Sanskrit-Tibetan Textual Work

[Stephen Hodge]

L.S. Cousins wrote/quoted:

"Most of Sanskrit palm-leaf manuscripts at Zhalu monastery were
transferred to the China Library of the Na-tionalities at Beijing and
recently returned to Tibet. (Some of them are currently deposited at
the Nor bu gling ga Palace in Lhasa.) A cooperative project of the
Institute for Comprehensive Studies of Buddhism at Taisho University
with the China Library of Nationalities enabled me to access to the
Sanskrit manuscripts transcribed in Tibetan dbu med. The project has
been bearing fruit as a series of achievements, i.e., the publications
of facsimile editions of the Shraavakabhuumi", the
Amoghapaashakalparaaja, and the Abhisamaacaarika-dharma. I would like
to inform that the next publication will be "A Collection of Sanskrit
Palm-leaf Manuscripts Transcribed in the Tibetan dBu-med" in which the
material mentioned above is also included."

Of course, the biggest collection of Sanskrit mss that was stolen was
that located at Sakya.  As far as I know, this collection is still
inaccesible.

This Japanese project is to be welcomed.  I suppose Tibetan dBu-med
transcripts are better than nothing, though the concept sounds
bizarre -- not that I am privileging roman letters over Tibetan
script -- but one wonders who has the expertise to transcribe
accurately ?   The current editorial standards in Chinese-sponsored
Tibetan textual work fall short of modern academic requirements -- the
Tenjur collated edition published in Chengdu comes to mind.

Best wishes,
Stephen Hodge