Table Of ContentA
HISTORY efTIBET
Indiana University Oriental Series
Denis Sinor, Editor
Volume VII
by
Nag-dBan Blo-bZan rGya-mTSHo,
FIFTH DALAI LAMAefTIBET
Translated from Tibetan
by Zahiruddin Ahmad
Indiana University
Research Institute for Inner Asian Studies
Bloomington, Indiana
1995
of
To the memory my sister Atiya
this translation is most respectfolly dedicated.
Zahir
Copyright© 1995 Indiana University
Research Institute for Inner Asian Studies
All rights reserved
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 94-065581
ISBN: 0933070-32-2
Printed in the United States of America
Table of Contents
Translator's Preface iv
Abbreviations ix
Title of Book 1
Chapter 1
(1) Introductory Verses 1
(2) Life of the Buddha 3
(3) The Killacakra Tantra 7
(4) The early kings of Tibet 8
Chapter 2
lHa-THo THo-Ri and his descendants 14
Chapter 3
Sroii.-bTSan sGam-Po and THon-Mi Sambho\a 17
Chapter 4
Sroii.-bTSan sGam-Po and his
Nepalese and Chinese wives 22
Chapter 5
Sroii.-bTSan sGam-Po and the building of
Buddhist temples in Tibet 35
Chapter 6
The second reign of Sroii.-bTSan sGam-Po.
His immediate successors 43
Chapter 7
KHri-Sroii. IDe-bTSan,
Santarakshita and Padmasambhava 50
ii
iii
Chapter 8
Chapter 17
The ordination of the first
The later PHag-Mo-Gru-Pa (1) 144
Tibetan monks 61
Chapter 18
The later PHag-Mo-Gru-Pa (2)
Chapter 9
The rise of the Rin-s Puns-Pa 151
The death of KHri-Sron lDe-bTSan.
His immediate successors 65
1\
!I
'i Chapter 10
Chapter 19
Ii Ral-Pa-Can 69
Nine feudatories of the PHag-Mo-Gru-Pa 161
j (1) The Rin-sPuns-Pa 161
'..•· 1 Chapter 11
(2) The Hor family of 'PHyon-rGyas 165
Gian-Dar-Ma and the fall of the
(3) The rulers of Brag-dKar 173
111 Tibetan monarchy. (4) The sNel-Pa 174
!
Buddhism in Western Tibet 75
(5) The rulers of rGyal-mKHar-rTSe 177
]:
I: (6) The Administrators of 'ol-KHa 179
Chapter 12
(7) The rulers of Ya r-rGyab 180
'.j[ Atisa and the Later Propagation of
(8) The myriarchs of Bya-Pa 181
Buddhism in Tibet 83
(9) The dGa' -!Dan-Pa 184
l!
Chapter 13
'I Chapter 20
'.! The Mongolian Qa-yans and the Sa-sKya-Pa 89
The rGya-Ri-Ba 188
The Sa-sKya-Pa 91
Chapter 21
I Chapter 14
Conclusion 191
The myriarchies of TSHal, 'Bri-Gun,
(1) Gu-Sri Khan 191
sNa-dKar-rTSe and Northern La-sTod 106
(2) Concluding Verses 197
!I (1) The TS Hal-Pa 107
ii (3) Colophon 205
(2) The 'Bri-Gun-Pa 110
(3) The sNa-dKar-rTSe-Pa 113 I
Notes 207
(4) The lords of Northern La-sTod 114 I
t
....................
Chapter 15
Early history of the PHag-Mo-Gru-Pa 118
Chapter 16
The PHag-Mo-Gru-Pa:
Ta'i Si-Tu Byan-CHub rGyal-mTSHan (1302-64) 126
V
iv
III. A printed edition, entitled "The History of Tzbet by Fifth Dalai
Lama", published by Kalsang Lhundup from Varanasi in 1967.
Translator's Preface
IV. A print~ edition, entitled "Early History of Tzbet by Nag-dBail
The full title of the History of Tzbet by Nag-dBail Blo-bZail rGya
Blo-bZan rGya-mTsho, H.H. the Dalai Lama V", published by
mTSHo, the fifth Dalai Lama of Tibet (1617-82), completed on 14
Ngawang Gelek Demo from Delhi in 1967.
