Ch.9.I.37 (722, vol. 32, foll. 88-96; c. 42.5 x 7.5 cm.; fol. 9, numbered 35-41;
followed by No. 74, another text; ll. 4 per page of good ordinary dbu can script; paragraph titles in red ink).
88 (35) [1]@/:/thang du gtsigs kyi gtsug lag khang bzhengs par Mdo
gams kyi khams kyi dbang po rnams kyis dkon mcog gsum la mcod cing yon phul ba
'di'i bsod nams dang/byin gyi rlabs kyis[l. 2]lha btsan po rje blon 'khor dang
bcas pa'i sdig pa thams cad ni byang/bsod nams dang ye shes kyi tshogs ni yongsu
rdzogs nas chabs srid mjal dum g.yung drung tu brtan sku tse ring zhing lha dang
myi'i bde skyid[l. 3]phun sum tshogs pa la gnas te/bla na myed pa yang dag par
rdzogs pa'i byang cub lhun gyis grub par smon to/ /@/ / [note 1: Red ink in original. [note De ga gtsigs kyi gtsug lag khang zhal bsro ba'i[l.
4]Bde blon gyi smon lam du gsol ba'//phyogs bcu mtha' yas mu myed pa na skye ba
dang/'gog pa las rnam par dben ba yod myed dang rtag chad kyi mtha' yas mu myed pa
na skye ba dang/'gog pa las rnam par dben ba yod myed dang rtag chad kyi mtha' las
'das pa dus gsum gyi de bzhin gshegs pa(B l. 1)thams cad la mcod cing bstod nas
skyabsu mciste/gus par phyag 'tsal lo/'jig rten dang 'jig rten las 'das pa na
'phags pa thams cad mkhyind [note 2: For mkhyend, which, in fact, may be read. [note pa'i ye shes dang ldan pa
'gag la ci snyed bzhugs so cog[B l. 2]dang/chos dang/sangs rgyas dang/dge 'dun la
skyabsu mci ste/gus par phyag 'tshal lo//'O lde spu rgyal gnam gyi lha las myi'i
rjer gshegs pa yong gis sku bla gzhan//chab srid che/chos bzang/gtsug[B l. 3]lag
che bas yul byung sa dod tshun cad rje'i gtung ma gyurd te/chab srid g.yung drung
tu brtan zhing che ba'i bka' drin chen pos phyogs brgyad tu khyab par khebste/phyi
nang gnyis kyi 'Gring [note 3: Sic(?) for 'Greng. [note myi 'o chog la[B l. 4]mnyam bar dgongs nas mtho zhing
dregs pa ni brlabs dang thabs kyis btul te rigs pa'i chos la btsud /dma' zhing
rgrad pa ni 'phral yun gnyisu dga' zhing spro bar gzi(e?)ngs bstod nas gnam mtha'
'og
89 (36)[A l. 1]@/ /gi 'Greng myi'o chog /yun gyi bka' drin gyis khyab
pas/gnam chen po phyogs bzhi'i mnga' bdag//'phrul gyi lugs dang 'thun pa ni/Bod
kyi lha btsan po/'phrul gyi zha snga nas bzhugs te//yong yang/chub o chen po'i [A
l. 2]glad/gangs ri mthon po'i rtsa/yul mtho sa gtsang ba'i gnas na bzhugs
pas/'phrul gyi lha btshan po ni//gdung rabs 'grangs par yang/lha'i lugs ma [note 4: Below line, inserted. For dang? [note mnyam ste/rgyal po gzhan bas/che zhing brtsan bar[A l.
