Ancient Tibet Library With More Than 84,000 Secret Manuscripts: Only 5% Are Translated
In 2003, a huge library with 84,000 scrolls was discovered hidden in a wall of the Sakya Monastery in Tibet. They are believed to have been preserved in their original state for hundreds of years and are expected to contain Buddhist scriptures as well as works of literature, history, astronomy and mathematics.
The Sakya Monastery Library was discovered in southern Tibet, hidden in a wall almost 60 meters long and 10 meters high. Located in southern Tibet, it was built in the 13th century and is considered one of the largest collections of Tibetan and Indic manuscripts in block-printed books, containing the history of humanity. It is believed to shed light on thousands of years of human history.
Palden Sakya Monastery was established in 1073 in the Tsang district of central Tibet by Konchog Gyalpo (1034-1102), who was a member of the Kon (‘Khon) family. The name of the monastery, and by extension, the tradition that it established, was taken from the color of the soil found at its location. The name “Sakya” directly translates to “gray land.” (Fountain)
During the Chinese Cultural Revolution, the Sakya Monastery suffered relatively minimal damage and, as a result, its large library was one of the lucky few to survive the destruction. However, there has been a significant reduction in the amount of time spent studying and practicing at the monastery. At Sakya College located in Rajpur, Himachal Pradesh, India, the traditions that began at Sakya Monastery have been kept alive.
The Lhakhang Chenmo Main Assembly Hall (founded 1268) is an impressive structure with 16-meter-high walls and the only ancient building not destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. Thick walls (3.5 meters thick) support the building, along with enormous sacred pillars. Along the walls of the room is a large statue of Buddha. These statues contain relics of the Sakya abbots. The Buddha in the center contains the relics of the monastery’s founder. From the assembly hall you can access the Sakya library. There are forty pillars in the Main Assembly Hall, four of which are more than one meter in diameter. Each of these 4 pillars has its own name, corresponding to its history: the yellow pillar, the tiger pillar, the wild yak pillar and the black pillar dripping blood.
Tibetan people and Chinese officials each have their own interpretation of the important role the Sakya Monastery played in history. The Sakya teachers of the 13th century are credited with bringing Buddhism to the Mongol Khans and establishing the “priest-patron” relationship that still exists today. Tibetan lamas brought Buddhism to the Mongol leaders in exchange for teaching them the religion. The Chinese government claims the relationship established Chinese sovereignty over Tibetan territory. Still, many Tibetans maintain that the agreement was one of mutual benefit, not Tibetan administrative subordination to China.
In addition to literary works, these ancient Tibetan scrolls include various topics such as history, philosophy, astronomy, mathematics and art. They have been inscribed in golden characters and preserved in a large number of volumes. The length of each page is six feet and the width is eighteen inches. Illuminations can be found in the page margins of each volume, and illustrations of the thousand Buddhas can be found in the first four volumes.
These iron-bound volumes are believed to have been preserved in their original state for hundreds of years. It is widely believed that the Sakya Monastery library is identical to the Apostolic Library found in the Vatican, as well as the underground bunkers filled with art. Such an astonishing archive of tomes along with a colossal collection of artifacts have earned the monastery the nickname “Second Dunhuang” in reference to the northwestern city.
Tibetan language scholar Das Sharat Chandra writes: As for Sakya’s great library, it is found on shelves along the walls of the great hall of the Lhakhang chen-po. Many volumes written in gold letters are preserved here; The pages measure six feet long by eighteen inches wide. In the margin of each page there are illuminations, and the first four volumes have images of the thousand Buddhas. These books are bound in iron. They were prepared under the orders of Emperor Kublai Khan and presented to Lama Phagpa on his second visit to Beijing.
Also preserved in this temple is a conch shell with whorls that rotate from left to right [in Tibetan, Ya chyü dungkar], a gift from Kublai to Phagpa. The lamas only blow it when the request is accompanied by a gift of seven ounces of silver; but blowing it or having it blown is considered an act of great merit.”
China’s Gansu province is home to several grottoes known for their Buddhist murals and manuscripts. A cordon leading to the main prayer hall can be found after passing through a tunnel lined on both sides with copper prayer wheels and passing through the massive entrance to the complex. Tibetan prayer flags with their five characteristic colors (blue, white, red, green and yellow) are wrapped around a flagpole, while traditional motifs support the brightly painted walls.
Meanwhile, your auditory senses enjoy a mix of sounds that harmoniously combine the chanting of monks, chattering visitors, and the cooing of doves flapping their wings. Most people in this lifetime will never be able to see these invaluable ancient texts or hear about them. The towering walls may have protected the temple as one century gave way to the next, but the artifacts have not been so immune. The digital age, however, has thrown a lifeline to the Sakya Monastery’s invaluable items as notebooks and scanners became obsolete.
An archival project examining 26 types of ancient artifacts, including frescoes, porcelain items, and instruments, has been underway since 2015. Digitally recording your data gives them a new lease of life in the 21st century. In 2009, in the Indian Himalayas, the world’s leading translators, Buddhist scholars, teachers and volunteers gathered for days, sharing decades of research to conclude that only 5% of the Buddha’s teachings had been translated into a language spoken today. . And within 50 years, there may only be a handful of people left capable of understanding these ancient languages.
I wonder how much knowledge will be lost if someone destroys this place? In the history of humanity, similar incidents already occurred in the distant past, when the Spanish invaders destroyed all the sacred books of the Aztecs because they thought it was the work of the devil.