November 1643, is given in the colophon, as follows:
These texts are hereinafter referred to as I, II, III and IV. I is
Gans Ris bsKor Ba'i Uo/Js Su mCHog gSum Dam Par gTan Gyi
often illegible. II is clearly the best edition. III and IV seem to be
sKyabs Su 'DZin Cill!rNam 'Dren Zas gTSall Sras Po 'i bsTan Pa
rather unsatisfactory copies of II.
Rin Po CHe La PHud Dud Sags Bia Na Med Par bKur Ba 'i Sa
La sPyod Pa'i m'I'Ho Ris Kyi rGyal Blan rNams gTSo Bor brJod
I have also used (1) the English translation of extracts from the
Pa'i Deb 'I'Her rDZ.Ogs /Dan gZJJn Nu'i dGa' sTon dPyid Kyi
History by Giuseppe Tucci in Tzbetan Painted Scrolls (La Libreria dello
rGyal Mo 'i Glu dByalls.
Stato, Rome 1949), Vol. II, pp. 625-651; and (2) the Chinese
translation o_f the. ~hole of.II ?Y Kuo Ho-ch'ing f~ .;f.n ~UP , published
The Song of the Queen of Spring, celebrating the Prince of the
by the Nationahties Pubhshmg House, Beijing, in 1983. Tucci's
Age of Fulfilment and speaking, principally, of the kings and
translation is only of extracts from page 53b to page lJOa. He leaves
ministers, who (descended) from heaven to rule on earth; who
out all the poetry passages at the end of chapters, but some of his
honoured, with honour than which there was no higher, the
translations and his notes (in Tzbetan Painted Scrolls, Vol. II, pp. 679-
precious teaching of the son of Suddhodana; and who held
698) have been very useful. Kuo's full translation is not, in my opinion,
firmly to (seeking) refuge in the Three Holy Jewels, in this land
a very good one, but there are some good ideas here and there.
surrounded by sno,ry mountains. I
The system of transcription used in this translation is as follows:
The book has been noticed by Yensho Kanakura, Ryujo Yamada, 1 K KH G N
Tokan Tada and Hakuyu Hadano (editors) in the Catalogue of the I
C CH J N
Tohoku University Collection of Tzbetan Works of Buddhism (Tohoku T TH D N
University, Sendai, 1953), under No. 5664. In preparing this P IB B M
translation, however, I have used the following texts:
TzS TSH DZ V
z y
I. Photocopy of the xylograph in the Toyo Bunko (The Oriental R L S S
Library), Tokyo, noticed by Zuiho Yamaguchi in the Catalogue
H A
oft he Toyo Bunko Collection ofTzbetan Works on History (Toyo
Bunko, Tokyo, 1970), under No. 349-2609 (pp. 100-102). The
Givin? ~ne-third of my study-time to this translation, I completed
photocopy was very kindly sent to me by the Toyo Bunko in
over 75% of 1t m the calendar year 1990, during which I was on leave
1983.
from La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia. I finished the
remainder by about the middle of 1991. For the leave granted in 1990,
II. A printed edition, entitled Bod Kyi Deb THer dPyid Kyi rGyal
I thank the powers that be in La Trobe University.
Mo 'i Glu dByalls/Hsi Tsang Wang Ch 'en Chi f!§ JiLf. ft i;E ,
published by tht Nationalities Publishing House (Min Tsu Ch 'u
A few words about the translation of some Tibetan terms:
Pan SM ~ Ji~ lli J$... t± ), Beijing, in 1957.
I have translated the term CHos-rGyal by its Sanskrit equivalent,
vi vii
Dharmaraja, rather than the English "religious king", for the following be said, perhaps, that in the mind of the Tibetans, there seemed to be no
difference between these rulers of China and Tibet.
reason:
The term CHos-rGyal refers, in the first place, to three kings of Where the emperor of China is referred to as rGya-rJe, I have
Ancient Tibet: Sron-bTSan sGam-Po, KHri-Sron IDe-bTSan and Ral-Pa translated the term, literally, as "the lord of China".
Can. They were CHos-rGyals because, firstly, they were recognised as
re-incarnations of sPyan-Ras-gZigs, Avalokitesvara. Secondly, they The religious and secular heads of four important Tibetan
were of course kings, makers of war and peace, promulgators of laws, Buddhist sects or dynasties who figure in this History are as follows:
rewarders of the good, punishers of the wicked.