3]mngon/ - /de ltar yab myes lha dang stang bas/ /yog yang/chab srid che/dbu rmog
brtsan ba'i steng du//'phrul gyi lha btshan po Khri Gtsug lde brtsan gyi zha snga
nas/sku la dbyig[A l. 4]'khrungs/thugs la 'phrul mna' ste/gtsug lag khang thams
chad tshul bzhin mdzad pas ni/sku bla ring rdzi dang/gnam sa'i lha klu/thams chad
kyang 'go zhing dgyes//thugs rje chen po dang ldan bas ni 'Greng myi [B l. 1]'o
chog la/gnam sa'i lugs dang 'thun bar/bkab cing bkur te/chab srid gyi mnga' thang
chen po dard cing rgyas pa'i dus su /chab srid kyi blon po yang 'phags pa dag
chig/mnga' thang tu byungste//blon chen po[B l. 2]zhang Khri sum rje dang/chen po
zhang Lha bzang po nyis kyis/dgra'i shed smad de/chab srid kyi phang bsdod nas
//Rgya Drug 'Jang las stsogs pa mtha'i rgyal po //bar du chab srid la sdo zhing
rtsol/ba [B l. 3]kun kyang/bka' nan gyi mthu dang/rlabs kyis/bthul bas ni re thag
bcad/yun rig por legs shing bde ba'i bka' drin gyis ni dad pa dang spro ba bskyed
nas/gnam sa yid 'byor pa dang 'dra bar/rgyal[B l. 4]khams tu ma zhig gis//Bod rje
blon gyi bka' gus par mnyan te/chab srid mjal dum chen po mdzad pa 'di yang/'phral
yun gnyis su legs shing bde ba nyi tser ma baste/gzha' gsang gnyis 90 (37) [A l. 1]@//su chab srid kyi phang mtho ba dang smos shing brjod pa'i
don kyang rab tu zab/lo stong rabs khrir yang 'bri ba myed par bzang zhing snyan
te mjal dum gyi legs pa chen po mngon sum tu mdzad[A l. 2]pa 'di dkon mchog gsum
dang/'jig rten gyi lha klu thams cad kyis kyang mkhyend cing gzigs pas na/nam tu
yang myi 'gyur zhing brtan bar smond to//de ltar mjal dum chen po[A l. 3]mdzad
pa'i rkyen kyis rgyal khams tu ma zhig gi 'bangs mchon cha'i khar nyon mongs pa
mying myed par bstsald te/bde skyid pa'i gnas la dus gcig tu bkod pa'i bsod nams[A
l. 4]chen po 'dis/'phrul gyi lha btsan po Khri Gtsug lde brtsan mched dang/chab
srid kyi blon po chen po legs pa sgrub sgrub pa blon chen po zhang Khri sum rje
dang/zhang chen po Lha[B l. 1]bzang lastsogs pa Bod je blon 'khord par bcas pa
dang/sems can thams cad sgrib pa rnam gnyis byang nas bsod nams dang ye shes kyi
tshogs yongsu rdzogste mthar yang bla nam myed pa yang dag[B l. 2]par rdzogs pa'i
byang cub tu mngon bar rdzogs par sangs rgyas par smon to//De ga G.yu tshal mjal
tum thang tu gtsigs kyi gtsug lag khang mdzad pa 'di yang lo ngo gnyis[B l. 3]la
rgyal khams chen po gsum mjal dum ba dang gtsigs chen po mdzad pa'i sa gzhi
ste/'dir bcas pa dang sbyar na [note 5: s here
erased. [note /'di yang sngon gyi 'phags pa rnams kyis yang[B l. 4]dag par byin
kyis brlabs pa'i sa gzhi zhig ste/yong yang 'di lta bu'i legs pa chen po dus gcig
tu byung ba'i don tu btsigs pas lhag par yang bsod nams che zhing bkra shis par
mngon te/ 91 (38) [A l. 1]@//bsod nams chen po de dag gi byin
kyis gtsung [note 6: Sic for gtsug. [note lag khang 'di yang nam nyi ma dang/zla ba yod kyi bar tu yun
tu brtan ba dang/'phrul kyi lha btsan po Khri Gtsug lde brtsan gyi zha snga
nas/sku tshe ring zhing[A l. 2]chab srid che ba dang/dgongs pa yid bzhin tu grub
par smon to//sngon Rgya Drug dang [note 7: Read 'Jang? [note chab srid la ma mjald te nold pa dag gi dus na lha sras
dbu rmog brtsan po dang/blon po dpa' 'dzangs[A l. 3]ldan zhing dgra thabs mkhas
pa'i skyims [note 8: For skyems. [note
kyis dgra la phog pa dang/dmag mang po'i mthu brtsan pos dgra'i mkhar phab pa
dang/g.yu bzlog pa dang/yul bcom ba dang/mnangs bcad pa la[A l. 4]stsogste/dgra'i
myi phyugs mang pho srog dang bral ba dang ma byind par blangs pha'i dngo sdig ci
mcis pa yang bsod nams chen po 'di'i byin dang zil kyis mnand te zhu zhing byang
bar smon[B l. 1]to//dkon mchog gsum la mcod cing yon phul ba dang/dngo(s) sdig
bshags pa lastsogs pa'i bsod nams kyis rjesu bsngo zhing dmyigs pa dang/bzod pa
dang 'thol tsangsu[B l. 2]gsol ba lastsogs pa smon lam gzhang yang/bla nas mdzad
pa dang mthun bar smond to// [note 9: Red ink in
original. [note De ga G.yu tshal gtsigs kyi gtsug lag khang du Mkhar tsan[B l.
