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: "319 pages"; and in blue writing, "MISC. COLL.N GYUT 12"; and in large Tibetan writing, "rgyud na".
Paper composition
Some sheets are thinner than others (eg. 220), although most are quite thick, appearing to consist of two layers of paper.
Size of folios
The size of the plain sheets is 577 x 125mm. There is some size variation (eg. 64 is 569mm in length), and some sheets are not cut very straight (especially, many of the right- and left-hand edges are not entirely straight).
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 lines come up slightly to the right on 234).
Ornaments, openings and punctuation
Double yig mgo are found in the upper left corner of all recto sides, apart from 1-3. gNyis and gsum 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 be quite consistent in style; the letters are mostly clear and distinct.
Corrections and interventions
There is some evidence of later minor corrections in this volume. We have instances (58a, 71a) of insertion marked in the same way as that elsewhere in the collection, such as on 236b of volume 'A, and 144b of volume Ya: a 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 above or below the writing area, in this case, after the insertion which is given in a slightly smaller and less well executed writing. We also find instances of the deletion and correction of a single syllable (eg. 301b), or the insertion of a single syllable (eg. 139b, 286a, 303a, 303b) in a rather watery black ink and with a thicker ink stroke than the writing throughout the volume.
Marks and blemishes
There are occasional ink smudges (eg. 60a, 183a, 184a, 211a-b, 246a, 247a, 257a).
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, although the condition of the folios gets worse as the volume progresses, with most sheets near the end having holes or significant edge indentations. We find small edge indentations on 16-17, 25-9, 31-2, 44-5, 47-8, 63, 65, 89-96, 113, 115, 121, 123, 129, 132-4, 140, 155, 161, 175-187, 196, 198, 204-6, 213-5, 219-220, 225-6, 235, 250-1, 257, 259-261, 264, 266-9, 274-8, and virtually all folios from 283, and small edge tears on 11, 57, 121-2, 131, 138-9, 152, 155, 168, 173, 191, 210, 280, 319. Some sheets (eg 25, 48, 114, 167-172, 190, 269, 271-280, 286-291, 297-304) have small holes outside, and some (eg. 57, 168, 274-9, 286, 288-290, 295-305, 312) holes within the writing area, and some (eg 143, 300, 319) are missing part of a corner of the paper. Most sheets are brownish in colour and in some cases rather dirty. Occasionally, part of a syllable, or slightly more writing, has been transferred to an adjacent sheet (eg. 5a, 13b, 26a), presumably due to water damage. However, despite such minor blemishes, the clear writing is not often obscured.
Cover folios
The blue lacquered front folio is torn off at the left edge about two-thirds of the way from the right; the left-hand portion of the folio is missing. The folio as we have it measures 364 x 119 mm. It also has further tears 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 316 to the left edge x 48 mm. 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 partly come out from the folio, and with red thread running stiches.
Index leaf 4: 112mm x 83mm, plain beige canvas type cloth, stained with dirt, fraying a little, two horizontal neatly ruled red lines both near top and at bottom, between which there is writing: [yig mgo x 1]/ /gled. bam na [na in red, slightly larger] pa 'di la/
Na1, rdo rje bkod pa kun 'dus rig pa'i mdo/
Na2, ye shes rngam pa glog gi 'khor lo'i mdo/
Na3, /kun tu bzang po che ba rang la gnas pa'i rgyud/
Na4, dbang thams cad kyi rgyal po dbang bskur rgyal po'i rgyud/
Na5, tinge 'dzin mchog gi rgyud/
Na6, skabs sbyor bdun pa'i rgyud/
Na7, brtson pa don ldan gyi rgyud/
Na8, dam tshig bkod pa'i rgyud
rnams bzhugs so// //
Decorated first folios: construction
The first folio, gcig, is a laminate of about 15 sheets, 570 x 124 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 435 x 66mm, with the vertical lines not at exact right angles to the horizontal lines, but coming down slightly to the left. There seems to have been a rather larger box, which, however, has been rubbed out from the sheet, only leaving traces around the present box. The blue sheet is torn slightly at the edges and there are a few tiny 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 74mm (left)/ 70mm (right), outlined (around the frame) with a red paint line.
Decorated first folios: window curtain
There is a silk cover fitted over the window, with three layers sewn together. Most of the upper part of the cover tucks under window frame above, but in this volume, there is a small section to the left and a small section to the right which is cut at the top and attached on top of the window frame. This was presumably done at an early stage because the two cross stitches, attaching the folio together to the left and right at the top, go through the cover. The yellow layer is at the top, with gold thread around the outside, and it measures 425 x 85 mm to the top of the folio, 65 mm visible beneath the frame to the left and 61 mm visible to the right. A blue layer is the middle layer, with white thread around the outside, measuring 435 (above)/ 433 (below) x 88 mm to the top of the folio, 68 mm visible beneath the frame to the left and 66 mm visible to the right. The third and final layer beneath is orange, with green thread around the outside, measuring 448 (above)/ 443 (below) x 95mm (left)/ 93mm (right) to the top of the folio, 75 mm visible beneath the frame to the left and 71 mm visible to the right. They are not exact rectangles of material, they go in very slightly to the bottom and the bottom edge of the orange layer 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 slight 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 5-7 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 (above)/ 81 (below) x 70mm. The left-hand vertical lines come down very slightly to the left. The lefthand miniature is within a rectangle 50 (above)/ 51 (below) x 69mm, the left-hand double gold line coming down very slightly to the left; 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:] {{ [ yig mgo x 1]//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]//rdo rje bdud 'joms 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 480 x 78 mm, the inner, 464 x 66 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, and two have some text on one side. 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 writing lines are not exactly parallel to the horizontal lines of the boxes: the lines on both 4a and 6a come up slightly at the right. The boxes measure as follows. 2b (outer): 496 x 81 mm; 3a (outer): 485 x 80 mm; 3b: 484 x 81 mm; 4a: 484 x 75mm (left)/ 79mm (right); 4b: 491 x 77mm (left)/ 79mm (right); 5a: 480 x 78 mm; 5b: 480 x 80 mm; 6a: 498 x 85mm (left)/ 81mm (right). 6b starts the usual style of red margins down each side and 7 lines per side.
Missing or misplaced folios and other numbering anomolies
Folios 281 and 282 are conflated as nyis brgya gya gcig gya gnyis.
Missing or misplaced folios and other numbering anomolies
There are two folios 299: nyis brgya go dgu gong, and nyis brgya go dgu; nyis brgya go dgu does appear to follow after nyis brgya go dgu gong.
Page settings
319a is the final page. The text is within a red rectangular box, 500 x 80 mm with 6 ruled lines, of which 5 are used. 319b is blank.
State of preservation
This final folio has a few small edge indentations, the right edge is not straight and the bottom left corner torn off, but the whole writing area is clearly legible.