Sect/dynasty Religious head Secular head
In this dual role, the ancient Tibetan CHos-rGyals seem to me to
combine two Hindu traditions in their persons: firstly, the tradition of Sa-sKya-Pa bDag-Nid Chen-Po dPon-Chen
Dharmaraja Yudhishthira, the very embodiment of Dharma; and, (Mahatman) or (Great Minister).
secondly, that of Dharmaraja Yama, the king of death, who punishes all i.al-No (Chief Monk)
transgressions of Dharma. Mutatis mutandis, in Buddhist Tibet, the
"embodiment of Dharma" becomes a reincarnation of Avalokitesvara. TSHal-Pa Drull-CHen dPon (Minister)
The death-dealing Dharmaraja retains his punitive role. or
dPon-CHen
This dual role cannot be adequately expressed by the English . (Great Minister).
"religious king". Hence, I have used the Sanskrit word, Dharmaraja.
'Bri-Gun-Pa sPyan-sNa or sGom-Pa
The Tibetan term CHos-rGyal is also used, in the second place, i.al-No (Chief Monk)
as a term of respect for certain distinguished religious persons, who
wielded no secular power (except, perhaps, over their disciples). This PHag-Mo-Gru-Pa sPyan-sNa Goll-Ma
use of CHos-rGyal is similar to that of the term Maharaj, often used in (at gDan-Sa-mTHil) (at sNe'u-gDon).
India today when addressing a Hindu holy man; or the term Shah Sahib,
used by Muslims when referring to the head of a Sufi sect or group. In
such cases, the translation of CHos-rGyal by "religious king" would, I have translated bDag-Nid CHen-Po as Mahiitman, because the
obviously, be misleading. word Mahatma is fairly well-known in English. I have also translated
dPon and dPon-CHen literally as "minister" and "Great Minister",
The term Goll-Ma is used to refer to the Mongolian Qayans and respectively. Following G. Tucci, Tibetan Painted Scrolls, Vol. II
the emperors of China. In such cases, the translation of Goll-Ma by (Rome, 1949), p. 685, note 83, I have translated 7.al-No as "chief
"emperor" would be justified. However the term is also used to refer to monk". However, I have left Drun-CHen, sPyan-sNa and sGom-Pa
the secular heads of the PHag - Mo - Gru - Pa, who ruled from untranslated. According to Chang I-sun 5k H r,F , Bod rGya TSHig
iii$. iJ¥
sNe'u-gDon, and were hegemons of Tibet from about the middle of the mDZ.Od CHen-Mo/Tsang Han Ta-tz '(t-tien ~ :fr.. ~ Vol. II
14th Century, losing effective power in about the middle of the 15th (Beijing, 1985), p. 1333, col. 2, Drun-CHen is short for Drun-Yig CHen
century. The translation of Goll-Ma as "emperor" with reference to Mo, defined on p. 1334, col. 1, as a sort of "chief archivist". A sPyan
these Tibetan hegemons might not be acceptable to all. Hence, I have sNa-Ba (literally, one who stands or sits "in front of the eyes" of his
chosen the literal translation, "the High One", and applied it equally to teacher) is a chief disciple (ibid., p. 1672, col. 1). Neither of these
the rulers of China and the PHag-Mo-Gru-Pa hegemons of Tibet. It may meanings apply to the religious heads of the TSHal-Pa, 'Bri-Gun-Pa or
viii ix
Phag-Mo-Gru-Pa. Hence, I have retained the Tibetan originals. Abbreviations
I have, similarly, left the term sGom-Pa untranslated, because the BA g:Zon-Nu dPal, Deb-Ther sNon-Po, translated by
translation "meditator" would be meaningless in the present context. On Roerich, G.N., The Blue Annals (Calcutta,
the other hand, I have translated the word Zabs-Drw! (literally, an Asiatic Society of Bengal, 1949, 1953).
attendant of a great lama, see Chang, op. cit., Vol. Ill, p. 2375, col. 1),
wherever it occurs, as "lama-official", because that translation seems to CG CHos-Kyi-Grags-Pa, brDaDag Min TSHig gSal
ii5.