3]khrom chen pos smon lam tu gsol ba //Bod rje blon dbu rmog brtsan Sgam dkyel
chen po'i sku ring la/bar tu Rgya Drug dang 'Jang rgyal khams chen po gsum gyis
chab srid kyi mdab tu[B l. 4]bsngos pa las/rje dbu rmog brtsan blon po rin po che
dpa' rtsal dang ldan ba'i byin rlabs kyis dgra bka' 'og du chud du/gtsigs bka'
stsald to 'tshald tu mnos la/naM zha 92(39) [A l. 1]@/:/myi rabs kyi gtam brjod
kyi bar tu legs pa'i bka' drin dgugs kyis zin to 'tsal la khebste brjod pa'i
gtsigs kyi gtsug lag khang bzhengs par rgyal khams chab srid kye [note 10: Read kyi, as below (B l.
4) [note la[A l. 2]ltod pa'i slad tu lha sras Khri Gtsug lde brtsan gyi zha snga
nas thugs kyi phrin las su mdzad pa dang/blon chen po zhang Khri sum rje dang/chen
po zhang Lha bzang gis dgra Rgya Drug gi g.yul [A l. 3]chen po bzlog pa latsogs pa
thabs ches phras dgra la gnad par bgyis pa dang/kh[r]om Mkhar tsan pa lta zhig Bod
'bangs dpa' sran la stend pa'i tshul bzhin du[A l. 4]lo ngo gcig la g.yul chen po
gnyis bzlog pa'i dpa' ba'i sna drangs pa lastsogs ste/Bod rjes 'bangs kyis chab
srid la sdo ba'i slad tu dbugs chags la gnad pa'i sems[B l. 1]kyis mphro btod cing
rma phyung ngo 'tshal/rtul tsam ma lus phar byang bar smon lam gsolte/Khar tsan
khrom kyis yon dbul ba la/@// / [note 11: Red ink in
original. [note De ga G.yu tshal gtsigs kyi gtsug lag khang tu Kwa cu khrom chen[B
l. 2]po nas smon lam tu gsol ba//Bod rje blon dbu rmog brtsan /Skam dkyel chen
po'i sku ring la/bar du dgra Rgya Drug 'Jang rgyal khams chen po gsum kyis chab
srid kyi mdab tu bsdos pha las[B l. 3]rje dbu rmog brtsan/blon po rin po che dpa'
rtsal ldan ba'i rlabs kyis dgra bkA 'og tu chud de /gtsigs bka' stsald to 'tsal tu
mnos pha nam zha myi rabs su gtam brjod kyi bar tu[B l. 4]legs pa'i bka'drin dbugs
kyi zin to 'tsal khebs te brjod pa'i gtsigs kyi gtsug lag khang bzhengs par rgyal
khams chab srid kyi la ltod pa'i slad tu/lha sras kyi zha snga nas /thugs kyi
93 (40)[A l. 1]@//'phrin las su mdzad pa dang/blon chen po zhang Khri
sum rje dang/chen po zhang Lha bzang gis Rgya Drug gi g.yul chen po bzlog pa
lastsogs pha Bod rjes 'bangs kyis chab srid la sdo ba'i slad [A l. 2]tu dgra la
gnad pa'i shugs kyis bgyis so 'tsal bag tsam ma lus par byang bar smon lam tu gsol
te//Kwa cu khrom chen po nas yon tu dbul ba'//@// / [note 12: Red ink in original. [note Phyug tsams [A l. 3]stong pon dpon g.yog gi smon lam
tu gsol ba'//dkon mchog gsum la phyag 'tsal lo//sangs rgyas la phyag 'tsal te
thams cad mkhyen pa la'o//[A l. 4]chos la pyag 'tsal te/theg pa bla na myed pa
la'o//dge 'dun la phyag 'tsal te/phyir mi log pa'i byang cub sems dpa' rnams
la'o//bdag dang gzhan kyi don sgrub pa'i phyir dkon mchog gsum la mchod de/sdig pa
thams[B l. 1]cad bstsald nas/bsod nams kyi rjes su yi rang ste/dkon mchog gsum la
phyogs shing rten to//Thugs skam dbu rmog brtsan ba'i rje blon thugs la 'phrul
dgongs phas Rgya Drug 'Jang las stsogs pha[B l. 2]bar tu bka' myi mnyand pa yang
'bangs gnyug ma dang 'dra bar rnal tu phab nas dbu rmog brtsan la chab srid che
ba'i 'dab la phyogs par gsol nas/mjal dum gyi gtsigs bcas nas [B l. 3]rdo rings la
bris/gtsigs kyi gtsug lag khang bzhengs nas so khams kyi khrom ni dal /yul chen
po'i dbus skyid cing dar bar bgyis 'di las bka' drin che ba ma mcis pas sri zhu
dang bka'[B l. 4]drin dran [note 13: Below line. [note ba'i
mtsan ma tsam du dkon mchog gsum la yon ba'i bsod nams kyis/Bod rje blon 'khor
dang bcas pha sku tshe dang mnga' thang g.yung drung du grub la Bod khams na phas
kyi dgra dang 'khrug pa'i myi gragste/
94 (41) [A l. 1]@//lo phyugs rtag legs la gtsigs bcas pa bzhin yun du
brtan zhing 'jig rten dang 'jig rten las 'das pa'i bde skyid phun sum tshogs pha
dang ldan bar smon to//[A l. 2]@// [note 14: Red
ink. [note 'Brom khong [note 15: Inserted below line. [note sa
'i smon lam du gsol ba'//rje bla na bzhugs pa ni lha/chab srid kyi blon po ni
'phruld/rje blon lha 'phrul kyis gnam ral ba ni lha'i byin kyis drubs /sa gas pa
ni blon po'i rlabs kyis [A l. 3]btsams [note 16: m inserted below line. [note te/gnam sa ni yid sbyar/dgra zin ni mjal dum
nas/mtha nas ni dgra myi sdo/byang nas ni g.yag myi rtung ste//Bod 'bangs yongs
bde skyid pa 'ba' shig tu ma bas te/nyi 'og gi rgya [note 17: For rgyal. Inserted below line. [note khamsna[A l.
