The American Institute of Buddhist Studies
at Columbia University in the City of New York

2. Tengyur Overview

Ramshankar Tripathi, Thomas Yarnall (AIBS, Columbia University), Paul Hackett (AIBS, Columbia University)

Participants provided an historical overview of the Tibetan Tengyur, addressing such fundamental questions as: What is the Tengyur? Why is it (in particular) so important? Why translate it at all?

In answering such questions the presenters offered:

1. A concise presentation on the importance of the Indian Buddhist monastic tradition (esp. 1st–12th c.), with special emphasis on the contributions of the 17 Paṇḍits of Nālandā
2. A brief narrative regarding the processes involved in the translation of key Sanskrit texts into Tibetan over several centuries (7th–12th c.), the subsequent critical assessment, editing, and compilation of these translations into coherent canons called the Kangyur and Tengyur (14th c.), and the ensuing production of multiple variant printed editions and redactions over the next several centuries
3. A brief overview of the organization and contents of the Tengyur.