Tibetan Buddhist canon
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The Tibetan Buddhist canon is a loosely defined list of sacred texts recognized by various sects of Tibetan Buddhism.
In addition to earlier foundational Buddhist texts from early Buddhist schools, mostly the Sarvastivada, and mahayana texts, the Tibetan canon includes Tantric texts.
The Tibetan Canon underwent a final compilation in 14th Century by Bu-ston (1290-1364). The Tibetans did not have a formally arranged Mahayana canon and so devised their own scheme which divided texts into two broad categories:
- Kanjur (Bka' 'Gyur) or "Translated Words", consists of works supposed to have been said by the Buddha himself. All texts presumably have a sanskrit original, although in many cases the Tibetan text was translated from Chinese or other languags.
It is divided into sections on vinaya, Perfection of Wisdom Sutras, other sutras (75% Mahayana, 25% Early Wisdom Schools [aka Hinayana]), and tantras.
When exactly the term bka' 'gyur was first used is not known. Collections of canoncial Buddhist texts existed already in the time of Khri Srong lde rtsan. Two catalogues of such texts are currently available the lhan dkar ma and then pa thang ma. A third catalogue is reported to exit.
The exact number of texts in the Bka' 'gyur is not fixed, each editor takes responsibility for removing texts he considers spurious, and adding new translations. Currently there are about 12 available Kanjur's these include the Derge, Lhasa, Narthang, Cone, Peking, Ugra, Phudrak, and Stog Palace versions. In addition some canonical texts have been found in Tabo and Dunhuang which provide earlier exemplars to texts found in the Bka' 'gyur. All extant Bka' 'gyurs appear to stem from the Old Narthang Bka' 'gyur. The stemma of the Bka' 'gyur has been well researched in particular by Helmut Eimer.
- Tanjur (Bstan 'gyur) or "Translated Treatises" is the section to which were assigned commentaries, treatises and abhidharma works (both Mahayana and non-Mahayana). The Tanjur contains 3626 texts in 224 Volumes.
Organisation of Tantric texts
Tibetan Buddhism typically divides the Tantras into four hierarchical categories, namely,
- Kriyayoga
- Charyayoga
- Yogatantra
- Anuttarayogatantra
- further divided into "mother", "father" and "non-dual" tantras.
Another division is used by the Nyingma school:
- Three Outer Tantras:
- Kriyayoga
- Charyayoga
- Yogatantra
- Three Inner Tantras, which correspond to the Anuttarayogatantra:
See also
External link
- Tibetan Canon (http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/history/s_tibcanon.htm)
- The Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center (http://tbrc.org/)