Tibetan Tantric Manuscripts from Dunhuang

Since their discovery a century ago, the Dunhuang manuscripts have revolutionized the study of Asian religions. Until recently, however, the rich materials relating to esoteric tantric Buddhism have been largely ignored. This volume provides an indispensable doorway into these materials. An introduction summarizes the discovery, worldwide dissemination and general character of these Tibetan treasures. The catalogue entries provide introductory discussions of the manuscripts’ contents, in addition to reordering the often scrambled folios, linking them to their long-lost counterparts in other collections, and matching them with corresponding texts in the Tibetan canon. The catalogue includes indices to Tibetan and Sanskrit titles, names and terms, as well as all Pelliot manuscripts referenced. The result is an invaluable resource for scholars of Buddhism.

Jacob Dalton, Ph.D. (2002) in Buddhist Studies, University of Michigan, is Assistant Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at Yale University. His recent research examines the role of violence in Tibetan Buddhism, and the importance of ritual manuals in early Tantric Buddhism.
Sam van Schaik, Ph.D. (2000) in Buddhist Studies, University of Manchester, is Research Project Manager for the International Dunhuang Project at the British Library. He is currently engaged in a long-term research project on the palaeography and social context of the Dunhuang manuscripts.