4]rgyal phran mcis pa'i rnams sems myi bde zhing srid shor du dogs pa'i rnams
kyang srid la myi dbab cing sems bde ba yang /rje blon lha 'phruld kyi sku yon
/'di 'dra bar bka' drin chen po stsalnas [B l. 1]Bod 'bangs yongs su bde ba'i dus
ni nyi ma bzhin tu shard / [note 18: mye here
erased. [note men tog bzhin tu rgyas nas yul Bkra shis dbyar mo thang De ga
G.yul tsal tu /blon chen po zhang Khri sum rje dang /zhang chen po Lha bzang dang
/bka' [B l. 2]'khor dang bdag cag las stsogs phas gtsug lag khang brtsigs dge 'dun
gyi sde gtsugs rkyen dang bcas par sbyar ba [note 19: par sbyar ba inserted below line. [note pa'i yon kyis /rje lha
sras Khri Gtsug lde brtsan gyi sku tshe ring/dbu rmog brtsan dang/[B l. 3]blon
chen po zhang Khri sum rje dang/zhang chen po Lha bzang dgongs so 'tshal mthar
phyin pa dang/Bod rje blon kyi gtsug lag nyi ma dang 'dra bar nam zhar myi 'gyur
dang/gtsigs brtan [B l. 4]ba' dang/bdag cag las stsogs [note 20: Erased. [note sems can thams cad tshe rabs kyi sgrib pa byang ste/bla na myed
pa'i lha'i yang lha sangs rgyas bcom ldan 'das Byams pa'i 'khor tu skye bar smon
to//
[88a, l. 1]"In founding the monastery erected in [Bkra shis dhyar mo ]thang the authorities of the realm of
Mdo gams pray that through the merit and
blessing of this donation made in honour of the Three Jewels all the sins of His
Majesty, the Btsan po, together with his retinue of lords
councillors, may have been cleansed, and that, their merits and wisdom being
perfected, the state being established in a circle of concord, in the enjoyment of
long life and of entire felicity on the part of gods and men, they may realize the
attainment of supreme, perfect illumination.
[88a, l. 3]PRAYER OFFERED BY THE BDE
COUNCILLORS AT THE FACE-WARMING OF THE DE GA
MONASTERY FOUNDATION.
To all the Tathāgatas of the Three Times
living in the Ten Directions, infinite and limitless, and those, entirely free
from restriction, possessing a non-existence and eternity without bonds, with
honour and laud seeking refuge in them, in reverence hail!
To the Exalted in the universe and in the beyond, possessed of
omniscient wisdom, as many as abide in their state, to the Dharma, the Buddha and the Saṃgha, seeking refuge with them, in reverence hail!
From the time when 'O lde Spu
rgyal came from the gods of heaven to be lord of men, and ever in other
exalted bodies – with great dominion, good religion, and other great science, a
royal lineage unbroken as far as the origin of the land where the kingdom arose –
with the kind sway of a sovereignty firm on all sides and great filled and
encompassed the Eight Regions; to us 'Greng people,
without and within, equally considerate; by their influence and measures taming
the high and proud and bringing them under the rule of right: with joy and
encouragement in both present and future extolling the humble and afflicted;
filling us 'Greng people beneath the ends of heaven with
perpetual kindness; rulers of the Four Quarters of the great heaven, equal to the
manner of the divine, their Majesties the Btsan pos of
Tibet, of the divine descent-
[89a, l. 1] Furthermore, established in his place, the pure and, his
high kingdom, above great rivers and at the foot of high snow-mountains, His
Divine Majesty, the Btsan po, in the counting of the
generations of his line (not?) equal to the manner of the gods, is beyond other
kings manifestly great and permanent.
