Brief History Of Buddhist Studies In Europe And Maerica

Author(s): J W De Jong
Publisher: J W De Jong

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BUDDHIST STUDIES IN THE WEST
Cacella and João Cabral travelled in 1627–8 via Bhutan to Shigatse (gzis-kartse). Cacella arrived on the 20th January 1628 and left again at the end of January. On the 28th February 1630 Cacella returned to Shigatse where he died on the 6th March. After a first stay in Shigatse in 1627–8 Cabral returned there in March 1631, but the same year or the next year he left Shigatse. In 1661 the Austrian Johann Grüber and the Belgian Albert d'Orville arrived in Lhasa from Peking. Their stay was of short duration (8th October to the end of November) but noteworthy because it was due to these two Jesuits that the first information on Lhasa reached Europe 24
Of greater importance are the missions established in Lhasa by Italian Capuchins and Jesuits in the 18th century. The Capuchins remained in Lhasa during the greater part of the first half of the eighteenth century (1707-1711; 1716– 1733; 1741-1745). Only one of them acquired a good knowledge of the Tibetan language: Francesco Orazio della Penna (1680-1745) who from 1717 to 1721 applied himself with great energy to the study of Tibetan. Della Penna, who lived in Lhasa from 1716 to 1732, compiled a great Tibetan dictionary (of about 35,000 words) which was later translated into English by F.C.G. Schroeter and published in Serampore in 1826: A dictionary of Bhotanta or Boutan language. Della -Penna also translated several Tibetan works among which must be mentioned Tson-kha-pa's Lam-rim chen-mo and the Prātimoksasūtra. These translations have not been preserved but Della Penna's chronological summary of Tibetan history was published by Antonio Giorgi in his Alphabetum Tibetanum Missionum Apostolicarum commodo editum (Roma, 1762; XCIV + 820 pp.). In Giorgi's work there are also other parts based upon writings of Della Penna.25
On September 24, 1714, two Jesuit fathers, Ippolito Desideri (20.12.1684–14. 4.1733) and Manuel Freyre, left Delhi for Lhasa. On the 26th June 1715 they
24 Cf. Athanasius Kircher, S. J., China monumentis qua sacris, qua profanis, necnon variis naturae et artis spectaculis, aliarumque rerum memorabilium argumentis illustratis. Amstelodami, 1667; C. Wessels S. J., New Documents relating to the Journey of Fr. John Grueber, Archivum bistoricum S. J., IX, 1940, pp. 281–302. On the Jesuit missionaries in Tibet and Central Asia see C. Wessels, S. J., Early Jesuit Travellers in Central Asia, The Hague, 1924.
25 A definitive edition of all documents relating to the Capuchin mission in Tibet has been published by Luciano Petech, I missionari Italiani nel Tibet e nel Nepal, I-IV, Roma, 1952-1953.
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