,darsa and lexicographical niceties.

Zhuang'sedition of the MDRB is an importantcontributionto Tibetan historiography. The printing and production is ofthe high standard that we have now come to expect from allthe Tibetan publications issued in China. Dung-dkar dge-bshes mentions on p. 7 the Rtogs-hrjod of Rdo-ring Pandita.Let us hope that he will bring out this important work for thehistory of seventeenth and eighteenth century Tibet as well.

LEONARD . J. VANDERKUIJPF. U. BERLIN

Tantricand Taoist Studies, in Honour of R. A. Stein; VolumeOne. Edited by MICHELSTRICKMANN.p. xix + 289.(Melanges Chinois et Bouddhiques, Vol. XX.) Brussels:INSTITUTELGE ESHAUTES TUDES HINOISES.981. N.p.The enormous contributions of Rolf A. Stein to Tibetan

cultural history and to texts of the Chinese Taoist Canon arewell known to, and admired by, specialists in these topics.Michel Strickmann, a one-time student of Professor Stein(hisphoto in frontispiece), has been involved for some time at hisBerkeley, California, base in organizing an appropriatehonorary volume, which has grown to three! This accountsfor lack of agreement of the Volume One contents with theoverall title, since this volume does not have articles dealingwith Taoism. However, at the time of writing this review,Volume Two has been released and does deal with Taoism.Fortunately, Melanges Chinois et Bouddhiques has handledin exemplary fashion the printing problems occasioned by thevaried language sources which the contributors employ. Thearticles in this Volume One are of sufficient length to deserveindividual mention, necessarily brief.

Michel Strickmann's Introduction (vii-xv) on R. A. Stein'scareer is followed (xvii-xxi) by a list of Stein's works.

Ronald M. Davidson, "The Litany of Names of Mafijusri"(1-69), deals with the ManjusrT-nama-samgfti,providing theSanskrit text, English translation, introduction (stressingearly Tibetan texts) and notes, plus an appendix: MaiijuS-rimitra's Upadesa. He refers (p. 16) to "mistakes in Rin chenbzan po's translation." Since this Tibetan is called in Tibetanbooks "the great translator," I looked through Davidson'snotes to find a verification of his charge. Davidson accepts thereadings maundT in v. 93, maunfi in v. 94; but despiteDavidson's claim (p. 56) of support from "all our commenta-tors," in fact it is the great translatorwho was right. The wayDavidson has it (p. 30), maund ("has a shaven head") occursin a verse where Mafijusri has "a tuft of hair," "a crest ofhair,""braided hair,""twisted locks," "five hair knots" (saidtwice). But maunfil("hasthe Mufija-grasscord") belongs here;and maundTbelongs in the next verse where Gautama (i.e.,Sakyamuni) of course is the one with the shaven head.Next is D. C. Bhattacharyya's "The VajravalT-nama-mandalopaZikaof Abhayakaragupta"(70-95). He states thatthis work contains all twenty-six mandalas of the author'searlier NispannavogavalT edited and introduced by B. Bhat-tacharyya, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1949), but in alteredand shortened form and has four extra mandalas. D. C.Bhattacharyya provides extracts and promises an edition ofthe entire VajravalF,which should prove valuable to studentsof the Buddhist Tantra. Some mandala figures are included.Helene Brunner contributes (96-104) "Un chapitre duSarvadar.ianasamgraha: le SaivadarSana." This essay is aparagon among modern retranslationsof Indian philosophical

Tantricand Taoist Studies, in Honour of R. A. Stein; VolumeOne. Edited by MICHELSTRICKMANN.p. xix + 289.(Melanges Chinois et Bouddhiques, Vol. XX.) Brussels:INSTITUTELGE ESHAUTES TUDES HINOISES.981. N.p.The enormous contributions of Rolf A. Stein to Tibetan

cultural history and to texts of the Chinese Taoist Canon arewell known to, and admired by, specialists in these topics.Michel Strickmann, a one-time student of Professor Stein(hisphoto in frontispiece), has been involved for some time at hisBerkeley, California, base in organizing an appropriatehonorary volume, which has grown to three! This accountsfor lack of agreement of the Volume One contents with theoverall title, since this volume does not have articles dealingwith Taoism. However, at the time of writing this review,Volume Two has been released and does deal with Taoism.Fortunately, Melanges Chinois et Bouddhiques has handledin exemplary fashion the printing problems occasioned by thevaried language sources which the contributors employ. Thearticles in this Volume One are of sufficient length to deserveindividual mention, necessarily brief.

Michel Strickmann's Introduction (vii-xv) on R. A. Stein'scareer is followed (xvii-xxi) by a list of Stein's works.

Ronald M. Davidson, "The Litany of Names of Mafijusri"(1-69), deals with the ManjusrT-nama-samgfti,providing theSanskrit text, English translation, introduction (stressingearly Tibetan texts) and notes, plus an appendix: MaiijuS-rimitra's Upadesa. He refers (p. 16) to "mistakes in Rin chenbzan po's translation." Since this Tibetan is called in Tibetanbooks "the great translator," I looked through Davidson'snotes to find a verification of his charge. Davidson accepts thereadings maundT in v. 93, maunfi in v. 94; but despiteDavidson's claim (p. 56) of support from "all our commenta-tors," in fact it is the great translatorwho was right. The wayDavidson has it (p. 30), maund ("has a shaven head") occursin a verse where Mafijusri has "a tuft of hair," "a crest ofhair,""braided hair,""twisted locks," "five hair knots" (saidtwice). But maunfil("hasthe Mufija-grasscord") belongs here;and maundTbelongs in the next verse where Gautama (i.e.,Sakyamuni) of course is the one with the shaven head.Next is D. C. Bhattacharyya's "The VajravalT-nama-mandalopaZikaof Abhayakaragupta"(70-95). He states thatthis work contains all twenty-six mandalas of the author'searlier NispannavogavalT edited and introduced by B. Bhat-tacharyya, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1949), but in alteredand shortened form and has four extra mandalas. D. C.Bhattacharyya provides extracts and promises an edition ofthe entire VajravalF,which should prove valuable to studentsof the Buddhist Tantra. Some mandala figures are included.Helene Brunner contributes (96-104) "Un chapitre duSarvadar.ianasamgraha: le SaivadarSana." This essay is aparagon among modern retranslationsof Indian philosophical

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