A brief summary of the item’s contents
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A fumigation offering ritual to all the mountain gods in Tibet, and the most famous twenty for holy mountains in the world (mainly in India, Tibet and China).
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Transcription of colophon
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De nas mkhas pa stong rgyung gi drung du/ rgyal blon rnams kyis gser g.yu manḍal phul/ g.yung drung bon skyong bdud rtsi bstams [gtams] nas mgul du bren [dran] pas/ bod yul du rgyal pos bla ma mchod snang [gnang] nas sten du bzhugs+sho zhus nas/ mi lo nyer gcig gi bar la bzhugs par zhal zhes [bzhes] so// de nas bren [dran] pa nam mkha’ bla tshab su [du] lung snang [gnang] nas bzhang [zhang] zhung la ’phebs [phebs], de nas rgyal po khri srong lde bstsan [btsan] la sras bzhi yod pa’i/ mu khri bstsan pos sku ring la/ bon gyi sprul sku drin can dran pa nam mkha’ ni/ mdo sngags lo tsha [tsā] gsum la rab tu mkhas pa gshen gya [gyer] rma dbyil/ bru zhu spa med [rme’u]/ bru chen yab sras/ sprul sku yang ston sogs/ bon kyis [gyi] grub thob bla ma/ drang srong khri tsho tsam zhig tshogs [’tshogs] nas/ gter kha tshang ma la las ston [bton] la las spel la las skad rig [rigs] gzhan sgra gyur [bsgyur]/ bod skad gyur [bsgyur] nas bon gyi bstan pa rab tu dar zhing rgyas so// de nas man pa [par] bon chos dbyer med du dar ro/ lha bsang ’di nyid ni dang po gshen rab gsang ’dus kyis chos rgyal snya [gnya’] khri btsan po’i sku ring la mdzad/ bar du mkhas pa stong rgyung ni [gis] chos rgyal khri srong lde btsan gyi sku ring la mdzad/ tha ma blo pos [glo bo’i] lung dkar po rus [ru] chos rgyal a mang dpal gyi sku ring la spul sku yang ston chen pos [po’i] bu slob rig ’dzi [’dzin] a pha khyi dmar gyis mdzad do/ da lta drang srong g.yung drung bdag gis yi [yig] zugs [gzugs] dang bdag [dag] cha thob cha sogs ma shes skyang [kyang]/ ma yig snyings [rnying] par sangs [song] nas nag po ’gro yod skyong pa debs phyung bya rgyu med par yod/ nyes ’gal phyis [mchis] na skyabs yul lha la bshags/ bkra shis dpal ’bar ’dzam gling rgyan du byon [shog]/ zhal gro [dro]/ byin che’o/ zhu dag/ sbaġ/
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Translation of colophon
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Then in the presence of the scholar sTong rgyung [mthu chen], the king and the ministers made an offering of a gold and silver mandala. The protectors of gYung drung Bon filled it with nectar, and lifted it to their mouths (lit. throats). In the land of Tibet, the king bestowed offerings on the lamas, and sat on his support. The lama said that he would agree to remain in Tibet for twenty-one years. He then made a prophesy to his replacement, Dran pa nam mkha’: Go to Zhangzhung, and then, during the lifetime of Mu khri btsan po, one of the four sons of king Khri srong lde btsan [sic], the beloved manifestation of the Bon religion, Dran pa nam mkha’, sutras and tantras and the translations; the Three Translators, the eminent scholars gShen [chen klu dga’], Gyer [mi nyi ‘od] rMa [ston srid ‘dzin] dByil [ston Khyung rgod rtsal], the lineages of the Bru, the Zhu, the sPa, the rMe’u, the great Bru and his spiritual sons, and the manifested body Yang ston [chen po, Shes rab rgyal mtshan], among other siddhas and lamas of Bon and ordained monks (? drang srong) – 10,000 of these assembled. Some of them opened the treasuries, some of them promulgated them, and some translated them into other languages. Once they had been translated into Tibetan, the Bon doctrine spread and prospered widely. Subsequently, Bon and Chos spread indistinctly of one another. This divine fumigation ritual was first performed in the time of the Dharmaraja gNya’ khri btsan po [the first king] by the excellent gshen gSang ba ‘dus pa. Later on it was performed by sTong rgyung [mthu chen] in the time of the Dharmaraja Khri Srong lde btsan. And finally, it was performed in the White Valley of Glo bo in the time of the Dharmaraja A mang [sic] dpal by the disciple of the Great Yang ston, A pha khyi dmar. And now I, Drangsong gYung drung, even though I am not gifted with spelling or teachings, since the original text had become blackened with age, should protect it without any addition or omission. If there are any mistakes, I ask forgiveness of the territorial gods. May auspices and glory be the ornament of the world. May there be good fortune and great bleassings. This has been proof-read.
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Remarks
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The author, Rig ’dzin ’a pha khyi dmar, is identified as the disciple of a certain Yang ston chen po, and is said to have been a contemporary of the first king, A ma dpal. The name Yang ston chen po, the “Great Teacher of the Ya ngal Clan,” is usually applied to Yang ston Shes rab rgyal mtshan, the father of the founder of Lubrak who lived in the 11th century, and therefore a full two centuries before A ma dpal. It is quite likely that the name was also applied to a later member of the Ya ngal lineage. This text is a copy that was made by Drang srong gYung drung because the original had become blackened and difficult to read. This text is very widely read in Bonpo communities in Kham and Amdo.
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