It is not easy to maneuver through a jungle of Tibetan literature that belongs to different time, place, author, subject, genre, school, and so on. With regard to the collected writings (gsung ’bum), Tibetan scholars often refer to the collected writings of an author by the number of volumes. For example, one can often see references to the nine-volume works of ’Jigs-med-gling-pa (1720/30–1798) (i.e. ’Jigs gling pod dgu). Of course, number of volumes is prone to differ or change depending on the type of edition. But probably, such a characterization was based on the first standard or popular edition of the collected works of an author. For someone trying to map the vast landscape of Tibetan literature, such a characterization, though not always fixed, is still useful. One can at least have an idea of how much that particular author wrote or compiled and also know that there is or was an edition that has ‘x’ number of volumes.
Khri-sprul or Tsha-ba-dpa’-shod Rag-ra Ngag-dbang-bstan-pa’i-rgyal-mtshan (born 1822), in his historical work, for example, offers a neat classification of the works of the Fifth Dalai Lama (1617–1682) according to the number of volumes.1 That is, 16 volumes belong to the outer category; 4 volumes consisting of mostly rNying-ma stuff including the famous 4-volume records of teachings received (gsan yig) belng to the inner category; and 2 volumes consisting of works revealed in his pure visions (dag snang)2 belong to the secret category. For some sample pages from a stunningly beautiful edition of the last two volumes, see Samten Karmay’s pertinent publication.3 These would make a total of 28 volumes.
1 Rag-ra Ngag-dbang-bstan-pa’i-rgyal-mtshan, rGyal rabs chos ’byung shel dkar me long mkhas pa’i mgul rgyan. In Bod kyi lo rgyus deb ther khag lnga, compiled by Chab-spel Tshe-brtan-phun-tshogs et al. Lhasa: Bod-ljongs-bod-yig-dpe-rnying-dpe-skrun-khang, 1990, pp. 195–397 (citing, pp. 297.18–298.1): gong sa mchog gi gsung rtsom bka’ pod rim pa’ang phyi ma pod bcu drug | nang ma sngags rnying ma shas chas sgrub phrin sogs drug ste gsan yig bzhi bsnan pa’i bcu | gsang ba rtsa gsum gyi lha dang mjal zhing dag snang rgya can skor pod gnyis bcas khyon pod nyi shu rtsa brgyad bzhugs |
2 This cycle of secret teachings of the Fifth Dalai Lama is called the “Sealed Secret [Teachings]” (gsang ba rgya can). mKhyen-brtse’i-dbang-po (1820–1892) points out that there are 25 “sealed secret teachings” of the Great Fifth. See his Gangs can bod yul du byon pa’i gsang sngags gsar rnying gi gdan rabs mdor bsdus ngo mtshar padmo’i dga’ tshal. In ’Jam dbyangs mkhyen brtse‘i dbang po’i gsung ’bum gces sgrig. Chengdu: Si-khron-mi-rigs-dpe-skrun-khang, 1989 (reprint: Bir: Sherab Gyaltshen, 1992), pp. 1–216 (citing, p. 43.11–12): rgyal dbang lnga pa rin po che’i dag snang rgya can nyer lnga sogs mang tsam mchis so ||.
3 Samten Karmay, Secret Visions of the Fifth Dalai Lama: The Gold Manuscript in the Fournier Collection Musée Guimet, Paris. London: Serindia Publications, 1998 (reprint of 1988).
Pratisaṃvid 