Buston On Languages Used By Indian Buddhists At Schismatic Period

Author(s): Akira Yuyama
Publisher: Akira Yuyama

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Akira Yuyama
1.3. The Tibetan original of Bu-ston Chos-'byun has been known to exist for some time, e.g. in the Libraries of Tōhoku University at Sendai“), the Seminar of Indian Philosophy and Literature at the University of Tokyo5), and the Toyo Bunko in Tokyo). A facsimile edition of Bu-ston's collected works has appeared from New Delhi (1965–71), in which is included our text (= Tōhoku 5197)?).
1.4. It admits of no doubt that Obermiller's English translation has served as the first aid for those who were unable to consult the original Tibetan text because of its navailability, and that it "gives an accurate idea of the original text and is a valuable contribution to the study of Tibetan historiography" (Vostrikov-Gupta p. 142f.). In some cases, however, his translation is rather free and misleading, unless the original is referred to).
1.5. The sections concerning the schisms have been translated into Japanese from the Tibetan by Enga Teramoto and appended to his Japanese translation of Tāranātha's history of Buddhism. It is to be regretted, however, that the readers have to face some fatal misprints and mistakes in addition to his somewhat free translation).
1.6. Proper attention has been drawn to Bu-ston's description of the languages at the time of the schisms by L.-K. Lin in his suggestive work. It is a matter for regret, however, that he had to translate it into French from Obermiller's English version 10).
1.7. Under these circumstances it will not be superfluous to present the original Tibetan text with regard to the languages used by Indian Buddhists at the period of earlier schisms, though it has not been
4) A Catalogue of the Tohoku University Collection of Tibetan Works on Buddhism, edited by Y. Kanakura, R. Yamada, T. Tada and H. Hadano, Sendai 1953: No. 5197 (Bu-ston's Works, tome 24: YA 1-212).
5) A Catalogue of the Tibetan Extra-Canonical Works preserved in the University of Tokyo (A preliminary report), compiled by H. Kitamura, Tokyo 1965: No. 280 (190 folios = No. 345 B-2558 of the Toyo Bunko).
6) Catalogue of the Toyo Bunko Collection of Tibetan Works on History, edited by Z. Yamaguchi, Tokyo 1970 (Classified Catalogue of the Toyo Bunko Collection of Tibetan Works 1): No. 345 A-2557 (incomplete; written in dbu-med: folios 1-335b, missing 2, 3, 101); No. 345 B-2558 (= No. 280 of the University of Tokyo); No. 345C-2559 (folios 1-244 a); No. 345 D-2560 (folios 1-203a).
?) The Collected Works of Bu-ston, Part 24 (YA), edited by Lokesh Chandra from the Collection of Raghu Vira, New Delhi 1971 (Satapitaka Series 64), folios 633-1055 ( YA 1-212a). An exact reprint of the text has separately been made: Bu-ston's History of Buddhism: Tibetan text edited by Lokesh Chandra from the Collection of Raghu Vira, New Delhi 1971.
8) E. Obermiller, History of Buddhism (Chos-hbyung) by Bu-ston, Heidelberg 1931-32 (Materialien zur Kunde des Buddhismus 18-19) [repr. Tokyo 1964 (Suzuki Research Foundation Reprint Series 1)]. This is not a complete translation.
) E. Teramoto, Tāranātha Indo Bukkyōshi, Tokyo 1928 (repr. 1974), pp. 395–404.
10) Lin Li-kouang, L'aide-mémoire de la vraie loi, Paris 1949 (Bibliothèque d'études du Musée Guimet 54), pp. 180-187 (with copious notes and comments).