| Summary: | This publication discusses a woodcut compilation of Buddhist texts from the collection of the National Museum of the Republic of Tuva, also providing a transliteration and Russian translation of the text. This woodcut collection in Mongolian (code M–143) is a rather rare edition. It has 11 sheets of small format and consists of short extracts from such works as the “Lhantab”, “The Awakening Sutra of the worship of Yidam (yi dam)”, “Subhashita” by Sakya Panditas, the teachings of Janja-Khutuhta Rolby-Dorje (lcang skya rol ba'i rdo rje) and Yonjin Yeshe Dzhaltsana (yongs 'dzin ye shes rgyal mtshan).
A well-known Mongolian researcher A. G. Sazykin, when describing the Mongolian collection of the Museum, noted the presence of Buryat publications in it. One such sample is a woodcut compilation of the observance of Buddhist vows (M–143), which he had never seen before. The peculiarity of this woodblock is that it adopts a system for placing diacritical marks which differs from that in traditional Mongolian woodblock prints. Thus, diacritical marks in the form of two points, indicating the consonant γ, here indicate the consonant q.
The layout of this collection demonstrates the high erudition of its compiler. Although his name is not explicitly mentioned in the text, there is only an indirect indication that the text was put together by several, rather than one, compilers.
The text allows us to shed some light on the principles of the use of well-known writings in explaining the provisions of the Buddhist doctrine. The fact that the text contains an appeal to believers from among the secular followers of the Buddha’s teaching demonstrates the importance of this field of preaching, practised by Buddhist clergy among Tuvans.
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