Terjék József: Collection of Tibetan MSS and Xylographs of Alexander Csoma de Kőrös.

Catalogue

24 these difficulties at great length, then turns to answering the questions one after the other, without dividing his treatise into chapters. The formal proportioning is indicated by the questions themselves, underscored by red ink-lines. There are some twenty questions, which can be grouped under the following headings: sans-rgyas áes-pa rgyu-mchan £i'i phyir btags-pa dan I de-la dbye-ba ii-cam m£his ("the analysis of the word sans-rgyas and why Buddha was given this name,", p. 7); sgra chad bzo gso nan-don-rig-pa dan I £hun-ba sdeb-sbyor snan-nag mnon-brjod zlos-gar skar-rcis-rnams Bod-kyi yul-du snon-nas yod-pa'am | yul gáan-nas khyons ("linguistics, logic, technics, medicine, the inner science and the minor sciences: metrics, poetical metaphor, drama, astrology - have these sciences existed in Tibet from time immemorial or have they originated in other countries?", p. 19); khyad-par gtan-chigs rig-pa 'di-bzin 'byun-'khuns dan lo-rgyus dan I dan-por slob-dpon gah-gi mjad | Bod-yul-du dus-num-gyi che locha-ba sus kyohs ("how did the science of logic, in the? first place, take shape and what is its history; who were its first teachers; and who were the locavas at its appearance in Tibet?", p. 22); sans-rgyas-kyi gáun-dari mi mthun-pa'i mu-stegs-pa man-pa ci-cam mchis ("which are the heretical sects incompatible with Buddha's teaching?", p. 40); da-lta Bod-yul-du darba'i grub-mtha' lta-ba'i rim-pa mi £ig-pa ji-cam m£his ("which are the philosophical teachings presently taught in Tibet?", p. 12); Rgya-gar Rgya-nag Hor Sogs-na sgyu-scal dan yon-tan m£his—pa de-dag-las Bod-yul-du khyadpar 'phags-pa gan ("which of the sciences and virtues to be found in India, China and Mongolia are advocated, especially, in Tibet?", p. 42). In the colophon Chul-khrims rgya-mcho says: "The Rümi Skander blieg ( = Alexander Csoma de Körös), who is like the vast, open skies in his unshakable fortitude and his insight, demonstrated in sciences,, undertaking the arduous journey from the large ocean of the Orient to jasminecovered Upper Tibet, in his search for the Teaching, not for his own selfish purpose but for the salvation of all people, and arriving at Zangla, obtained knowledge, through the power of prayer, of me, and it is from Zangla, the splendid seat of the King of the Learning, the earthly governor in Man-yul province, that ho sent his questions about the Buddhist discourses accompanied with his humble request and valuable presents; and beseech-