Death and Beyond in Ancient Tibet: Archaic Concepts and Practices in a Thousand-Year-Old Illuminated Funerary Manuscript and Old Tibetan Funerary ... Der Philosophisch-historischen Klasse)

This monograph brings to light the eschatological patterns and procedural constructs of death rites in ancient Tibet. It is centered on documents written between circa 800 CE and 1100 CE, which include an illuminated funerary manuscript of much rarity, two death ritual texts recently recovered in southern Tibet from the Gathang Bumpa religious monument, and several related manuscripts discovered in the Dunhuang grottoes a century ago. This book builds upon previous efforts of the author to explicate the otherworldly dimension in early Tibetan religion and culture. Many of the documents of this study were written in the Old Tibetan language and represent the oldest known literary sources for research into Tibetan funerary traditions. The work is underpinned by annotated translations, which are critically edited and painstakingly provided with Classical Tibetan word equivalents. Each featured text is described in detail and subjected to a rigorous religious and historical analysis. Other Tibetan literature that supports the comprehension of the foundational texts of this study is also marshaled. These textual assets complement one another by progressively revealing an indigenous belief system and praxis of great depth and intricacy. The antiquated narrations and rituals concerning death presented in this book furnish a lucid view of cultural forms that circulated around Tibet before its religious universe became saturated with Buddhism and Buddhist-influenced doctrines and practices. Especially when seen through the lens of the archaeological record, the sheer intellectual and material wealth borne in the archaic funerary traditions demonstrates that Tibet was endowed with culturally advanced societies in the time before the spread of Lamaism. Bibliographies and indexes (with glossary) are appended to the main text. Cover Table of Contents Foreword Acknowledgements An Introduction to the Funerary Documentsof This Study PART I: The Illuminated Funerary Manuscript Philological and Historical Analysis of the Illuminated Funerary Manuscript Division One: The Psychopomp Ritual Division Two: The Ste’u Ritual PART II: The Gathang Bumpa Funerary Documents An Introduction to Rnel drĭ ’dul ba’i thabs sogs Rnel drĭ ’dul ba’i thabs sogs: Chapter I Rnel drĭ ’dul ba’i thabs sogs: Chapter II Rnel drĭ ’dul ba’i thabs sogs: Chapter III An Introduction to Sha ru shul ston rabs la sogs pa Sha ru shul ston rabs la sogs pa: Chapter I Sha ru shul ston rabs la sogs pa: Chapter II PART III: Selected Origins Myths and Rituals from the Dunhuang Funerary Manuscripts The Origins Myth of the Skyibs-lug in Pt 1194 The Origins Myth of Lhe’u yang-ka’ rje in Pt 1134 The Do-ma Funerary Transport Horse Ritual in ITJ 731r Conclusion Bibliography INDEXES 1 Place Names (real and imagined) 2 Proper Names of Humans, Divinities and Demons 3 Glossary of Terms in Tibetan Languages An introduction to the funerary documents of this study The illuminated funerary manuscript The Gathang Bumpa funerary documents Selected origins myths and rituals from the Dunhuang funerary manuscripts.