142202 UE Dawn of the Tibetans: Origin Stories in Treasure Texts and Historiographies (2024W)

In this course, we will be reading Classical Tibetan passages drawn from the colorful origin narratives of the Tibetan people (Tib. bod, bod mi, etc.). Such stories, which often feature an ancestral monkey mating with a female demoness, would develop into a staple of Tibetan historiographical literature from the 12th c. onward. These tales contain vibrant and diverse narrative, and thus offer compelling readings through which to improve students’ language proficiency. Accompanying the readings, moreover, we will also dive into related issues concerning these narratives’ literary, religious and historical contexts.

The precise reading materials will be selected in consideration of both the interests and proficiency of the participating students, which will be gauged in the first two sessions (introduction + first reading). Depending on these factors, passages will be selected from one of the following treasure texts and historiographies, material that roughly dates from between the 12th–15th centuries CE:

1) A witness of the Lo rgyus chen mo (“Great History”) as contained in the famous text collection Ma ṇi bka’ ’bum (“Collected Works on the Maṇi [Mantra]”), a collection of works centered around the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara
2) A redaction of the influential Pillar Testament (bKa’ chems ka khol ma), a work attributed to the 7th-c. emperor Srong btsan the Wise, widely celebrated as a Tibetan culture hero and emanation of Avalokiteśvara
3) The renowned historiography Mirror Illuminating the Royal Genealogy (rGyal rabs gsal ba’i me long)
Depending on the selected reading material, supporting secondary literature and briefer complementary primary source readings will be provided during the semester.

The goal of the class is twofold. Firstly, it aims to increase students’ facility in dealing with primary sources by covering an array of issues. These might range from points of Classical Tibetan grammar, vocabulary, and the usage of supporting tools (dictionaries, digital databases, etc.), all the way to reading cursive handwriting or consulting multiple witnesses of a work to settle a reading. Again, the details will vary based on the material and interests of the students.

The second goal is to develop background knowledge of the origin narratives themselves and the literary sources in which they are embedded. What different stories existed concerning the Tibetans’ origins? In what literary and religious contexts do they appear? Why did they become so popular, and why were they considered relevant to begin with?

In this way, the course seeks to impart both reading skills and relevant knowledge of the historical, literary and religious contexts of the selected literature.