The Catalogue of the Rig 'dzin Tshe dbang nor bu rNying ma'i rgyud 'bum
Modern library pagination and markings
In this volume, the western numbering is in black ink stamped numbers. The first index leaf (see below) bears a rectangular IOL paper sticker, white with red borders (as in other volumes, with a heart-shaped decoration in each corner), with the red handwriting: "275 pages MISC. COLL."; and in blue writing, "GYUT 11"; and in large Tibetan writing, "rgyud da".
Paper composition
Some sheets are thinner than others (eg. 16, 21), although most are quite thick, appearing to consist of two layers of paper.
Size of folios
The size of the plain sheets is 576 x 125mm. There is some size variation (eg. 125 is 564 mm in length), and some sheets are not cut very straight (eg the bottom edge of 7-8, the right edge of 51, all the edges of 105).
Sheet numberings
As in other volumes, many of the sheets have tiny Tibetan numerals written sideways, some of which are missing or partially cut off, and where they do occur, they do not seem to correspond to the page numbering in words.
Pagination
Page details are given in words written sideways in black ink, to the left of the writing on each recto side.
Page settings
Most sheets, as in other volumes, have 7 lines of black ink writing, with double red vertical lines to the sides of the writing. The lines are ruled with faint (diluted?) reddish ink. The writing is not always exactly square on the page (eg. the writing on 77a goes down slightly to the right, and on 206, goes up slightly to the right).
Ornaments, openings and punctuation
Double yig mgo are found in the upper left corner of all recto sides, apart from 1-6. gNyis, gsum, bzhi, lnga and drug each have a triple yig mgo, and the verso side of gcig also has a triple yig mgo. The regular double yig mgo usually start on or to the right of the red vertical margin delineators. There are some slight differences in style, with some larger or more elongated than others.
Handwriting
The writing in this volume seems to vary a little in style, with parts where the writing is slightly larger or the ink thicker; the letters are mostly clear and distinct.
Corrections and interventions
We have instances - 57, 58 - (as in some other volumes, such as Ya), where insertions are marked by the symbol of a cross with a small circle in each of the four corners made by the cross; the symbol marks the place in the text and is repeated beneath the writing area, in front of the insertion which is given in small writing.
At the bottom of 15b, there is some evidence that there was once some writing, perhaps in dbu med and perhaps unconnected with the text, which has been removed, leaving an ink smudge (see below, under, “Marks and blemishes”).
After 37, there is a small piece of thin paper with what appears to be practice strokes and letters on one side and doodles on the other. This may earlier have been used in an attempt to repair the sheet; a tiny remnant of similar paper is stuck to the bottom of the tear on the right hand part of the folio.
Missing or misplaced folios and other numbering anomolies
Three folios, 20, 21 and 22, appear to have been misnumbered and misplaced in this edition. They should in fact be placed after 24 and before 25. There is a second - misplaced - folio 46, mislabelled as “da zhe drug”, which is in fact the missing folio 46 from Volume La.
Marks and blemishes
There are occasional ink smudges (eg. there is a large smudge at the bottom of 15b but in this case, it appears that there may have been some writing here, perhaps in dbu med and perhaps unconnected with the text, and it may be that there was a deliberate attempt to remove this writing, leaving a smudge. There are examples of smaller ink smudges on 33b, 88a, 201a).
State of preservation
The writing in this volume is rarely obscured by tears and rips. Most sheets are in a reasonable state with few holes or tears. Some sheets have small edge indentations (eg. 18, 21-2, 29, 38, 56, 79, 89, 104, 106, 108-9, 115, 166-74, 181, 185, 192-5, 203-4, 207-214, 216-9, 224-231, 234-5, 250-2, 255-6, 263, 268-9, 272-5) or edge tears (eg. 3, 28, 40, 49, 51, 71-3, 84, 87, 222, 230, 275), and in the case of 146, creasing across the folio, with tearing along part of the crease. Occasional sheets have a small part of the corner torn off (eg. 20, 147, 195, 243). Some sheets have small holes outside the writing area (eg. 22, 44, 63, 79-83, 87, 111, 123, 222, 256, 269, 272, 275) but the letters mostly remain clear. Most sheets are brownish in colour and in some cases rather dirty. However, the clear writing is hardly ever obscured. 37 is completely torn in half down the centre of the folio, but putting the two parts together, it is still just about readable.
Cover folios
The blue lacquered front folio is torn in half down the middle. When the two parts are put together, the folio measures approximately 560 x 111mm (left)/ 116mm (right). It also has further tears and holes in the edges. The lacquer has come away in parts. The recto side is plain blue in colour, with margins ruled in red, making a box measuring 455 x 41mm. The verso is also plain blue, and the index leaves are sewn to the right of the folio, with 2 large leather red cross stitches, one of which has come out from the folio.
Index leaf 4: 105mm visible x 82mm, plain beige canvas type cloth, stained with dirt, badly fraying and thin in places, two horizontal neatly ruled red lines at half-way down, below which there is writing: [yig mgo x 1]/ /glegs bam. da [da in red, slightly large] pa 'di la/
Da1, spyi mdo dgongs pa 'dus pa rdo rje'i bkod pa'i rgyud/
Da2, dur khrod khu byug rol pa'i mdo
rnams bzhugs so// //
Decorated first folios: construction
The first folio, gcig, is a laminate of about 12 sheets, 571 x 125 mm.
