246 
Note on the Literature of Thibet. 
are works descriptive of the incantations and worship of the eight goddesses, the 
A ayikas probably of the Hindus, and charms for the cure of diseases, and for 
acquiring various superhuman faculties. The collection includes also hymns and 
prayers to the chief objects of Bauddha veneration ; and one work, the text book 
of the oldest sect in Thibet, describes the different emanations of Adi Buddha. 
The original author of most of the contents of the Kah-gyur is supposed to be 
Sakya. His instructions and preachings were oral, but they were collected and 
committed to writing by his disciples. The Prajnd Pdramitd, is in this manner, 
ascribed to Kasyapa, who was one of Sakya’s most eminent pupils, and succeeded 
him as Hierarch. Ananda, his successor, compiled the Bo class, and Nyi-va-khoo, 
a Thibetan, the Bul-va. 
I he principal translators of the Kah-gyur were, of course, in some number, but 
they are not very numerous, and the same names frequently recur, such as those 
of the Indian Pundits Jia-mitra, Prajnyaverma, Surendra Bodhi, Anandasri, Vidya- 
kara Sinh, Manjussri Gerbha, and others ; and those of the Thibetan Lotsavas 
or interpreters, Bande-ye-shas-de, Zang-yesh-de, Kawa-Apal-Bettsegs, Luki- 
dwangpo, Suchenrin Zang, &c. There were also some Chinese in this number, 
and some collections are said to contain translations from Chinese works. 
STAN-GYUR. 
The Stan-gyur is a collection of a still more voluminous description than the 
pieceding, and extends to 225 volumes. These are divided into two great classes, 
the Gyut and Bo, or mystical doctrines and miscellaneous aphorisms ; the former is 
contained in 87, the latter in 136 volumes. Besides these, one volume is filled with 
<5 totras, hymns to the Buddhas and Bodhisatwas , and one volume is an Index. 
I. Gyut. This, as in the Kah-gyur, is a collection of Tantrika works, to an ex- 
tent which it would not be easy to parallel in India; the 87 volumes containing 
2640 different works. As the catalogue of Mr. Csoma does not specify the San- 
sciit names, it is not possible to judge of their identity with similar works in this 
country. But those of the Kah-gyur are not identifiable, and the same is pro- 
bably the case with the treatise of the Stan-gyur. Although, however, the works 
themselves may not be exactly the same, there is no doubt of the identity of 
the subject, as we have works on the formation of the Mandala or mystical 
diagram, on the cure of diseases by charms, on the worship of evil spirits, on the 
practice of Yoga , on the attainment of superhuman faculties by the performance 
of magical rites, and the repetition of mystical phrases and words- 
The great abundance of T antrika mysticism in the Buddhism of Thibet, and also 
no doubt of Tartary and China, is rather inconsistent with the abstract and quietarian 
spirit of that religion. How and when they became associated is a matter of inter- 
esting enquiry, not only for Thibet but for India. In both countries the system of 
the Tantras is, no doubt, subsequent to most other forms of worship ; and in Thibet 
its introduction appears to have commenced with the Kala Chakra, in the 11th 
century . and it is worthy of notice, that it is derived from India only intermedi- 
a ely ; the origin of the work being referred to a more northern region. The history 
of the Tantra ritual in India is far from being ascertained ; but the greatest, and 
perhaps the worst portion of it, is commonly considered to have originated in the 
^orth-east of Hindustan, and in comparatively modern times. It may be worth 
while to enquire, how far Thibet may have repaid India with the spells of the 
sTrr^ 8 ° f Buddhisi *> ™d whether any connexion sub- 
du an SliamaUCeiSm ° fSiberi ^ and mysticism of Thibet andffin- 