[89a, l. 3] Of ancestry thus rivalling the gods, furthermore also
great sovereign and of firm helmet, His Divine Majesty, the Btsan
poKhri Gtsug lde brtsan, in body firm knit, in
mind divinely endowed, with due foundation of all monasteries gives joy [to the
people], headed by the great persons, their shepherds, and even all the gods and
Nāgas of heaven and earth.
[89a, l. 4] At the time when, through his great compassionateness
towards us 'Greng people, the great authority of his
government spread and flourished, protecting us with respect in a manner
resembling heaven, there came into power certain exalted councillors of the state,
the Great Councillor, Uncle Khri sum rje,
and the Great Uncle Lha bzang po, these two.
Humbling the might of enemies and setting them in the bosom of the state, by the
power and influence of their stern commands they tamed all the border kings, of
China, the Drug, the 'Jang and
others, till then venturing and making effort for dominion, and cut short their
hopes. After long time, when righteous and prosperous kindness had engendered
trust and encouragement, as though heaven were realized in men's minds, some
several states, respectfully heading the orders of the high councillors of Tibet,
made this great concordat of states; whereby, to say nought of ephemeral good and
happiness both in present and future, there is among friend and foe alike reason
profound indeed for extolling and celebrating the bosom of the state. Through
myriad millenniums, undiminishingly beneficial and welcome, may this great,
publicly enacted concordat, known and witnessed by the Three Jewels and by all
gods and Nāgas of the universe, stand for all time
unimpaired and firm. The subjects of the several kingdoms, by virtue of the thus
enacted great concordat, consigning to oblivion their sufferings during the time
of arms, and being united at one time in a situation of felicity, through the
great merit thereof may His Divine Majesty, the honoured Btsan poKhri Gtsug lde brtsan and the great
councillors of State, successful in righteous achievement, the Great Councillors,
Uncle Khri sum rje and Great Uncle Lha bzang and the rest, together with their
retinue of High Councillors of Tibet, and all beings, cleansed from the double
darkness, and fulfilling their store of merit and wisdom, finally in supreme,
perfected enlightenment attain to consummate Buddhahood [90n, l. 2].
In respect of the choice of this place as site for the foundation of
the monastery erected on the De ga
Turquoise-Wood Concordat Plain and for biennial convention of the three great
kingdoms and four great foundations, the site being moreover one fully blessed by
Āryas of old, may it furthermore, through a foundation
in respect of such great good realized at one time, be even more manifestly of
great merit and auspiciousness. And through the grandeur of those great merits may
this monastery be perpetual in time, as long as sun and moon exist; and on the
part of His Divine Majesty, the Btsan poKhri Gtsug lde brtsan, may there be long
life, great dominion, and purposes accomplished according to his mind.
Whereas formerly, in the time when China and the Drug were not in accord and harmony with the State, the firm-helmeted
prince and the wise, heroic councillors, in the ardour of their warlike skill,
smote at the foe and by the mighty power of large armies laid low enemy cities,
won battles, conquered countries, slew the people and so forth, may the sin of
severing the lives of many enemy men and cattle and of taking what was not given
be altogether dominated by the splendour and power of this great merit and be
dissolved and washed away.
[91b, l. 1] In condevotion with the merit of this donation in honour
of the Three Jewels and of the confession of sins and so forth supplication for
insight, for tolerance, and for remission of the confessed is made equally with
what is above set forth.
[91b, l. 2] PRAYER OFFERED BY THE GREAT CITY OF MKHAR TSAN AT THE MONASTERY ERECTED IN THE DE GA TURQUOISE-WOOD.
Whereas in the lifetime of the High Councillor of Tibet, the
firm-helmeted Sgam dkyel the Great, – for
till then the three great kingdoms of China, the Drug, and
the 'Jang were resolute in contending for dominion, – the
firm-helmeted lord designed to issue command that by the heroic might of his jewel
councillors the enemy should be made to come beneath his sway, in founding a
monastery erected to celebrate, as long as tradition of human generations endures,
that that design is willed to be dominated and is covered up by kind summons to
righteousness, and in thereby setting a crown upon the state's supremacy, may the
purpose in the mind of the prince Khri Gtsug lde
brtsan have been accomplished; and may the harm done to the enemy by
Great Councillor Uncle Khri sum rje and
Great Uncle Lha bzang through great defeats
of the hostile Chinese and Drug and other means great and
small, and on the part of certain of the city of Mkhar tsan, who, taking side with the stubborn heroic people of Tibet
and being foremost of heroes in winning two great victories in a single year, on
behalf of the venture for dominion on the part of the lord and people of Tibet
went forward with a will to harm animate creatures, so that wounds were needs
inflicted, may those wounds likewise be healed so that not a scar remains! – with
this prayer the great city Khar tsan has made
donation.
