The Author of the Hor-chos-ẖbyuṅ

Abstract

G. Huth, when translating the Hor-chos-ẖhbyuṅ (Geschichte des Buddhismus in der Mongolei, i, Strassburg, 1892), attributed this chronicle to ẖJigs-med nam-mkhaẖ, a high incarnate bLa-ma of the great bLa-bran bKra-śis-ẖkhyil monastery in the Amdo Province of North-Eastern Tibet. For over fifty years this attribution remained unchallenged, notwithstanding the fact that it is based on a wrong translation of the Tibetan text of the closing paragraphs of the chronicle. An attentive perusal of the Tibetan text shows that ẖJigs-med nam-mkhaẖ, whose short biography is given on p. 225 of the Tibetan text of the Hor-chos-ẖbyuṅ (ed. G. Huth), and on p. 356 of Huth's translation (Geschichte des Buddhismus in der Mongolei, ii, 1896), was not the author of the chronicle, but the inspirer of the work which was carried out at ẖJigs-med nam-mkhaẖ's command by Gu-śri (kuo-shih or State Preceptor) dKaẖ-bcu Su-dhī (Śuddhi) Ā-yu-warta (Āyurvarta), also known by the name of dbYaṅs-can sGeg-pahi blo-gros ẖJigsmed Rig-paẖi rdo-rje. The author of the chronicle met with ẖJigsmed nam-mkhaẖ during the latter's visit to the Barūn Türned principality in Eastern Mongolia (see Hor-chos-ẖbyuṅ, pp. 227–8). This ẖJigs-med nam-mkhah, better known by his title of Zam-tsha sku-zabs rin-po-che, was one of the “Four Golden Pillars” of bLa-bran in Amdo.1 Soon after A.D. 1803 (chu-phag lo, Water- Hog year) ẖJigs-med nam-mkhah was appointed to the abbot's chair (chos-khri) of the Yung Ho Kung () monastery in Peking. Later he was nominated tamaya lama (tha-ma-ka bla-ma) of Dolōn-nūr (mTsho-bdun) in Chakhar (E. Mongolia).