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. At the front of the volume, there is a long rectangle of coarse red cloth, on which is stuck a rectangular IOL paper sticker, which is white with red borders (as in other volumes, with a heart-shaped decoration in each corner). We find red handwriting, reading, '256 pages', blue writing, reading, 'MISC. COLL. GYUT 8', and in large Tibetan writing, 'rgyud nya'.
Paper composition
Some sheets are thinner than others (eg. 49, 117, 145), although most are quite thick, appearing to consist of two layers of paper.
Size of folios
The size of the plain sheets is 575 x 125mm. There is some size variation, some sheets are not cut very straight (eg upper and left edge of 17 are rather wavy).
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 lines on 18a go down towards the right).
Ornaments, openings and punctuation
Double yig mgo are found in the upper left corner of all recto sides, apart from 1-5. gNyis, gsum, bzhi and lnga 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. Especially in the first part of the volume, the writing is rather large and the ink thick, while it is generally smaller in the last part of the volume. The letters are mostly clear and distinct.
Readers' marks
119a and 127a seem to have some not very clear pencil marks or doodles at the bottom. 237a has a small piece of paper, slightly coloured blue, stuck in the space before, and presumably marking, the new text on line 7.
Marks and blemishes
Some sheets are brown and dirty; see under, “State of Preservation”. The first few folios are especially dirty: 2b-4a have dirty stains and some ink smudging. Some later sheets have smudges or stains (eg. 110b, 141a), but the writing remains readable.
State of preservation
The writing in this volume is rarely obscured by tears and rips. Most sheets are in a reasonable state with few large holes or tears - there are some small holes and tears, or ink smudges, and most sheets are brownish in colour and in some cases rather dirty. However, the clear writing is hardly ever obscured. 3 has tears out of the bottom edge, a large tear up from the bottom edge and one from the left-hand edge, and a torn top right corner. Other sheets with one or more edge tears include 9, 24, 31, 49, 52, 54, 70, 73, 102, 124, 163. Some sheets have edge indentations, eg. 25, 40, 42, 54, 61-3, 81, 83-4, 87, 89-95, 100, 105-7, 109, most sheets from 117 to 153, 161-6, 173, 175-7, 181-190, 193-200, 207, 210, 214-220, 223, 229, 231, and most sheets from 236. There are some sheets with one or more holes outside the writing area, eg. 21, 54-6, 63, 83-4, 122-131, 136-7, 144-5, 156, 166, 171-2, 183, 186-7, 190, 193, 244, 256; and some folios with one or more holes within the writing area, eg. 39-43, 56, 109, 118, 122-4, 140, 177, 220, 244, 247-8, but the writing is rarely illegible. Some sheets have a torn corner, eg. 19, 37, 62, 160. There are some repairs to tears. 124 appears to have been torn completely in half down the folio; the two halves are held together by pieces of paper stuck above and below the writing area on both sides of the folio. They are not aligned well and the paper obscures some of the writing.
Cover folios
There is no blue lacquered front folio in this volume. At the front of the volume, there is a long rectangle of coarse red cloth, on which is stuck a rectangular IOL paper sticker with volume identification (see above).
There are no index leaves in this volume.
Decorated first folios: construction
The first folio, gcig, is a laminate of about 16 sheets, 570 x 122 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 66 mm, 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 the blue lacquer is rubbed off in parts. There are some holes which penetrate through several of the upper sheets. 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, 449 x 73mm, outlined (around the frame) with a red paint line. There is a tear in the upper window frame and a few small holes in various parts of the blue sheet.
Decorated first folios: window curtain
There is a silk cover fitted over the window, with three layers stitched together. The yellow layer is at the top, with gold thread around the outside, and it measures 425 (top)/ 422 (bottom) x 62 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 (top)/ 431 (bottom) x 67 mm visible. The third and final layer beneath is orange, with green thread around the outside, measuring 449 (top)/ 446 (bottom) x 73 mm visible. They are not exact rectangles of material, the orange left edge goes in a little towards the bottom, the blue right edge bulges out a little, and the lower edge of the orange layer forms a slightly wavy line, and it does not quite cover the whole of the window 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 wavy line and spiral design (see "General Information on Volumes"). 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, 82 x 71mm. There is a small hole at the top of the folio, so that a tiny part of the halo of the central figure of Guru Rin po che is missing. 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. Much of this is smudged out and barely readable but the remnants of the syllables appear to suggest a reconstruction similar to other volumes:] {{[yig mgo x 1]/lha lcam man da' ra/ [yig mgo x 1]//sangs rgyas gnyis pa oyan [Then continued to the right of centre, on the other side of the gold vertical strip transversing text:] rje/ mkha'gro yees mtsho rgyal/}} [third, to the right:] {{[yig mgo x 1]// slob dpon bee ro tsa na la phyag 'tshal lo//}}Size of folios
The second folio, gnyis, measures 575 x 124 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 482 x 73 mm, the inner, 466 x 67 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 have red margins ruled. 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 and the ink sometimes makes a thicker line, for instance on 5a, where parts of the box have two clear thin red lines and in other parts, the thick ink lines merge together. The boxes measure as follows. 2b: 497 x 79mm (left)/ 82mm (right); 3a: 491 (above)/ 494 (below) x 85 mm; 3b: 491 x 79mm (left)/ 82mm (right); 4a: 485 x 80 mm; 4b: 490 x 80mm (left)/ 83mm (right); 5a: 486 x 80 mm; 5b: 487 x 85mm (left)/ 82mm (right); 6a: 488 x 86mm. 6b starts the usual style of red margins down each side and 7 lines per side.
Justification
Note: we find very large spaces between yig rkang on 11b, as though the scribe is making an attempt at filling space.
Missing or misplaced folios and other numbering anomolies
There are two folio 80s (brgyad cu gong and brgyad cu 'og), which appear to follow in order.
State of preservation
The 2 sides of folio 124 have been torn apart, stuck together in a repair but not perfectly aligned.
Handwriting
Unusually, this colophon is given in small writing.
Page settings
256a is the final page. The text is within a red rectangular box, 487 (above)/ 485 (below) x 82mm, with 6 ruled lines, of which 3 are used. 286b is blank apart from red ruled margins and 7 ruled lines.
State of preservation
This final folio, 256, has some tears out of the edges, but all the writing is clearly legible.