[92b l. 1] PRAYER OFFERED FROM THE GREAT CITY OF KWA CU AT THE MONASTERY ERECTED AT THE DE GA TURQUOISE-WOOD.
(This repeats 91b, l. 2 as far "on behalf of the venture for dominion
on the part of the lord and people of Tibet" and then continues) were willing to proceed with force in harming the enemy, may that without a
remainder be healed! – with this prayer the great city of Kwa cu has made donation.
[93a l. 3] PRAYER OFFERED BY THE COMMANDANT OF THE PHYUG TSAMS THOUSAND, HIMSELF AND HIS SUBORDINATES.
Hail to the Three Jewels! Hail to the Buddha, to the Omniscient! Hail to the Dharma,
to the Path without superior! Hail to the Saṃgha, to the
Bodhi-sattvas who do not regress! Honouring the Three
Jewels in order to the success of the efforts of ourselves and others, having
dismissed all sins and consenting to what is meritorious, we turn and cleave to
the Three Jewels. That by inspired design in the mind of the firm-helmeted High
Councillor Thugs skam the Chinese, the Drug, the 'Jang and others, until then
heedless of commands, were set at rest equally with the native people and bidden
to seek a shelter both firm-helmeted and great; that a concordat was framed and
inscribed upon a stone pillar; that after foundation of the monastery [here]
erected the border cities are at peace and in the interior of the great countries
happiness has been made to flourish – forasmuch as there has been no greater
kindness than this, in token of reverential and kind commemoration donation has
been made to the Three Jewels: through the merit whereof may the lord of Tibet
with his retinue of councillors enjoy long life and authority on all sides, and in
the Tibetan realm, while foreign enemy and strife are unmentioned and the year's
wealth is perpetually assured in accordance with rightful ordinance, may there be
mundane and super-mundane happiness and felicity in perfection.
PRAYER OFFERED BY THE DISTRICT 'BROM
KHONG.
The lord stationed on high a god; the councillors of the state
inspired; the rift of heaven through divinely inspired High Councillors
embroidered with divine blessing; the cloven earth, knitted by the influence of
the councillors, a heaven realized; enemies held fast by concord; on the frontier
no hostile venture; in the interior [note 21: Read nang for byang ("north")? [note the yak not beaten(?) – not enough that thus merely the
people of Tibet should be enjoying happiness and felicity: in the realms beneath
the sun whatever lesser kings there are, uneasy though they were and apprehensive
of loss of state, not being lowered in state, are happy. Great kindness such as
this having come from the lord [and] councillors, divinely inspired benefactors, a
time of universal happiness for the people of Tibet has risen like a sun. Like a
flower abloom in the country of the Luck-Summer plain (Bkra shis dbyar mo thang), in the De ga Turquoise-Wood (G.yu
tshal), a monstery has been erected by Great Councillor Uncle Khri sum rje and Great Uncle Lha bzang and their subordinates and ourselves and others, and
furnished with means for the instalment of a brotherhood; through which
benefaction may the lord prince Khri Gtsug lde
brtsan be of long life and firm helmet, may great Councillor, Uncle Khri sum rje and Great Uncle Lha bzang attain their purposed ends, may the monastery of the
lords councillors of Tibet be imperishable, like the sun, and of firm foundation,
and may we ourselves and [note 22: Erased in the
original. [note all creatures, cleansed from the darkness of generations, be born
in the courts of the supreme god of gods, the Buddha, the holy Maitreya."
From this remarkable record, which by its elevated magniloquence [note 23: The rather frequent occurrence of the word "great" is a noticeable feature of similar oratory elsewhere!] and
the no less exalted integrity of its sentiment would have done honour to any
religious foundation, we may derive an enlarged conception of what was possible to
the Tibetan people, and its language, during their period of greatness. While the
background is the rigorous intellect of India, we note an accent reminding us that
dogmatic systems, when planted among fresh peoples, may be capable of a certain
reflorescence. What, however, more appropriately here attracts our attention is the
circumstance that the great religious and historic occasion should have been greeted
by "messages" not merely from princes and ministers, but from cities and local
bodies. This invites a readjustment of our notions of life in north-eastern Tibet
and Chinese Turkestan during the eight and ninth centuries A.D.
