The Tibetan Buddhist canon divides sacred texts into two broad categories known as bka'-'gyur and bstan-'gyur. The first category, Kangyur, consists of works said to be spoken directly by the Buddha himself. The second category, Tengyur, contains commentaries and treatises written by great masters on the Buddha's recorded teachings.
When was the Mahavyutpatti glossary completed for the Tibetan Buddhist canon?
A team of Indian and Tibetan scholars completed a bilingual glossary known as the Mahavyutpatti in 814 CE. This document standardized terminology for all future translations into the Tibetan language. King Trisong Detsen issued decrees requiring that existing translation works be catalogued and reviewed following this completion.
How many volumes does the Tengyur section of the Tibetan Buddhist canon contain?
The Tengyur portion uses 127,000 folios to house its vast collection of philosophical works spread across 224 volumes. This section holds 3626 texts containing commentaries composed by Indian authors who shaped Tibetan philosophical thought. Together with the Kangyur these sections comprise 4,502 texts containing roughly 73 million words.
Which editions of the Tibetan Buddhist canon were printed between 1600 and 1750?
A Wanli Kanjur was produced in 1606 while the Lithang Kanjur ran from 1608 to 1621. The Kangxi Kanjur spanned 1684 to 1692 and the Cone Kanjur took ten years to complete between 1721 and 1731. The Narthang edition emerged in 1730 followed by the Derge Kanjur in 1733.
Who are the key Indian authors featured in the Tibetan Buddhist canon Tengyur?
Asanga founded the Yogacara philosophical school while Nagarjuna established Madhyamaka philosophy within the canon. Aryadeva continued Nagarjuna's Madhyamaka tradition as his foremost disciple and Dharmakirti authored the Seven Treatises. Vasubandhu served as Asanga's brother and contributed significantly to Abhidharma studies alongside other masters like Candrakīrti and Shantideva.