be justified by the context. Ba!Tsang Wen Ta Tz 'u-tien 5c "ft. i)$
~ (Beijing, Nationalities Publishing
After completing the translation, I submitted a list of 24 short House, 1957)
passages, words and expressions to Dr. Christine Schneider, of the
Seminar Jar Sprach- und Kulturwissenschaft Zentralasiens of the Chang Chang I-sun 5t( ,/{; it , Bod rGya TSHig
University of Bonn, for review and, if necessary, correction. After mDZ.Od CHen Mo/Tsang Han Ta Tz'u-tien ,li.1"
;l. ~¥ ,
consultation with Dagyab Rinpoche (L.S. Dagyab) and Mr. Perna ft... ~ 3 vols. (Beijing, Nationalities
Tsering, she suggested 13 amendments and I have accepted most of Publishing House, 1985).
them. The acknowledgements appear in the Notes. Needless to say, my
gratitude to Dr. Schneider and her informants is immense. The Chang Chi-yiin Chang Chi-yiin 3!l 1.. a';J , Chung wen Ta Tz 'u
M
responsibility for all errors of understanding is mine alone. The tien tp )I:. 'ft.. ~ !The Encyclopaedic
translation of rGyal Ba Rigs lNar Byin Gyis bRlabs Te on page 57b of Dictionary oft he Chinese Language, 38 vols. +
the text as "being blessed (and transformed) into the five Tathligatas" on 2 vols. of Index (Taipei, Chung-kuo Wen-hua
page 98 of the translation is due to Miss Diana Cousens of La Trobe Yen-chiu-suo If' @J ~ 1G Eit 'eff ftjf /Institute
University. for Advanced Chinese Studies, 1962-67).
My thanks are due to Carol Courtis, Laraine Dumsday, Brenda Dargyay Dargyay, E., The Rise of Esoteric Buddhism in
Joyce and Heather Wilkie, of the Department of History at La Trobe Tibet (Delhi, Motilal Banarsidass, 1977).
University for having typed this very difficult manuscript. I am deeply
grateful to Professor Denis Sinor for accepting this translation for Das Das, S.C., A Tibetan-English Dictionary
publication in the Oriental Series of the Research Institute for Inner (Calcutta, Bengal Secretariat Book Depot, 1902).
Asian Studies of Indiana University. Special thanks go to Ms. Mary von
Pilsen and Ms. April Younger of the Department of Central Eurasian Edgerton Edgerton, R., Buddhist Hybrid-Sanskrit
Studies of Indiana University, for the laborious task of transforming the Dictionary (Reprint, Delhi, Motilal Banarsidass,
manuscript into a printed book. 1970).
Ferrari Ferrari, A., mK'yen brTSe's Guide to the Holy
Places of Central Tibet (Rome, Istituto Italiano
per ii Medio ed Estremo Oriente, 1958).
(ZAHIRUDDIN AHMAD) Goldstein Goldstein, M.C., Tibetan-English Dictionary of
Modern Tibetan (Kathmandu, Ratna Pustak
Bhandar, 1978).
xi
X
Haarh Haarh, E., The Yar-Lwl Dynasty (Copenhagen, Rigzln Rigzin, T., Tibetan-English Dictionary of
Buddhist Terminology (Dharamsala, Library
1969).
of Tibetan Works and Archives, 1986).
Hahn Hahn, M., Lehrbuch der ldassischen tibetischen
Schriftsprache (Bonn, Indica et Tibetica Verlag, Schuh (1973) Schuh, D., Untersuchungen zur Geschichte der
tibetischen Kalender-rechnung
1985).
(Wiesbaden, Franz Steiner Verlag, 1973).
Jaschke Jiischke, H.A., A Tibetan-English Dictionary
(London, Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1958). Schuh (1977) Schuh, D., Erlasse und Sendschreiben
Mongolischer Herrscher jUr Tibetische
Kuo Nag-dBaiJ Blo-bZaiJ rGya-mTSHo, Dalai Lama Geistliche (St. Augustin, VGH
V, Bod-Kyi-Deb-Ther, dPyid-Kyi-rGyal-Mo 'i Wissenschaftsverlag, 1977).
l/I
Glu-dByalls, translated by Kuo Ho-ch'ing
,f.u 9(lp, Hsi-tsang Wang Ch 'en chi !J ff#; :f. /t Shakabpa Shakabpa, W .D., Tibet, A Political History
ii:, (Beijing, Nationalities Publishing House, (Yale Univ. Press, 1967).
1983).
Soothill & Soothill, W.E. & Hodous, L., A Dictionary of
LC (1976) Lokesh Chandra, Tibetan-Sanskrit Dictionary, 2 Hodous Chinese Buddhist Terms (Reprint, Taipei, Ch' eng
vols. (Kyoto, Rinsen Book Co., 1976). Wen Publishing Co., 1975) ..