The occasion was not the famous concordat whereby the Tibetans and Chinese sought
to terminate a struggle of nearly (A.D. 783), or more than (A.D. 822), a century and
a half. An account of those treaties has been given from Chinese sources by Bushell_1880:
pp. 487 sqq., and the Lha sa inscriptions relating to them have been published with translations
and discussions by Col. Waddell. This is not the place for an examination of the
question whether those treaty inscriptions are two parts of a single document, or
the question of the Tibetan dynastic lists. What is important for us to note is that
the Btsan poKhri Gtsug lde btsan Mes 'Ag tshoms, the
husband of Kim sheng Khon co, whose reign
extended from A.D. 705-55, and that the treaty was made during his lifetime. Since
he was definitely the Tibetan king (Btsan po) of the time,
the term lha sras twice (92. A 2, 94. B 2) applied to him must
have the sense of devaputra, "Son of
Heaven". Of the two ministers, Khri sum
rje and Lha bzang, named in the
document, the former must therefore be identified with the Khri sum rje Rtsan bzher frequently mentioned in the Chronicle
(ll. 147-85, years 44-54 = A.D. 715-25). He was Councillor in A.D. 715, Great
Councillor in 721, Great Treasurer in 723, and he died in 725.
Another person mentioned as having initiated a war movement against China is a
certain "Skam skyel (or dkyel)
the Great", also designated Thugs skam. In the Lha sa inscriptions (Waddell_1909:
l.
44, B l. 42) he has hitherto escaped notice as an adviser of the Btsan poKhri lde Gtsug btsan.
From the dates of the persons concerned it is clear that the treaty in question is
that concluded in A.D. 730 (Bushell, p. 466), on which occasion were erected
boundary monuments, including, no doubt, the stone pillar (rdo
rings) mentioned in 93 B 3 (p. 97).
The monastery having been erected on the site of the treaty conference, in the
region of the Koko-nor lake, namely the Ch'ihling, "Red Hills", about 60 miles (320
li) from Si-ming-fu
and 430 li west of the town of Shihp'u (Bushell, pp. 530-1) – known to the Tibetans (Chronicle, B.M. MS.,
ll. 43, 47), as Skyi bu, it is there that we
must locate the "Turquoise-Wood" (G.yu tshal), in the "Luck-summer steppe" (Bkra shis dbyar mo thang), in the "Phyug tsams Thousand District", in "'Brom khong territory",
forming part of the realm of Mdo gams. The
Dbyar mo thang is mentioned in a Lha sa inscription (Waddell_1910:
pp. 1255-67, l. 33
of text B), and in the Geografia Tibeta (p. 55): probably it is the Yar (G.yar, G.yer) mo thang, in Khams, mentioned in Das_1902, and is related to
the G.yar mo sgang of the Geografia Tibeta (p.
41). The Tsong ka named adjacency to Dbyar mo thang in the inscription may very likely
be the birth-place of Tsong kha pa, who was
born near the Kum bum monastery site. In the
Chronicle also a Tsong ka is mentioned (l. 74). The fact
that "messages" are received from the towns of Kwa cu and Mkhar tsan
illustrates the natural connexion which we have already (p. 72: Ch.75.iii, IOL Tib J
1240, p. 78: IOL Tib J 1254, p. 82:Ch.73.xv.5, IOL Tib J 1359) found between the
Koko-Nor region and that part of Chinese
Turkestan. The name of the monastery does not transpire; but it is, no doubt, the
place referred to in the Bka' 'gyur (Beckh_1914:
p. 74) and Bstan
'gyur (Cordier_1909_1915:
i, p. 96) as Phyug mtshams. 'Brom khong is not known;
but cf. 'Brom stong, M.I.xiv.96 (IOL Tib N 692).
Of the parties to the treaty, the Chinese, the Drug, the
'Jang, and the Tibetans, who are, no doubt, meant by the
"four exalted kings" (mtho bzhi rgyal po) of
the treaty inscription (Waddell_1909:
p. 951, l. 47 of text), the Chinese and Tibetans
demand no comment, and concerning the Drug something has
already been said (p. 18: Fragment 66, IOL Tib J 897, p. 30: M.I.xxviii.1, 36) and
it is proposed to return to them later (pp. 296 sqq.). Of the 'Jang we have hitherto had no printed mention beyond the occurrence of the
name in the Dpag bsam ljon bzang (ed. Das_1902:
p. 4) and an entry in Das_1902, where
'Jang sa is explained as a "place-name in
N.W. (read N.E.) Tibet". But we may learn from the Rgyal
rabs...me long (India Office Xylograph, fol. 31a) that the person 'Jang tsha Lha dbang"son of king Khri Lde gtsug
brtan" (Das_1902, s. v.), was so named, "'Jang grandson", because the queen, his mother,
Khri btsun, was a 'Jang
mo, a 'Jang woman: and from the same history we may
ascertain more of this people [note 1: The 'Jang country, 'Jang yul, is
mentioned also in the Chronicle (l. 92).] [note: The 'Jang country, 'Jang yul,
is mentioned also in the Chronicle (l. 92).] . Since their frontier was
probably adjacent to the site of the conference, we are tempted to identify them
with the Tang-hsiang kingdom, which according to Bushell
(Bushell_1880:
p. 450 and 528, n. 12) was east of the Tibetans
and south of the Koko-nor. We know that this kingdom was
conquered by the Tibetans in A.D. 678 (Bushell, p. 450), and it is mentioned (ibid.,
p. 464) in connection with the treaty of A.D. 730. How far the designation 'Jang may have reached, it would be premature to speculate; but
it has been observed by M. Bacot (Bacot_1913:
p. 13) that "le nom des
mo-so, Djung ('Djang), est relaté dans l'épopée du roi Géser (Gésar) et designe un
pays situé entre le Ling (Gling) et la Chine." It is possible that the Mo so in their southern migrations took with them the name 'Jang [note 2: The 'Jang sa
tham of a Tibetan gsung 'bum ("n. of a
place in Kham, acc. to ) is perhaps the Sa dam of the Mo so (Les Mo-so, pp. 3,
118, 164).] .
