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The Author of the Hor-chos-ẖbyuṅ

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 March 2011

G. M. Roerich
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G. Huth, when translating the Hor-chos-ẖhbyuṅ (Geschichte des Buddhismus in der Mongolei, i, Strassburg, 1892), attributed this chronicle to ẖJigs-med nam-mkhaẖ, a high incarnate bLa-ma of the great bLa-bran bKra-śis-ẖkhyil monastery in the Amdo Province of North-Eastern Tibet. For over fifty years this attribution remained unchallenged, notwithstanding the fact that it is based on a wrong translation of the Tibetan text of the closing paragraphs of the chronicle. An attentive perusal of the Tibetan text shows that ẖJigs-med nam-mkhaẖ, whose short biography is given on p. 225 of the Tibetan text of the Hor-chos-ẖbyuṅ (ed. G. Huth), and on p. 356 of Huth's translation (Geschichte des Buddhismus in der Mongolei, ii, 1896), was not the author of the chronicle, but the inspirer of the work which was carried out at ẖJigs-med nam-mkhaẖ's command by Gu-śri (kuo-shih or State Preceptor) dKaẖ-bcu Su-dhī (Śuddhi) Ā-yu-warta (Āyurvarta), also known by the name of dbYaṅs-can sGeg-pahi blo-gros ẖJigsmed Rig-paẖi rdo-rje. The author of the chronicle met with ẖJigsmed nam-mkhaẖ during the latter's visit to the Barūn Türned principality in Eastern Mongolia (see Hor-chos-ẖbyuṅ, pp. 227–8). This ẖJigs-med nam-mkhah, better known by his title of Zam-tsha sku-zabs rin-po-che, was one of the “Four Golden Pillars” of bLa-bran in Amdo.1 Soon after A.D. 1803 (chu-phag lo, Water- Hog year) ẖJigs-med nam-mkhah was appointed to the abbot's chair (chos-khri) of the Yung Ho Kung () monastery in Peking. Later he was nominated tamaya lama (tha-ma-ka bla-ma) of Dolōn-nūr (mTsho-bdun) in Chakhar (E. Mongolia).

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society , Volume 78 , Issue 3-4 , July 1946 , pp. 192 - 196
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal Asiatic Society 1946

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References

page 192 note 1 The other three are Hor-tshaṅ gser-khri, Gun-than gser-khri and sDe-pa-tshaṅ.

page 192 note 2 Hor-chos-ẖbyuṅ, p. 227 (of the Tibetan text).

page 194 note 1 This is the title of the abbot of the dGe-ldan monastery in dbUs (Central Tibet); the previous incarnation of ẖJigs-med nam-mkhaẖ was as abbot of dGe-ldan. See Hor-chos-ẖbyuṅ, i, p. 225; ii, p. 336 (translation).

page 194 note 2 Zam-tsha, n. of a locality in Amdo.

page 194 note 3 Vajra-kula, Ratna-kula, Padma-kula, Karma-kula, and Buddha-kula.

page 194 note 4 The Tibetan Śog translates regularly the Mongol qušiyūn, principality.

page 194 note 5 A learned degree conferred on monks who have successfully passed the examination in philosophy or mtshan-ñid.

page 195 note 1 A. Mostaert: Ordosica. Bull, of the Catholic University, Peking, No. 9 (November, 1934), pp. 60 ff. This is the chronicle published and translated by Schmidt, I. J. under the title of “Geschichte der Ost Mongolendquo;, St. Petersburg, 1829Google Scholar.

page 196 note 1 And not in A.D. 1742 as stated by Ligeti, in his Rapport Préliminaire d'un voyage d'exploration fait en Mongolie Chinoise, 1928–1931, Budapest, 1933, p. 57Google Scholar. There exist three editions of this important work: the first at dGon-luṅ Byamspa-gliṅ, the second at sDe-dge dgon-chen, and the third at Lha-sa.