LC (1987) Lokesh Chandra, Buddhist Iconography, 2 vols. Tohoku (1934) Ui Hakuju, Suzuki Munetada, Kanakura Ye nsho
& Tada Tokan (eds.), A Complete Catalogue of
(Delhi, Aditya Prakashan, 1987).
the Tibetan Buddhist Canons (bKalJ-IJGyur and
Lessing Lessing, F.D., Mongolian-English Dictionary bsTan-lJGyur). Sendai, Tohoku Imperial
(Reprint, Bloomington, The Mongolia Society, University, 1934.
1982).
Tohoku (1953) Kanakura Yensho, Yamada Ryujo, Tada Tokan
Mathews Mathews, R.H., Chinese-English Dictionary & Hadano Hakuyu (eds.), Catalogue of the
Tohoku University Collection of Tibetan Works
(Harvard University Press, 13th Printing, 1975).
ofB uddhism (Sendai, Tohoku University, 1953).
MW Monier-Williams, M., A Sanskrit-English
Dictionary (Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1964). Tucci, TPS, II Tucci, G., Tibetan Painted Scrolls, Volume II
(Rome, La Libreria dello Stato, 1949).
dPa'-Bo dPa'-Bo gTSug-Lag, mKHas Pa/Ji dGafJ-sTon,
Pt. IV (JA), edited by Lokesh Chandra, VSP Sai!s-rGyas rGya-mTSHo, Vaitftirya Ser-Po,
Satapi(aka, 9(4). Delhi, International Academy edited by Lokesh Chandra, Satapi(aka, 12.
of Indian Culture, 1962. Delhi, International Academy oflndian Culture,
1960.
Title
xii
Wylie (1957) Wylie, T.V., A Place-Name Index to George N. The aong of the Queen of Spring1, celebrating the Prince2 of the Age of
Roerich 's Translation oft he Blue Annals (Rome, Fulfilment', being the Records speaking, principally, of the kings and
Istituto Italiano per ii Medio ed Estremo ministers, who (descended) from heaven to rule4 in the Land of Snows.
Oriente, 1957).
Chapter 1
Wylie (1962) Wylie, T.V., Ihe Geography of Tibet according (1) Introductory verses
to the 'DZam Gling rGyas bSHad (Rome,
Istituto Italiano per ii Medio ed Estremo [p.1:] He who, in the Age of Happiness, in the middle of the city of
Oriente, 1962). Sudarsana', (sat) on the golden throne; he whose essence6was
fearlessness,
Other books and articles have been mentioned in the Notes. That thousand-eyed one7, who looked on all phenomena• clearly
illumined by the lustrous rays of his famed and jewelled ear-rings;
[p.2a:] The drum of whose victory' over the demons'° on both sides was
beaten a thousand times; he who had ten powers11 and was the beautiful
one among the sky-dwelling ones12
;
May that supreme king, the son of Suddhodana, the chief of the gods,
do good to the three worlds. (1)
[p.2b:] He who is the eternal Vajra, the Svastika of eternal life, which
has fully conquered the very essence of death,
He who is the all-pervading lord of the treasury, which is the best source
for the fulfilment of wishes, which know no end (and which are wished)
in order to be (fulfilled and) enjoyed,
[p.3a:] To him (belong) immeasurable life and knowledge, well-praised
by all the Victors of the three worlds.
May he, the paradisal tree of beautiful life, bestow the supreme fruit of
timely-ripened fulfilment. (2)
[p.3b:] He who is a Gesar of well-ordered knowledge, whose iron hook
I of the youthfulness of youth
I Pierces the heart of the deer-eyed woman", who is all phenomena,
[p.4a:] May that Pancasikha, 14 who makes the painted image of this
drama - which, in itself, is unconstructed - rise on the clear mirror of
truth in all its nakedness, sit as an ornament on the neck. (3).
[p.4b:] (She who is seated) on a mountain15 of coral, embraced by a
I
garland of one hundred thousand suns.
Whose pe,fect virtue has brought into submission all the essences of
inanimate and animate beings;
[p.Sa:] Who, with only an arrow (shot) with eyes askance, causes
trembling among those with virtuous forms (and among) the
unconstructed (ones),
May that goddess of learning rule over the three worlds! (4)
