Ancient text collection eases access for research

A 216-volume collection of ancient texts from the Jonang school, a tradition of Tibetan Buddhism known for its distinct philosophical teachings, was launched in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan province, on Oct 16, bringing together nearly 6,800 works by more than 200 scholars from the 11th to the 18th centuries.

The launch was held at the Tianfu Book Fair, followed by a two-day academic symposium attended by scholars from nearly 30 universities and research institutions.

The collection includes handwritten works and rare manuscripts, some of which had never been published. Its subjects range from Buddhist philosophy and Tibetan medicine to art, music and astronomy, offering researchers valuable material for studying Tibetan culture and its historical development, experts said.

Among the works are commentaries on the Four Medical Tantras, a foundational text of Tibetan medicine, as well as writings on Buddhist philosophy, traditional astronomical calculations and the rules used to create Buddhist paintings and sculptures. The collection also preserves more than 300 pieces of ancient music associated with Jonang Buddhist chanting, one of China's national intangible cultural heritages.

The project began in 1987 to collect and preserve Jonang texts, including more than 100,000 woodblock carvings used for printing. In 2002, the work continued with further manuscript collection, collation, and preparation for publication.

In 2023, Sichuan Xinhua Publishing and Distribution Group joined the editorial committee in Zamtang county, Sichuan, to launch the publishing project. Sichuan Ethnic Publishing House published the collection with support from the Sichuan Publishing Development Foundation.

At the symposium, scholars discussed the collection's historical and cultural value and ways to preserve and study the texts. Participants said the publication would provide an important foundation for Tibetan culture research and historical exchanges among China's ethnic groups.

The editorial committee said it plans to work with universities, research institutions, publishers, and technology teams to build a digital database of the texts. The project will include developing standards for processing Tibetan-language documents and creating searchable databases of historical figures, place names and specialized terms, making the material easier to access and study.