In the nineteenth century, Müang Nan was one of the most important vassal states of Siam, equal to Chiang Mai and Luang Prabang in rank 1. Together they copied a complete set of the Tipiṭaka (the Buddhist canon) illuminating the teachings of the Buddha to to last [until the end of] 5000 years. The total set of the Dhamma scriptures that were copied (literally: made) consisted of 142 manuscript bundles (mat) or 1603 palm leaf bands (phuk).2.
Below I will first provide a brief introduction to the unique collection of Buddhist documents that have been excavated in various projects since 2005 and which resulted in the establishment of the Luang Prabang Buddhist Archives ten years later. I will then delve deeper into the significance of manuscripts found in three recently discovered monastic repositories in Luang Prabang for the preservation of Northern Laos' Buddhist heritage. It should be emphasized that these manuscripts were not part of the monastery library (hò tham) of Vat Saen Sukharam, but instead belonged to the abbot's personal collection of books and documents.
In 2002, he was appointed by Pha Khamchan as the chairman of the Lao Buddhist Fellowship Organization (LBFO) of Luang Prabang district. He is the director of the Luang Prabang Buddhist Archives and a very socially engaged monk. The latest and by far the largest corpus of manuscripts to be digitized are the almost 1,500 manuscripts from Wat Maha That, one of Luang Prabang's oldest monasteries.
கரிடி), are loudly chanted by monks and novices with many years of experience in preaching all chapters.
ตํานานพุทธ
Apart from the dating, colophons reveal much more about the background of the manuscripts, their production, purpose and use. Although few manuscripts have colophons that are exclusively scribal,17 many more record the names of both the scribe and the persons who sponsored the making of the manuscript and donated it to the Sangha. Month Seventh lunar month third lunar month Lunar Fornight Third waning day twelfth waning day calendar Day of the.
To ensure the continuation of the Buddha's teachings until the end of five thousand years. One of the most interesting colophons regarding the wishes and aspirations of a sponsor/donor is contained in the unusually long colophon of manuscript BAD entitled Maha munlanipphan (Pali: Mahā Mūlanibbāna Sutta). Only a small number of colophons in the 524 manuscripts of the Vat Xiang Thòng corpus mention the names of scribes.
Three-fifths of the known scribes were members of the Sangha, either abbots or other monks, and in some cases also novices. In most colophons, the names of the leading monastic or lay followers (mūlasaddhā) who commissioned the production of manuscripts are prominently mentioned. On the fourth waning day of the eighth [lunar] month, the fifth day of the week in the year of the Rat, BE 2515.
In Buddhist Era 2515, a tao chai year, on the fourth waning day of the eighth [lunar] month, the fifth day of the week,19 the scripture. Our analysis of the names of monasteries and hometowns of scribes and sponsors/donors shows that almost half of the "leading monastery supporters". The main lay supporters who sponsored the making of manuscripts were mostly married couples with the husband's name mentioned first, followed by the wife's name.
Many of the patrons were members of the nobility or aristocrats, as indicated by their titles such as phia, phanya, mün or saen. The colophon is immediately visible because, unlike the main text, it is not written along the entire length of the palm leaf, but rather. This manuscript entitled Phimpha hamhai, I, Prince Saloemsak Rasasampanthavong, [the king's] husband and Princess Buasi, the queen, of Ban Kang had the religious faith to sponsor the production of the manuscript in support of the Buddha's teachings on the sixth day of the year week, the fourteenth waxing day of the second [ of the lunar] month BE 250422 to commemorate the anniversary of my birthday.
The work describes the adventures of the monk Phra Malai, who has supernatural powers. Moreover, various colophons help to increase our insight into the collaboration between scribes and sponsors/donors, but also between different sponsors/donors in the preparation of a manuscript.
BAD Salòng maha vetsantara (benefits derived from sponsoring Vessantara Jataka manuscripts); palm leaf manuscript; one fascicle of 8 leaves; language: Laotian, Pali;. POOR Niyai saengyibat, first collection; palm leaf manuscript; one fascicle of 26 leaves; language: Laotian, Pali;. BAD Untitled (Maha vessantara; The Great Vessantara Jātaka); palm leaf manuscript; one fascicle with 16 folios;.
Meditasie in Luang Prabang: 'n Uitstalling van die Buddhist Archive of Photography met historiese foto's uit kloosterversamelings. Manuscripts Found in the Abode of Pha Khamchan at Vat Saen Sukharam” In The Lao Sangha and Modernity: Research at the Buddhist Archives of Luang Prabang geredigeer deur Volker Grabowsky en Hans Georg Berger, pp. Buddhist Manuscript Culture in Laos on the Road to Modernity: Reflections on Anisong Manuscripts” In The Lao Sangha and Modernity: Research at the Buddhist Archives of Luang Prabang geredigeer deur Volker Grabowsky en Hans Georg Berger, pp.
The Manuscript Collection of Abbot Sathu Nyai Khamchan at the Monastery of Vat Saen Sukharam (Luang Prabang, Laos)” Manuscript Cultures, No. Buddhist monks and their quest for knowledge: an examination of the personal manuscript collection of Phra Khamchan Virachitto Abbot of Saen Sukharam Wat, Luang Prabang”, PhD Dissertation, Asia-Africa Institute, Universität Hamburg. Insights from the newly discovered monastery collections in Luang Prabang” Journal of the Siam Society, Vol.
Multi-faceted Perspectives on the Buddhist Archives of Luang Prabang: The Case of the Chaṭṭha Saṅgāyana and the Buddhist Jayanti” In The Lao Sangha and Modernity: Research at the Buddhist Archives of Luang Prabang edited by Volker Grabowsky and Hans Georg Berger, pp. The Colophons of Thirty Pāli Manuscripts from Northern Thailand” Journal of the Pali Text Society, Vol. The Life, Work and Social Roles of the Most Venerable Sathu Nyai Khamchan Virachitta Maha Thela.