The extent of the document may not have been as great as might be indicated by the
fact that the first surviving folio is numbered 35. But we naturally incline to
believe that the "messages" from Mdo
gams (ll. 88. 1-2) and Bde gams (ll.
88. 3 sqq.) were preceded at least by one from the Tibetan Btsan
po himself and perhaps by others. (See No. 21 infra.) Of the first "message" we have only the conclusion, and its source is for us
therefore unknown.
The language of the document, in accord with its literary character, is regular and
intelligible in a measure quite different from the fragmentary and business records
with which we have hitherto for the most part been dealing. It presents many
resembles to the Lha sa inscriptions, which in
several passages may by its aid be emended and completed. The introductory account
of the legendary king 'O lde Spu rgyal in the
inscription at Waddell_1909:
pp. 948-52, ll. 5-16 of the text,
might almost be an extract from our document, which, however, is here, as
everywhere, far more expansive and elaborate. The following notes include the
analogies in the inscriptions published in Col. Waddell's articles: -
88 A, l. 1, etc., etc.: mjal dum, cf. Lha sa, Waddell_1909:
ll. 3, 54, 63, etc., etc.
88 A l. 3: De ga = "of Bde". To understand "here (there) erected monastery"
would be awkward, as the pronoun has no reference: moreover, De
ga, as a surname occurs p. 440: 24 (M.Tagh.b.ii.0044, IOL Tib N 1938 A, B,
C).
88 B, l. 1: 'gag la"abide in their station", "remain at a
standstill".
88 B, l. 2: sku bla. On this phrase, see above, p. 16 (IOL Tib J
1368).
88 B, l. 3: yul byung sa dod So complete Lha sa, Waddell_1909:
l. 18.
88 B, l. 2: lha las myi'i rjer gshegs te. Cf. Lha sa, Waddell_1909:
ll. 21-2.
89 A, l. 1: 'phrul"theophany". The word means "magic" or "magical manifestation", and was probably a pre-Buddhistic term for
the divine.
89 A, l. 2: sa gtsang, etc. Cf. Lha sa, Waddell_1909:
ll. 20-1.
89 A, l. 1: 'Greng myi. Note that this definitely locates the
'Greng people in the Koko-nor
region, or perhaps makes them include the people of Mdo gams as a whole.
88 B, l. 4: 'phral du"in the present".
89 B, l. 4: gzha' gsang"friends and enemies".
91 A, l. 3: skyems, literally "thirst".
91 A, l. 4: srog dang bral. The reference is to the two Buddhist
prohibitions of killing and appropriating what is not given (all adattādāna being "theft").
91 B, l. 3: Sgam dkyel chen po is below (92 B
2, 93 B 1) styled Skam skyel and Thugs skam (see above, p. 106). Both names recur
Lha sa, Waddell_1909:
l. 44, and Waddell_1910:
B l. 42.
92 A, l. 1: khebs te brjod. This is a good instance of the use of
the form with te as a sort of infinitive after a word of saying.
92 A, l. 1: zin to 'tshal"will to grasp", literally "wish grasped". The
use of the past form with to after 'tshal is
frequent in the documents.
92 A, l. 1: la ltod = la thod"turban" (Das_1902)? We correct kye to kyi in accordance with the passage below.
92 A, l. 4: g.yul bzlog gnyis. The two great victories include
perhaps the capture of Kwa cu in A.D. 727
(supra, p. 2). Concerning the part played by the city of Mkhar tsan, see above, p. 32 (Lha
sa Potala Pillar Inscription B, published by Col. Waddell in Waddell_1910:
pp. 1276-9).
94 A, l. 4: srid la myi dbab cing. The phrase occurs Lha sa,
1911, C l. 64.
94 B, l. 2: rkyen"means"; see above, p. 78 (IOL Tib J 1254).
94 B, l. 3: nam zhar recurs in Lha sa, Waddell_1910:
C l. 48.