The recto side is plain azure blue lacquer, but with gold margins ruled and the collection, volume, and folio identifications given at the left border, in gold writing. The box made by the ruled lines measures 418 x 70mm (left)/ 65mm (right), with the vertical lines not at exact right angles to the horizontal lines, but coming down slightly to the left. The blue sheet is torn slightly at the edges and there are a few small holes in the top layers of the sheets. The blue lacquer is rubbed off in parts. Thick crossed stitches attach the folio together, two along the top, five along the bottom, and one to the left and the right of the folio.
Decorated first folios: frames [ TITLE PAGE]
The verso side of gcig (1b) is blue lacquer, with elaborate intertwining straight gold lines around the outside of the page, outlining exactly the same interlocking key design as we find in other volumes. The upper sheet has a rectangular window cut out for the text, 450 x 72mm, outlined (around the frame) with a red paint line. There is a tear in the lower window frame, but none of the outer pattern is torn away.
Decorated first folios: window curtain
There is a silk cover fitted over the window, with three layers sewn together. The yellow layer is at the top, with gold thread around the outside, and it measures 424 (above)/ 422 (below) x 60 mm visible (the upper part tucks under the blue frame above). A blue layer is the middle layer, with white thread around the outside, measuring 435 x 64 mm visible. The third and final layer beneath is orange, with green thread around the outside, measuring 446 (above)/ 440 (below) x 72 mm visible. They are not exact rectangles of material, the orange left edge bulges out a little, its bottom forms a slightly wavy line, and it does not quite cover the whole of the window frame, especially on the right, where there is a gap between the curtain and frame.
Decorated first folios: window layout
Beneath the cover is a double lined gold rectangle drawn on black lacquer, with 3 lines of gold writing, split across two sides of the page. There are miniatures to the left and right, besides which the areas for writing are bounded by vertical strips with a regular pattern of gold lines, in this case, the hexagon and dot design (see "General Information on Volumes") with 6 or 7 dots surrounding each central dot. The larger miniature in the centre, which breaks up the page, is bounded to the left and right by a thin double vertical gold line, outlining a rectangle, 80 x 70mm. The lefthand miniature is within a rectangle 50 x 69mm, the righthand miniature's rectangle is 50 x 70mm. The legends for the miniatures are written below each, within the border of gold lines outside the window. Each legend is within double ornamenal brackets:
[first, to the left:] {{[yig mgo x 1]// rig 'dzin tshe dbang nor bu la na mo//}} [second, to the left of centre. Some of this is slightly smudged but it is still readable:] {{//lha lcam man da' ra ba/ [yig mgo x 1]//sangs rgyas gnyis pa oyan rje// [Then continued to the right of centre, on the other side of the gold vertical strip transversing text:] mkha'gro ye shes mtsho rgyal//}} [third, to the right:] {{ [yig mgo x 1]//ku ma ra la na mo//}}Size of folios
The second folio, gnyis, measures 575 x 125 mm.
Decorated second folios
The recto side of gnyis is blue lacquer, with 4 lines of gold writing, within a double gold rectangular box, the outer measuring 476 x 84 mm, the inner, 459 x 71 mm. The margins are ruled as usual, with the collection, volume and folio identification to the left. The boxes are not exact rectangles; the vertical lines are not at exact right angles to the horizontal lines, coming down slightly to the left. The folio is a laminate of 5 thick layers, with thick cross stitches visible on both sides, two to the top and bottom, one to the left and right. Some of the inner sheets are ruled with 7 lines and red margins. The verso side is ordinary paper.
Page settings
As mentioned above, 2a has 4 lines of gold writing. 2b is ordinary paper. 2b - 6a have double red lined rectangular boxes and margins; in the case of 2b and 3a, with an inner double red lined rectangular box. 2b and 3a each have 4 lines of black writing; 3b - 5b, have 5 lines of slightly smaller writing, and 6a, 6 lines of writing. The boxes are not very exact rectangles, and the ink sometimes is of variable thickness. Sometimes, the lines overshoot the boxes or do not quite join up at the corners. The boxes measure as follows. 2b (outer): 485 x 82 mm; 3a (outer): 492 x 83 mm; 3b: 490 x 83 mm; 4a: 478 (above)/ 480 (below) x 79 mm; 4b: 495 x 78mm (left)/ 82mm (right); 5a: 484 x 84mm (left)/ 80mm (right); 5b: 486 x 80 mm; 6a: 495 x 80 mm. 6b starts the usual style of red margins down each side and 7 lines per side.
Microfilm
On the
microfilm, after 36b, there are photos of 38a and a repeat of 36b,
before moving on to 37a and the rest of the folios in proper order.
Missing or misplaced folios and other numbering anomolies
There are two folios 46s (zhe drug). The second, given as 46a in Western pencil numerals, does not fit in this volume and is a misplaced folio. It does not follow from the previous 46 or to follow on to 47, while the first 46 does seem to follow from 45 and on to 47. The paper of the second 46 is slightly darker, and the handwriting style is a little different from that of the other folios. A comparison of ch. 7 of Rig ’dzin Tshe dbang nor bu La 2 with mTshams brag’s equivalent text shows that this misplaced folio 46, mislabelled as “da zhe drug” and found here, is the missing folio 46 from Volume La.
Missing or misplaced folios and other numbering anomolies
Two folios, 212 and 213 are conflated (nyis brgya bcuis bcu gsum.).
Pagination
Note that in the case of folio 274, the Tibetan figures for 274 are also given beneath the written number.
Page settings
275a is the final page. The text is within a red rectangular box, 496 x 80mm (left)/ 77mm (right), with 6 ruled lines, of which 3 are used. 275b is blank.
State of preservation
This final folio 275 has some tears out of the edges, but all the writing is clearly legible.